AirLift rear bag system - info you need to know

[Benbean66]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I just wanted to add some info for those of us who are in the market for this type of setup.
I've been speaking to Steven from Timber Grove, and he took the measurements I gave him of my setup and compared them to his setup. He said with the "2.5" lift" springs (which Clayton springs do run a little taller than that, so I may have closer to 3-3.5" of lift) that his kit would not quite be tall enough to allow full droop. He offered to design a taller stand for the bags to sit on (adding roughly $75 to the price), which would allow the axle to droop at full extension, but it would limit the compression at full stuff. I think with a little air in them, and no "T" fitting (which would prevent air from traveling to the other bag), they would act as bump stops, and prevent damaging the bag due to being compressed too much.
Although a little pricey, I think this seems like the most stable and most durable (I like overbuilding everything) option in regards to adding bags to the rear axle of my JT.

Sponsored

 

[Cruizer8]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I just wanted to add some info for those of us who are in the market for this type of setup.
I've been speaking to Steven from Timber Grove, and he took the measurements I gave him of my setup and compared them to his setup. He said with the "2.5" lift" springs (which Clayton springs do run a little taller than that, so I may have closer to 3-3.5" of lift) that his kit would not quite be tall enough to allow full droop. He offered to design a taller stand for the bags to sit on (adding roughly $75 to the price), which would allow the axle to droop at full extension, but it would limit the compression at full stuff. I think with a little air in them, and no "T" fitting (which would prevent air from traveling to the other bag), they would act as bump stops, and prevent damaging the bag due to being compressed too much.
Although a little pricey, I think this seems like the most stable and most durable (I like overbuilding everything) option in regards to adding bags to the rear axle of my JT.

I have been eyeballing those bags for awhile, so that is good to know. Does anyone know how the Mopar lift compares to the Clayton lift as far as fitting these?

 

[PhantomChameleon]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I just wanted to add some info for those of us who are in the market for this type of setup.
I've been speaking to Steven from Timber Grove, and he took the measurements I gave him of my setup and compared them to his setup. He said with the "2.5" lift" springs (which Clayton springs do run a little taller than that, so I may have closer to 3-3.5" of lift) that his kit would not quite be tall enough to allow full droop. He offered to design a taller stand for the bags to sit on (adding roughly $75 to the price), which would allow the axle to droop at full extension, but it would limit the compression at full stuff. I think with a little air in them, and no "T" fitting (which would prevent air from traveling to the other bag), they would act as bump stops, and prevent damaging the bag due to being compressed too much.
Although a little pricey, I think this seems like the most stable and most durable (I like overbuilding everything) option in regards to adding bags to the rear axle of my JT.

Those look like an interesting option - def seem more durable which appeals to me as well. I'm wondering if their standard kit would work well with the Mopar lift which is 2in or 2.5in max, at least on the heavier Rubicon model

I'm a little unclear on the install for these, seems like the bolt in somewhere as oppsosed to the bags that just slip inside of the springs. I am also curious what kind of PSI those use to function and if you can still inflate them with a simple bike pump.

I'll check out the website further, I'm sure that info is on there!

 

[Cruizer8]

Those look like an interesting option - def seem more durable which appeals to me as well. I'm wondering if their standard kit would work well with the Mopar lift which is 2in or 2.5in max, at least on the heavier Rubicon model

I'm a little unclear on the install for these, seems like the bolt in somewhere as oppsosed to the bags that just slip inside of the springs. I am also curious what kind of PSI those use to function and if you can still inflate them with a simple bike pump.

I'll check out the website further, I'm sure that info is on there!

There is someone in another airbag thread that has them on his Ram - https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...firestone-vs-airlift.52197/page-2#post-876002

 

[PhantomChameleon]

The Timber Grove bags for the Gladiator look a little different than their other models and it says they were specifically designed to maintain articulation - it also says that the max PSI is 90, so definitely within the range of a normal pump which is also nice. These are definitely interesting, and while they cost a bit more than the Airlift 1000 bags they do appear to be a little more robust.

 

[gt3mike]

I'd love to see what these look like installed.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

I'd love to see what these look like installed.

Same - I think I might reach out to them and see if they have some more details and photos of them installed.

Also curious if they add any height when not inflated, which I'm hoping to avoid.

 

[Benbean66]

The Timber Grove bags for the Gladiator look a little different than their other models and it says they were specifically designed to maintain articulation - it also says that the max PSI is 90, so definitely within the range of a normal pump which is also nice. These are definitely interesting, and while they cost a bit more than the Airlift 1000 bags they do appear to be a little more robust.

These get installed in place of the bump stops. The bottom plate bolts to the plate on the axle, and the top plate bolts to the cup that would normally hold the rubber bump stop bushing.

 

[Benbean66]

I'll be ordering a set in the next day or two, and be the guinea pig, although they look like they will give me no issues. I really think these are the best option for my setup.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

These get installed in place of the bump stops. The bottom plate bolts to the plate on the axle, and the top plate bolts to the cup that would normally hold the rubber bump stop bushing.

Nice, thanks for the info! Any idea if they might add any height when not inflated or would they just be an equal swap with the bump stop?

 

[Benbean66]

Nice, thanks for the info! Any idea if they might add any height when not inflated or would they just be an equal swap with the bump stop?

With little to no air in them, they should not provide any lift. They may provide a little boost if fully inflated and you don't have much weight in the bed. These look to be the same bags that 18-wheelers use on the rear cab mounts of their trucks.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

Just sent an email off to Timber Grove with a few questions and a request for photos of the Gladiator kit installed if possible. I will report back with any information I get!

 

[PhantomChameleon]

So I heard back from Steve at Timber Grove and he provided some good info and answers to some of the questions I had:

1) No photos available of the new version of the bags as he has not done many Gladiators thus far.

2) Like another member mentioned in this thread, he is working on a mount for the bags that would allow them to fully work on Jeeps with lifts installed. He is thinking of doing a single mount that could be adjusted to the height that you need for your lift.

3) The kit does not add any extra height when not inflated on the stock Gladiator. He does recommend 5-7 PSI when unloaded which allows the bags to act as a bump stop.

4) You can use a simple bike pump to inflate the bags, so no need for a compressor or anything like that if one is not available.

5) For offroading/overlanding, he recommended using two separate fill lines (and not teeing them together) to avoid air shifting back and forth between the bags when on uneven ground.

6) He was not certain if the current out of the box kit for the Gladiator would work with the Mopar 2in lift; he requested some measurements in order to check this:

• Measurement from the axle plate to the underside of the bump stop lip at normal ride height.
• The same measurement at full extension with the rear wheels off the ground (full suspension droop).

It would be tough for me to get the measurements he requested as I do not have a floor jack or anything that would let me get the suspension at full droop - if anyone happens to have these measurements and could share, that would be awesome. I may create a new post as well requesting those measurements as I'm sure there is someone out there who has them or could more easily get them.

Overall I'm definitely leaning towards this solution depending on how well they'll work with the Mopar lift. It's awesome that Steve is willing to put in some work to dial the bags in for different lift heights, which combined with the heavier duty-ness of these bags, will likely make these a winner for me.

 

[XJFanatic]

So just happened to get some bags with some springs I purchased. Any idea where to get the spacer? Looks like the JT uses part number 09111?

 

[PhantomChameleon]

So just happened to get some bags with some springs I purchased. Any idea where to get the spacer? Looks like the JT uses part number 09111?

Not sure on that - unclear if airlift sells just the spacers or not.

Sponsored