Skip N Barb Team wrote:

NC Hauler

So, you're telling me that the airbags don't assist to give a higher payload.

That simply doesn't make sence. I have five leaf springs on my truck. I load my fiver and it lowers about two inches. If I add the 1 leaf to be the same as a 1 ton truck, it settles 1 inch.

I add the bags, it lowers 2 inches, I add air to bring it back to level, taking stress off the springs, and putting more on the axles. The additional weight has been added to the axles, wheels, and tires.

The axle is the same as the 1 ton, so if I replace the wheels with Chevy 1 ton srw, and add the 265 tires with a 3420# rating, and stay within my total towing capacity, staying within the payload of a 1 ton, what am I doing wrong?

As others stated adding airbags to a 1/2 ton will give more payload. I don't think their staying within the axle, wheels, and tire ratings, realizing they were trying to be a bit funny.

My rear weight now is 3300#'s

I'm looking at a new fiver of @2100# pin weight dry.

After loading, I'll figure about 2600 - 2700#'s.

265 tires give me 6840#'s max

Less 3300#' = 3540#'s

I figure adding the bags, wheels, and tires will give me a little cushion. I'll be over the total allowed weight of my truck, under the total allowed rear weight, and within my total towing weight, and saving a bunch of $$$'s.

There's been over a 1000 hits on this thread, but no one has really come forward with the answer to my question.

I hope it's not because they're afaid to be pounded by the "WEIGHT POLICE"

I do appreciate the input here. It's a great forum!!!

Skip

NC Hauler wrote:



These airbags, as rick so aptly stated are not your semi tractor type air bags.....THOSE airbags are part of the trucks OEM suspension...The airbags we ADD to our trucks are not part of the trucks OEM suspension, they level, how come no one want's to believe what the actual designers and manufacturers of the Air bags state about their product? I mean, if they actually CLAIMED that these bags added GVWR to one's truck, they could sell them for $500 dollars a set or more...

I'm about explained out....it's there for the reading and research on the airbags that we buy to put on our trucks...Talk to an Automotive design engineer, believe we even have an at least one ex one on this forum.

You said it yourself, you put air in the bags and it levels the load, may even give you a more stable and smoother ride, they DO exert that extra weight on the axle and tires, the leaf springs are part of the suspension...they are now carrying that same weight, the air in the bags pushed down on the axle and up on the bed thus raising it.

Those that are adding airbags to 1/2 ton trucks are not adding one ounce of payload carrying capacity to their truck....again, they pushed the bed of the truck up and are still putting the same amount of weight pushing down on the axle, springs and tires, they've leveled that trucks load, it may tow smoother, it may be a little more stable loaded, but, if they were over the trucks GVWR or even its RAWR and added airbags to compensate for that, they have misunderstood how aftermarket airbags we add to our truck work and are still over the limits as would be a 3/4 ton, 1 ton SRW and 1 ton DWR truck would be that added air bags to it to get more GVWR or RAWR..


....hey add two sets of air bags and one could probably tow a 20,000# Carriage with a 3/4 ton truck...I mean that's the logic we're seeing here...Funny how they rate most of these bags at 5,000# each and yet know one is "assuming" that they should now be able to raise their GVWR by that amount...I could go from a a GVWR on my truck that now has 12,200# and with two 5,000# airbags, go to at least a GVWR of 17,200#...on wait, I just exceeded my axle rating by over 7,000# or more...why didn't the math work out???

Air bags are designed and manufactured for the leveling of a load and to help smooth out a loaded vehicles ride.

....oh, I caught the dig on the weight police thing.. no one is really worried about being "pounded" by the weight police...The shoe is on the other foot now...when someone, who just states the obvious, as in this airbag question or recommends a 3/4 ton truck over a 1/2 ton when opinions are asked, or a dually for a job....it's usually the majority who jump on those who have, like me, been jumped on by the weight police way back in, I just listened, did the research and found out in my case, I was wrong and they were right, again, "in my case"....I don't believe one needs a Freightliner to tow a pop-up...funny analogy and illogical at best, but some go a long way to justify towing over one's truck towing limits...

I'm explained out...you can win the discussion, don't do the research, ignore the facts that you say no one has stated on these forums, believe what you want to believe...I've done the undersize truck towing too much weight, I've done the airbag thing, I finally swallowed my pride and had to admit I was wrong in MY trucks application with the 5er I chose (years back)...to me, it was an expensive lesson learned over the years....but, what do I know? To each his own...People call me the weight police, make fun of a lot of post, but it is what it is and it's nothing a little research won't prove it out on...Live and Learn....some do, most don't...

MadMav wrote:

Nobody has yet to prove the GM axles are the same from 2500HD to 3500HD.

Mav

soling2003 wrote:

OP-
Ok, I'm one that kind of did your mods. I added the airbags and larger tires with more weight carrying capacity. I added the airbags to level the truck when hooked up to the 5th wheel, and larger tire cause I didn't like the dinky and poor performing stock Continentals.
The results were good on handling. I was new to 5th wheels, so didn't rwalize how heavy the pin was. My 2010 F250 LB 4x4 CC diesel only had a 1720lb payload rating. After weighing it once, I found out I was 600 lbs over the RAWR and almost 1000 lbs over the GCWR. It towed it fine, but I didn't like being so far over. The F350 SRW truck in 2010 had the same GCWR, but more RAWR. So because of the combined weight, I had to go to a dually. The difference was lost night and day. Much better ride with that much weight! I did end up with a 2011 though.

Be careull, everyone states the 250/350 differences, but in some years the axles were in fact different, 2010 was one of them I found out. Some years they were the same.

In closing, yes you can o it, it will probably work, but the right truck designed for the load is better.

rick83864 wrote:

If I understand pickup trucks air bags right, they are static meaning the bags don't change when going down the road. A big rig air ride suspension is dynamic meaning it releases air when needed and then the bag is replenished with air hundreds of time per minute.
Coil or leaf springs are also dynamic which is why I would suggest adding a spring before a pickup truck air bag.
I think some people confuse a big rig air ride suspension with our available air bags for pickups.
Now wouldn't that be nice, a true air ride suspension on a pickup. It would most likely add $10k to window sticker. There is actually a couple of guys here that have done the conversion, member Me2 maybe?
I believe that is why any of our air bag companies clearly state they won't add a weight rating but rather just for leveling a load.

Engineer9860 wrote:



The OP is discussing GM trucks. The axle comparison of the Ford brand is not relevant in this particular case.

rick83864 wrote:


Not so sure Jim


Section 24002(a) CVC prohibits a vehicle or combination of vehicles
which is in an unsafe condition or which is not safely loaded and which
presents an immediate safety hazard from operating on the highway. This
section provides officers the authority to stop a vehicle or combination
of vehicles that is, in the officer’s opinion, unsafe to operate on
the highway. This section could be used to prohibit a driver from
continuing until the unsafe condition is fixed.