AirLift rear bag system - info you need to know

[Cruizer8]

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.

I just went out and got the measurements on mine with the Mopar lift at full droop. I measured it at 10.5 Inches.

I also wasn't sure if the plate on the bottom was part of the lift or on all Gladiators so I measured it at 2"

I did not measure it at normal height tho as I have a rack with a tent on it at the moment and that probably skews the measurement a bit.

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[CrazyCooter]

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.

That's a super nice kit!

If I wasn't running hydraulic bumps, I'd install set. For those with a lift kit, these my just bolt up to the bumpstop extension depending on brand. Might just be as simple as drilling 2 hole on top.

 

[CrazyCooter]

I just went out and got the measurements on mine with the Mopar lift at full droop. I measured it at 10.5 Inches.

I also wasn't sure if the plate on the bottom was part of the lift or on all Gladiators so I measured it at 2"

I did not measure it at normal height tho as I have a rack with a tent on it at the moment and that probably skews the measurement a bit.

There ya go.......That's a 2" bump spacer and you could just drill 2 holes in the top of that spacer for mounting. Hard to say what your actual bump spacing will end up without knowing what inside of that air bag.

 

[Cruizer8]

There ya go.......That's a 2" bump spacer and you could just drill 2 holes in the top of that spacer for mounting. Hard to say what you actual bump spacing will end up without knowing what inside of that air bag.

That would be promising, then an extra space may not even be necessary or they could just make one to replace the existing one I guess.

 

[CrazyCooter]

I'd like to see them use a 4K bag and the Daystar air bag cradle on the bottom so that suspension down travel would not be a concern. We don't need 4K capacity, but we would run much lower air pressure that would reduce the pressure/effective spring rate spikes by the air compressing with the larger bag. This is a positive with the bag that goes inside the rear spring since the air volume is even larger than either of the bags Timber Grove uses in their kits.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

I just went out and got the measurements on mine with the Mopar lift at full droop. I measured it at 10.5 Inches.

I also wasn't sure if the plate on the bottom was part of the lift or on all Gladiators so I measured it at 2"

I did not measure it at normal height tho as I have a rack with a tent on it at the moment and that probably skews the measurement a bit.

Awesome, thanks so much for doing that!

I will pass this measurement along to Timber Grove. I have an RSI Smartcap on my Jeep so my "normal ride height" measurement will also be a little skewed. I may just take it and send it over to Timber Grove with the caveat that I have more than stock weight. I would guess that it would at least give him enough info to know if the stock kit will work or if the Mopar lift will require a spacer/mount.

 

[Benbean66]

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.

Awesome. I gave him those measurements for my setup, and he said he was going to work something up, like you said. I'm anxious to see what he comes up with.
Side note, Steve's customer service is probably some of the best I've ever encountered. A good portion of my decision to buy from Timber Grove is because of his dedication to the customer.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

I sent the measurement info over to Timber Grove (my "ridge height" measurement with the RSI Smartcap was about 5.75").

Steve said he would be working on a mount to accommodate lift heights this weekend and that he will get back to me next week to let me know what he comes up with.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

Got an update from Steve at Timber Grove - he said he's come up with a modular type mounting system for his air suspension setup that has interchangeable parts to allow it to accommodate different lift heights. He said he is sending it off to get laser cut and will let me know when the finished product comes in.

Pretty excited to see what he comes up with and definitely happy with the level of customer service. This whole thing is obviously a little niche, but its awesome to have someone interested in making something that works as designed rather than trying to piece together random parts to get something that maybe might work OK.

I will post again when I get another update.

 

[The Crusader]

I read somewhere that the Ram 1500 airbags are the same diameter and 2 inches taller. FYI.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

I read somewhere that the Ram 1500 airbags are the same diameter and 2 inches taller. FYI.

Apparently they are actually 4.5 inches in diameter instead if the 5 inches that the Gladiator bags are. It has also been said by Airlift themselves that the more important dimension is the width, as the bags work via pressure from expanding sideways against the springs rather than expanding up and down.

This leaves a question of whether its better to just use the Gladiator bags with lessened functionality because they don't expand against as much of the spring since they're shorter, or whether its better to get a taller bag that has lessened functionality because it doesn't expand as wide.

Its possible either will work OK, but I 100% prefer to have something that is designed to work with what I have it possible...and it seems like Timber Grove is willing to provide that.

I also like the added burlyness that the Timber Grove setup seems to offer, being bolt on rather than just floating in the springs. We will see how it works out, but its looking promising!

 

[CrazyCooter]

something else not touched on here yet is that the Timber Grove setup supports the weight in a location closer to the wheel than the location of the springs. This will offer less body roll and less flex of the axle housing which is always a good thing.

 

[Benbean66]

Got an update from Steve at Timber Grove - he said he's come up with a modular type mounting system for his air suspension setup that has interchangeable parts to allow it to accommodate different lift heights. He said he is sending it off to get laser cut and will let me know when the finished product comes in.

Pretty excited to see what he comes up with and definitely happy with the level of customer service. This whole thing is obviously a little niche, but its awesome to have someone interested in making something that works as designed rather than trying to piece together random parts to get something that maybe might work OK.

I will post again when I get another update.

I got the same update. Steve and his customer service have once again gone above and beyond. Excited to see his work in person.

 

[PJZ]

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!

I installed these on my Ram. The ring at the top clamps around the lip that holds the bumpstop. the bottom bolts on to the crash plate. Imagine whatever spacer they make will go on the bottom. They are super easy to install. With the JT bump stop being outboard of the spring my guess is it is even easier to mount these up. Had no issues with mine.

Only problem I ran into was too much air in them and it impacted handling with my weigh dist hitch. Had a pogo feel when transferring weight to the truck. Stopped, let out a few psi, and it was all good. Not an issue with the bags - just need to experiment with the psi if you are towing.

 

[WILL1E]

So i've been reading this thread over the last couple days trying to catch up. Unfortunately, i now have information paralysis!!

So can someone tell me explicitly which Air Lift kit I need for a 2020 JT Rubicon with the 2" Mopar lift?

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