air bags or stiffer springs?

[gmartin1215]

I found I need either to upgrade my rear suspension to use airbags or go to stiffer springs to handle the load I put on it. When I have heavy loads, the rear sags. I have a 4" lift with spacers under the coil springs for the ride height.
I think I should be OK to use airbags with my current setup. The one thing I am not sure about is how well these airbags will hold up when I am off-roading. Does anyone here have experience using airbags with their coils and off-roading?
The other thought I had was to get longer and stiffer springs so I could remove the spacer and they can handle heavier loads, but the downside would be a stiffer ride when there is not a load.
Currently, I am leaning toward airbags, but I want to know how well these will hold up while offroading.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I believe that air bags would be better, as they provide more flexibility in adjusting for loads and no loads.

 

[gmartin1215]

I believe that air bags would be better, as they provide more flexibility in adjusting for loads and no loads.

Thanks! I am thinking that way, too. Just not sure how durable they are if the rear suspension flexes a lot off-road. I am considering the Firestone airbags

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

Bags

 

[wjburken]

I found I need either to upgrade my rear suspension to use airbags or go to stiffer springs to handle the load I put on it. When I have heavy loads, the rear sags. I have a 4" lift with spacers under the coil springs for the ride height.
I think I should be OK to use airbags with my current setup. The one thing I am not sure about is how well these airbags will hold up when I am off-roading. Does anyone here have experience using airbags with their coils and off-roading?
The other thought I had was to get longer and stiffer springs so I could remove the spacer and they can handle heavier loads, but the downside would be a stiffer ride when there is not a load.
Currently, I am leaning toward airbags, but I want to know how well these will hold up while offroading.

I would go with airbags. You can adjust them to level your load as needed. I’d get one with internal jounce stops. They will help protect your bags when they’re re not fully aired up. Also, when you plumb them up, resist the urge to have them tee’d together with a single fill valve. Keep them separated from each other.

 

[tungsten]

Have had bags before,leaf spring truck.They take the load off of the suspension for longer life.
No idea about off road though,assuming you would let air out so springs can do the work.

 

[mrpeterclark]

I would go with airbags. You can adjust them to level your load as needed. I’d get one with internal jounce stops. They will help protect your bags when they’re re not fully aired up. Also, when you plumb them up, resist the urge to have them tee’d together with a single fill valve. Keep them separated from each other.

I use air ride air bags in mine. they do fine off-road although they tend to loose air, and I have had the air hose pop off one of the bags before. I am using 2" lift dobinson springs. Just order the air bags that fit your inner diameter and lenght of your springs.

 

[Swanbird11]

Check out this video. Not a chevy but same idea.

Not sure if you are wanting to just put bags inside your existing coil or doing a full coil delete and bag swap...
For a bag swap, I think getting a Carli long travel bag set would be ideal for offroading. But that means just ordering replacement bags and making your own brackets. Which would be a pretty sweet setup.

 

[gmartin1215]

Check out this video. Not a chevy but same idea.

Not sure if you are wanting to just put bags inside your existing coil or doing a full coil delete and bag swap...
For a bag swap, I think getting a Carli long travel bag set would be ideal for offroading. But that means just ordering replacement bags and making your own brackets. Which would be a pretty sweet setup.

Interesting concept. The cost of this system is high. If you ever lose air, it seems like you are SOL. I think I would like to see more trial-and-error for others before investing in something like this. Bags in coils is what I am trying.

 

[gmartin1215]

I use air ride air bags in mine. they do fine off-road although they tend to loose air, and I have had the air hose pop off one of the bags before. I am using 2" lift dobinson springs. Just order the air bags that fit your inner diameter and lenght of your springs.
View attachment 391376

Thanks!
I was wondering if a hose pop-off would occur.

 

[iamdub]

I'm lowered and my springs are a touch soft at times. I have Air Lift bags that have been in place since the drop in December of 2019. I would keep around 6-7 PSI in them at all times and add a little more when towing or carrying heavy cargo. I towed a small trailer with a 1,000 lb load in 2020 with about 12 PSI in the bags. I never let the air back out and, over two years later when I upgraded my sway bars, I checked the pressure and it was down to 7 PSI. I'd say a 5 PSI loss over two years is plenty acceptable.

Lowered versus lifted is irrelevant. As @mrpeterclark mentioned, just get bags that fit the inside diameter and height of your springs. They'll hold up just fine for years. When off-roading, I'd say the chances of damage, like from a stick or something, are greater. But, still, it'd have to hit "just right" and poke between the coils.

 

[gmartin1215]

I did get airbags to put inside my coil springs. I got a kit from AirBag Man out of Australia where that includes a kevlar-type sleeve to help protect the bags. They claim that the bags can be aired up to twice the pressure with the sleeves on than without. I'll probably never air my bags up that high, but having the sleeve on should help protect them. It was kind of expensive to ship to the US but wanted to give these a go.

The size of the bags was built for a Tahoe that has not been lifted. I had to create a spacer to put inside the coil so that bag can sit against something on the bottom. I decided to use a splitter and connect the two bags to one air valve. Unfortunately, I have a leak somewhere near the bags that I have not been able to track down yet. I'll have to lower my axle again to check the connection at the bags. When I do that, I'll likely go from a single air valve that airs both to do them individually. I am not completely sold on the airbags yet, but still giving them a try.
I also swapped out my coil springs to Skyjacker CS50R mainly because I wanted to be rid of the coil spacers. I have noticed these springs are a bit stiffer than the Moogs I had on, and they also sit about an inch higher than the coil-spacer setup I had giving the Tahoe a bit of a rake. The additional height and stiffness of the springs should help with heavier loads. This might even negate any need for airbags and having to deal with any unreliability with holding air. We'll see.

 

[BeenChevy]

Was going to mention getting some sumosprings in-place of the stock rear jounces for your off-road but it looks like you're already compensating with the square steel riser. Do you know how far away those stock jounces are before adding load?

 

[gmartin1215]

Was going to mention getting some sumosprings in-place of the stock rear jounces for your off-road but it looks like you're already compensating with the square steel riser. Do you know how far away those stock jounces are before adding load?

The picture is with the rig sitting on the ground with no additional load other than its weight, so the distance you see in the pic is where it is without load. It's about 4" between the jounce and the riser.
I was looking at Summosprings recently and have been considering them! I may look at getting their coil spring set, but their jounce replacement may be an option, too.

 

[BeenChevy]

This below the jounce bump-stop on the axle isn't stock, is it? I was looking to make a set of these..

 

[gmartin1215]

This below the jounce bump-stop on the axle isn't stock, is it? I was looking to make a set of these..

View attachment 392006

No. That was supplied by BDS Suspension with the lift kit I got from them.

 

[BeenChevy]

How much weight are you putting on your tongue now with the 4" lift? I'm 2.5" up front and 1.5" in the rear on the XL with fresh magride and auto level pushing air in the rear. Ended up swapping in the sumo springs a couple days ago and took the 32' travel trailer for a test drive just on the ball and they made a big difference. The brake lines run next to where they squash the axle though so going to install 2"x1" energy bumps on the axle for them to push against... The sumos 1.3" taller than the stock jounce rubbers so I should be close to stock distance. Wish I'd have installed them before the tail pipe got pinched by the panhard.

 

[gmartin1215]

How much weight are you putting on your tongue now with the 4" lift? I'm 2.5" up front and 1.5" in the rear on the XL with fresh magride and auto level pushing air in the rear. Ended up swapping in the sumo springs a couple days ago and took the 32' travel trailer for a test drive just on the ball and they made a big difference. The brake lines run next to where they squash the axle though so going to install 2"x1" energy bumps on the axle for them to push against... The sumos 1.3" taller than the stock jounce rubbers so I should be close to stock distance. Wish I'd have installed them before the tail pipe got pinched by the panhard.

View attachment 392314

I am putting on about 500 lbs max at the tongue when the trailer is fully loaded. The Sumo bump-stop replacements are going to be way too short for my rig. There will be about 3" air gap with those installed and that will be a lot of sag in the rear before the stop makes contact with the rear. So I am looking at their custom springs that I think I can mount to my axel brackets. I am also considering the Sumos for coil springs, too. I'm not sure if the combination of the two will give too harsh of a ride when not towing though.

 

[BeenChevy]

Yeah they're only about 5.5" tall. The springs you're talking about go in the bump stop location? Think I've seen the 3 1/2 ton setup on youtube if that's what you're referring to.

You using a weight distributing hitch?

 

[gmartin1215]

Yeah they're only about 5.5" tall. The springs you're talking about go in the bump stop location? Think I've seen the 3 1/2 ton setup on youtube if that's what you're referring to.

You using a weight distributing hitch?

Its what they call the builder kit

SFR-102-40 | SumoSprings Builder Kit Suspension

SumoSprings Builder Kits are your to create a better journey. This custom kit is maintenance-free, stabilizes weight sag, reduces sag and limits body roll.

www.superspringsinternational.com

These won't fit in the OEM mount for the bump stops, but I am thinking I can mount it to the axel bracket I got from BDS, and then omit the OEM bump stop.

I am not using a weight distribution hitch.