Hello all,
Checking out air bags for the truck, 01 F350 srw 7.3 long bed. Looking at the Firestone sku2550 bags w/compressor sku 2097. ? is where to mount the compressor? Not much room under the hood. Hate to go on the frame,MN. winters & salted rds. Any thoughts
Some here and on the Ford forum have mounted them above the spare tire on top of the bracket. Up and out of the way where very little can get to them. Also, may think about putting it behind the right rear passenger seat. Will be a little noisy at times but totally out of the weather. My buddy put his behind the glove box on an '05 F350. If you had a toolbox in the bed, you could put it there as well. I put my new one on the frame, but I live in Georgia and don't have all the salt.
I think the airbags have been the best 'add-on' for the truck. Can't imagine living without.
What I have been fine without is a compressor built into the system. The bags have short hoses running to the underside of the rear fender forward of the rear wheels where there are valve stems. I need only set the pressure when loading. A few extra minutes, but as long as I'm topping off tires...
Only a couple of times in 7 years have I missed the set-up and had to stop to adjust pressures (because I under-estimated loads from water and such). While it would have been convenient those times, I can't imagine an externally mounted compressor would last the same 7 years - the underside of my truck is a mess as it is!
Good luck!
Rookie
2009 Keystone Challenger 34 QSB
2005 GMC Sierra 3500 Duramax/Allison DRW
2001 BMW K1200LT
KBfiredog wrote: OK guys give me some info, why do I need air bags and what are the benefits? Thanks, KB
2011 Cameo 37RESLS
2012 F350 Lariat PSD DRW
A lot better riding truck is what I got! Plus, when they are setup independently, more stability. I have the 2010 F350 you see in my sig, and it made a big difference just in riding around town. With only 12 psi in the bags, the truck rides much better and stays more level while cornering. I put a Viair system on with my Firestone's so I can adjust my pressure going down the road, but went a couple of weeks without it in place. The air bag performance is phenomenal. I should've done this long ago. Most everyone knows that the newer trucks(GM, Ford and Dodge) all have the dreaded 'drive line shudder' when taking off with 2-3k worth of pin weight in the back.(do a search here and on respective forums) The shudder is caused by the change in angle of the drive line. It really shows up in the newer trucks due to the massive amounts of torque put out by the engines. All that was stopped by my air bags. My truck squatted, but stayed level with a #2900 pin weight, but the concrete interstates were rough with the bouncing. Aired the bags up to 35 psi and all of it went away and produced a very enjoyable ride without any harshness at all. The truck simply performs better with a $275 addition of air bags! Should've done it to my other trucks and will to all from now on.
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