Topic: Leveling the Playing Field With An Air Spring System

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Firestone RideRite Air Ride system is an ideal means of increasing the hauling and towing support for trucks and SUVs

You hear the phrase air suspension and you think first of low riders and trucks on bags bouncing up and down. This is the one of the most common applications that we see of air bag suspensions. What many don’t see are the thousands of semi trucks and trailers with air bag suspensions to handle heavy loads. Air assist bags are common equipment on RVs. While the fast bag air systems get all the glory, the standard air bag helper spring systems are there in the trenches every day. These systems use either an on board air compressor or a service station external source of compressed air to fill the closed system on their trucks. The basic concept is simple, using air to fill heavy duty flexible bags, the bags are set between the axle and the frame rails. They provide the support and can in many applications greatly improve the ability of the vehicle to carry heavy loads safely. Firestone Industrial Products has been the originator and one of the leading manufacturers of air bag systems in the world for years. They manufacture simple systems to add to the load handling capacity of trucks and trailers with an external compressed air source (RideRite) to completely self contained automated systems that actually will adjust the system to maintain the ride you program (IntelliRide). These systems can be used on heavy trucks, RVs and even our daily drivers. We were thinking about the applications of just such a system to assist in the towing ability of a pick up truck and we got the opportunity to install and play with just such a stand alone system.



The system we installed was a combination of a standard RideRite air bag system with a heavy duty air compressor and remote single control with gauge. We mounted the controls in the cab near the driver for easy access and use while the compressor was mounted on the auxiliary battery plate under the hood of our 2007 GMC Denali Sierra 1500 truck. The Ride Rite system consisted of a pair of air bags, mounting plates and hose. The air compressor and controller were extra, but had all the necessary instructions to hook everything up quickly. Once the install was finished, to increase the height of the rear of the truck, the air bags are filled by simply pulling a switch on the controller in the cab and watching the gauge until the appropriate psi is reached. To deflate the air bags and lower the truck back to stock, the controller is pulled in the opposite direction. Simple. This also makes hooking up to and towing a trailer much easier.

After two hours in the shop, the system was completely installed and well worth the cost for ease of use of the system. Whether towing or hauling heavy loads, the application of the Firetone RideRite system is a must for a working truck or SUV.

Firestone Industrial Products Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
www.riderite.com
1-800-888-0650

California RV Sales
Fontana, California

Our product kit came in two parts, the first part was the RideRite Air Helper Springs kit. This included the air bags, attachment hardware as well as detailed instructions.

The second kit we were to install was the controller with gauge and air compressor. This is a great kit and looks simple. Even the gauge gets lit up at night when you turn the lights on.

California RV Sales in Fontana, California offered to install the kits for us since they do this all day long for folks setting up their trucks for towing campers and toy haulers.

Since there are a lot of parts to the kit, we laid everything out on a table and sorted through the parts.

The location of the air bags will be between the axle and the frame. You can see there is a lot of space there to play with.

We do need the truck in the air to work under it, but we also needed to pick up the body an additional couple of inches. A jack on the hitch assembly works out great for this.

The bags are not attached with any type of drilled in bolt. They are clamped into place on the axle and frame. The air valve was already installed in the bag before it was installed.

The install was very quick and easy with no drilling at all. The nuts on the clamping bolts were simply tightened down to hold the bag in place.

The air compressor was being installed at the same time and required some power and actuator to run it under the hood.

With the bags in place, the trademark red hose was run the length of the truck.

Since we are dealing with two bags and one supply hose, we need a splitter T fitting bolted under the bed.

The hose was run to the compressor from the rear along the frame rails to protect it as much as possible.

We needed to run the wiring and the hose to the controller in the cab. Most vehicles have a pass through for wiring and such under the driver’s seat. Once the hose was run to the controller from the bags, we sealed the hole with hot glue.

With the hose run from the air bags to the controller and from the compressor under the hood to the controller, it was time for wiring. A hot lead was sent to the controller and then the compressor while a hot associated with the lights was also sent to illuminate the gauge at night.

The under hood air compressor has its own air filter that had to be located outside the hood and away from hot air and water.

The compressor itself was a perfect fit on the auxiliary battery tray under the hood right next to the main fuse panel. Like it was made for this application.

With the controller mounted down low near the drivers side kick panel, it was out of the way of normal driving, but easily accessible.