Hey guys. I've got a Grizzly 700 that I'm about to haul 2000 miles over Thanksgiving. There will be other hunting gear in the bed so I'm looking at around 1k when loaded. I just installed the 2" AS and want to use airbags to keep the truck level for a few reasons.
1. Relieve pressure on the front end (when loaded the front end goes up .25 inches and the rear drops 1.5 inches) over this long drive. Front end angles look pretty extreme when loaded.
2. Relieve pressure on the rear springs since this load will be in the truck for about a week
3. Improve handling and reduce sway while driving many hours straight.

I have a trailer but can't take it this time and I already have a small air compressor that I can take with me. I'm looking at this as a long term solution to sag while hauling atv and towing a trailer but this is the event that prompted me to look into purchasing the bags.

Finally, I'm concerned that ride quality will diminish which is why a local 4x4 shop owner said I could reduce the bag pressure to 0 PSI. He said he did this all the time with no problems.. I DO NOT want to feel like I'm riding around on bricks when I'm not loaded.

Please share any thoughts and/or experiences you may have. I need to order these today.

Pic of the truck loaded with just the Grizzly

 

You will improve loaded ride quality. At 10psi unloaded there will be a slightly harsher ride; similar to heavy duty shocks (most don't even notice.) Now if you accidentally leave your bags at 75psi you will need a kidney belt!

DO NOT ride around with zero pressure in your air bags! There is a reason for the minimum 10psi. Keeping the bags from betting pinched and developing leaks. The 4x4 shop owner is talking about something he knows nothing about. Does he even really have air bags on his vehicle??

 

This is why I do not recommend leveling an unloaded truck.

 

This is why i never leveled my truck. I use the bed for my quads and tow

 

I knew this would be a problem but was willing to deal with the consequences. I've been waiting a long time to level this thing. I just need to beef up the rear end a little bit. I use enclosed/open trailers depending upon the length of my stay at off road parks and haul 1-2 quads. The truck has always been used the way a truck should. However, it was time for her to be more manly. Anyway, I'm probably going to order a 1 inch AS AAL and hopefully that will do the trick without making the ride too harsh. I've seen a lot of guys on here that complain about airbags at 5 psi, which concerns me.

 

New to me... I install a couple of sets a week and have never had a complaint of too harsh a ride with 10psi in the bags.... Do not deflate to less than 10psi if you want to have a warranty on your air bags.

I'd deny a warranty claim in a heart beat if I saw the bag got pinched. There is no way I would replace it for free and deal with returning a set waiting to get paid for a product return that was obviously not used correctly according to the manufacturer.

 

Firestone's website says 5-100 psi for their bags. Have you actually run airbags?

 

I have them on my 07 SuperCrew. You'll love them and you wont even notice they are there when it's unloaded. I keep around 2-3 psi in the empty and have had no problems. I have a 2.5 spacer up front and when I have my 22' toy hauler hooked up with the weight distribution hitch I throw 40 pounds in them and my truck sits level, and that's with 1000 pound of tongue weight. Make sure you get the RideRites, the Airlift kit isn't as nice and the bags aren't as nice. Good luck.
Fry

 

You guys need to listen to CO - he knows his %$#^. The guy is a professional.

 

I don't care what Firestone's website says. In many applications the bags are still loose enough to cause pinching with lower than 10 psi. I know the minimum by both Airlift as well as Firestone is published is 5psi. I also know that in both installation instructions states:"IMPORTANT: With the bottom and top of the air spring still loose, inflate the air spring to approximately 10 p.s.i." If this precaution is not taking pinching of the bag can and does take place causing leaks.

No, Not on any of my F150's. Only because I have them on all my current heavier trucks I tow with daily. I don't mean once a month. I mean 10-15 times a day!
I have them on the 92 F250, 94 F350, 99 F250, 02 Ram 2500, 02 Form F350 and 09 Ram 3500 though. These are my work trucks that move trailers on our service/sale lots and across the country daily. We only travel about about 80,000 miles of towing on each of these vehicles every year. I of course can NOT travel all these miles myself and have drivers as well as myself. Today I have drivers pulling trailers back to Colorado in 3 states other than Colorado. The smallest is a 18' Heavy Duty car hauler stacked with 2 other car haulers on top of it. The largest is a 53' wedge deck loaded with trailers.


PS: I'm not trying to get in to a match with anyone here.
If you don't want professional advise/experience... by all means disregard everything I say... no skin of my nose. I have nothing to gain either way.