Air bags or new springs?

[WanderingJ]

Camping season is upon us, where I am at least, and I've done my first tow of my, new to me, 4000lb trailer. I'm running a 2.5 readylift (puck). Thinking I need to get some more support on the backend. Not sure if i should just go new springs, like claytons 2.5in lift springs, or do air bags. Is one better than other? Bags seems the easier route, (timber grove) not that springs are difficult to install. - as a note, i don't think my WDH is set up right so need to work on that asap before next trip and the jeep is on a slight incline.

Sponsored

 

[kevman65]

Get your WDH sorted out before you do anything else.

Once you have the WDH doing what it's supposed to, you'll know if you need some help and how much.

 

[MPMB]

Airbags are better, as HD springs will make the ride harsher when empty.

A cheap option might be spring rubbers. As a delay tactic, I got a couple spring rubbers for the rear springs. The new RTT was heavier than the old one, and had more weight distributed behind the axle. That introduced more side-to-side wallow over bumps that the stock Rubi suspension (albeit the bad Fox shocks) couldn't handle.

It improved the ride a noticeable difference.

 

[iav8]

I almost had the Accuair rear air bags as part of my lift and tires build with Exodus 4x4. The goal was to level the ride while under a heavy load and/or trailer weight. I have the Diesel Gladiator, so the plumbing for the Accuair tank, and air hoses wouldn't work out (because I wanted to keep the stock spare tire location). In the end, I went with the Clayton 3.5 Overland Plus springs all around. I was a little disappointed that the accuair system didn't work out, but then again, I don't have to worry about another system failing. To be fair, if I didn't want to keep the spare tire in the stock location, we might have made it work out.

 

[Josh00333]

I tow with "heavy" tongue weight, bout 700, I added Sumo Springs. They work fabulous.

Air bags are cool, but add complexity to the rear I didn't want to deal with.

Heaver springs will help as well, I've got an AEV lift in, they are defiantly more beef than the stock max tow springs.

 

[Primer Gray]

Just switched from the AEV HC 3.00” springs to Clayton 3.50” HD rear and Clayton 3.50” Diesel front springs with the AirLift RAM bags on the rear — I’m pretty happy with the ride improvement and ability to soften/firm up the ride by adjusting the air.

I ended up purchasing the AirLift gladiator bag kit as well just to obtain the larger spring spaces to fill in the gap on the longer coils.

Images shown with 850lb tongue weight trailer hooked up and about 900lb of cargo in the bed.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Just switched from the AEV HC 3.00” springs to Clayton 3.50” HD rear and Clayton 3.50” Diesel front springs with the AirLift RAM bags on the rear — I’m pretty happy with the ride improvement and ability to soften/firm up the ride by adjusting the air.

I ended up purchasing the AirLift gladiator bag kit as well just to obtain the larger spring spaces to fill in the gap on the longer coils.

Images shown with 850lb tongue weight trailer hooked up and about 900lb of cargo in the bed.

This seems like a solid long term way to solve this issue.
Do you have the ability to adjust pressure in the cab or is it local to the bags

 

[Primer Gray]

This seems like a solid long term way to solve this issue.
Do you have the ability to adjust pressure in the cab or is it local to the bags

Just a single schrader valve on the rear bumper with a tee.

 

[Primer Gray]

This seems like a solid long term way to solve this issue.
Do you have the ability to adjust pressure in the cab or is it local to the bags

I was thinking about doing the full air spring swap from TimberGrove — and still might in the future if the AirLift bags don’t hold up well..

But at this point I’m pretty happy.

 

[22EcoDs]

I was thinking about doing the full air spring swap from TimberGrove — and still might in the future if the AirLift bags don’t hold up well..

But at this point I’m pretty happy.

Hey do you happen to have the part# for the bags you used on your claytons? I have the 2.5" diesel kit and want to add rear bags. Seems like the default JT bags will not work with the larger coils? Thank You.

 

[Primer Gray]

Hey do you happen to have the part# for the bags you used on your claytons? I have the 2.5" diesel kit and want to add rear bags. Seems like the default JT bags will not work with the larger coils? Thank You.

Finally settled on the following combination, you’ll need to purchase 2 different kits to obtain the correct bag and spacer size combination:

Spacers
Air Lift 1000 Air Suspension Kit 60743
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001F15Z08?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Bags
Air Lift 60818HD Air Lift 1000 HD for 2009-2025 RAM 1500
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07BKXP1BW?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

In the end I moved from the Clayton springs to EVO 4.5” HD Springs — the EVO setup required 2x of the spacers on each spring (1 on top, 1 on bottom) from the 60743 kit..

For the Clayton setup, one spacer on each spring will work well and leave a bit of space for expansion and compression.

But am definitely much happier with the EVO setup.

Pictures show setup with EVO 4.5” HD Springs, AirLift 60818HD Bags, 2 spacers from AirLift 60743 kit per spring (4 spacers total), 900LB of cargo in pickup bed, and about 800LB of trailer tongue weight.

 

[22EcoDs]

Wow thats a ton of weight... Im still on the fence of adding bags or just going to the HD triple rate 2.5 claytons. I only tow 2-3 times a year. Thanks for the details though. Do you think on my clayton 2.5 I can get away with just the ram kit?

 

[Primer Gray]

Wow thats a ton of weight... Im still on the fence of adding bags or just going to the HD triple rate 2.5 claytons. I only tow 2-3 times a year. Thanks for the details though. Do you think on my clayton 2.5 I can get away with just the ram kit?

Without the spacer you will definitely have a +/-3” gap between the bag and perch.

Some have commented that the bags are not intended to fill up the height of the spring.. only know that when I was experimenting with combinations, the bags really didn’t have an appreciable effect until I shimmed them with spacers.

 

[22EcoDs]

Without the spacer you will definitely have a +/-3” gap between the bag and perch.

Some have commented that the bags are not intended to fill up the height of the spring.. only know that when I was experimenting with combinations, the bags really didn’t have an appreciable effect until I shimmed them with spacers.

Awesome thank you for the help.

 

[Badunit]

Does anyone have any concerns about the airbags pulling and pushing on the lines when the suspension is flexed, when the airbag doesn't take up the full length of the spring? It seems like there would be a lot of rubbing on the lines (and on whatever paint they are rubbing against). It just seems weird/wrong to me that the bags don't fill up the entire space so everything stays in place at all times, including when the suspension droops. None of the install or review videos I've seen even mention it as a concern or a thought. I'd like to install a set of airbags, either Air Lift or Firestone, but it bothers me looking at it.

Sponsored