Airlift Bags Question.

[PuddleJumper]

So i installed the Airlift kit on my Mojave over the weekend. I need them for an upcoming trip to Harker's Island/Cape Lookout, Cus I can't tow my NOBO19.3 on a WDH offroad. But with almost 700lbs of Tongue weight and 5200 weighed weight, I'm not willing to ride bumpstop to camp. Anywho, my Mojave is still my DD. And per Airlift i have 5psi in the bags. The ass is a bit bouncy now and I'm not a fan. Can I and has anyone just run em empty? Or do I need to run 300lbs in the bed to equal it out? TIA

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[Jaxmax]

I have had Airlifts on three Chevy trucks ran at five empty and about thirty towing. The five pounds is to keep the airbags from getting pinched in springs, perhaps try three pounds see if it makes a difference. Drive around at three and check and see what they look like before going any lower , I would not do empty. Sorry all I got….Jack

 

[PuddleJumper]

I have had Airlifts on three Chevy trucks ran at five empty and about thirty towing. The five pounds is to keep the airbags from getting pinched in springs, perhaps try three pounds see if it makes a difference. Drive around at three and check and see what they look like before going any lower , I would not do empty. Sorry all I got….Jack

Thanks, I'll just mess around with it then

 

[MattKay]

Slightly off topic and Curious for myself: i have a similar weighted travel trailer as you do and am planning on towing it with just WDH. Have you towed your camper with just WDH - how did it go?

 

[Bear Hunter]

I run a few pounds. Maybe not 5 but at least enough so they wont fold or sag. You shouldn't notice that at all...

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Pressure is force on area. Airlift bags use a relatively low amount of force multiplied by a relatively large area.

Therefore even one pound/in2 (psi) can have a dramatic effect on the ride. Relatively low pressures can excerpt enormous forces when surface areas are large.

ie normally well under a pound per in2 (psi) supports (or overcomes) the mass of a 747 in stable flight. This is bc the small force is multiplied by the enourmous wing surface area of the jumbo.

Keep dialling down the pressure pound by pound and look for a happy compromise. Even half a pound will make a difference. Any positive pressure, even say 0.5psi above gauge zero, will keep the bags inflated.

Again this is due to the large surface area within the air lift bag.

To be clear we’re talking about the basic inner coil airbags here, and not any of the bellow type air Bags.

I run the air lift bags in my vehicle and have done for over ten years. In a light duty vehicle such as a glady, I would be v surprised if more than 12psi would be advisable when fully loaded.

Remember that, sans the external Kevlar bag skins, these airlift bags are only good for supporting an additional 4-500lbs. As per my experience of the user manuals and so on.

goodluck!

 

[PuddleJumper]

Slightly off topic and Curious for myself: i have a similar weighted travel trailer as you do and am planning on towing it with just WDH. Have you towed your camper with just WDH - how did it go?

Yes with my Rubicon and Mojave. Its a little squatty and unweildy but thats mostly do to the combo and par for the course with mid size trucks. TBH I am a bit ballsy and have a lot of experience doing stupid shit. So its well within my realm of comfort. Truck ain't fast but is surprisingly stout. Never gotten hot or faded. I run 37s on my Mojave with 4.10s and its fine too. 37s deal with the harshness better but require more correction. 33s are have the gearing but smacks the piss out of bumpstops on those random highway sneaky pot holes. ( may be dude to different shocks too) all in all though its an engaging experience that I don't mind. For some I could see it has exhausting and overwhelming. I'm curious to see if the bags will help on road as well.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I run a few pounds. Maybe not 5 but at least enough so they wont fold or sag. You shouldn't notice that at all...

Sweet! thanks for the answer!

 

[PuddleJumper]

Pressure is force on area. Airlift bags use a relatively low amount of force multiplied by a relatively large area.

Therefore even one pound/in2 (psi) can have a dramatic effect on the ride. Relatively low pressures can excerpt enormous forces when surface areas are large.

ie normally well under a pound per in2 (psi) supports (or overcomes) the mass of a 747 in stable flight. This is bc the small force is multiplied by the enourmous wing surface area of the jumbo.

Keep dialling down the pressure pound by pound and look for a happy compromise. Even half a pound will make a difference. Any positive pressure, even say 0.5psi above gauge zero, will keep the bags inflated.

Again this is due to the large surface area within the air lift bag.

To be clear we’re talking about the basic inner coil airbags here, and not any of the bellow type air Bags.

I run the air lift bags in my vehicle and have done for over ten years. In a light duty vehicle such as a glady, I would be v surprised if more than 12psi would be advisable when fully loaded.

Remember that, sans the external Kevlar bag skins, these airlift bags are only good for supporting an additional 4-500lbs. As per my experience of the user manuals and so on.

goodluck!

Thanks! yes these are in coil bags. I just need em to help manage RTT weight and tongue weight. I'll try em with .5 psi and see how it goes.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Thanks! yes these are in coil bags. I just need em to help manage RTT weight and tongue weight. I'll try em with .5 psi and see how it goes.

Yeah I can imagine. They’re good for jobs like that. I do the same.

But they will kill the lovely juicy compliant rear end ride Of the glady with any pressure in them tbh.

That’s the compromise. And for some it’s too much. They kill articulation. Actually their job is to inhibit the normal action of the coil spring.

Which is not really well understood. Their job is to stop the cool spring wire rotating. Yea that’s right. A coil spring doesn’t merely get squashed. It’s a really long coiled up torsion bar.

And the air bag shuts down it’s capacity to twist/rotate. Hope that makes sense.

Feel free to slam me and debate it out I love spring physics lol

*edit: the impact to articulation will be somewhat proportional to the length of the radius arms. And gladdy has lovely long radius arms that give it a ton of articulation. So you will feel the loss of movement.

In a tighter rear end (excuse me), one with shorter radius arms, the effect will be less etc.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Yeah I can imagine. They’re good for jobs like that. I do the same.

But they will kill the lovely juicy compliant rear end ride Of the glady with any pressure in them tbh.

That’s the compromise. And for some it’s too much. They kill articulation. Actually their job is to inhibit the normal action of the coil spring.

Which is not really well understood. Their job is to stop the cool spring wire rotating. Yea that’s right. A cool spring doesn’t merely get squashed. It’s a really long coiled up torsion bar.

and the air bag shuts down it’s capacity to twist/rotate. Hope that makes sense.

Feel free to slam me and debate it out I love spring physics lol

I jump my truck and Airlift says lifetime warranty. SO i might run em empty and if i fuck em up every 6mo or so the its cheap and easy enough to replace.

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