Ditching the overloads for airbags, maybe, need input..

[ISX]

My bed has firewood in it, not much but my regular springs are a little weak and when I hit big divets in the road the suspension slams the overloads up into the rubber things that the overloads touch when being used, it sounds like the tailgate fell off when it does it. The plan/theory is that by ditching the overloads and replacing them with air bags that it will solve the issue. I could care less about anything fancy, I don't care if I have to get under the bed and air them up by hand. I hate those overloads and always have. Any ideas on where to get the bags and which ones to get? Cheaper the better but I'd rather it be cheap because I air them up by hand rather than cheaply made, I'll pay anything for something quality made (NOT CHINESE!)Also, if you have another solution I would love to hear it. No I'm not taking the firewood out of the bed

[jlwelding]

Tembrens man, the only way to go. Air bags are a false feeling of the road, tembrens hands down for me anyway.

[ISX]

Tembrens man, the only way to go. Air bags are a false feeling of the road, tembrens hands down for me anyway.

The only thing I'm not sure about is that it seems when you have a light load, it lets off the timbrens completely, like my overloads are off completely right now, but when I hit a hole in the road they slam, just like it seems the timbrens would do. After all, the timbrens would be rubber to a steel (axle) contact, same as the overloads (steel) are hitting the stops which are rubber.. Air bags woulnd't have that since they don't exactly stop contacting if they are not being used. I'd like to find more out on the timbrens though, but I'd hate to get them just to have the same problem.

[Mopar1973Man]

How much wood are you packing?

[dripley]

the only thing i put in my truck that brings it down near or to the overloads is my rv. it will make the truck just about touch them. i just hauled a lod of scrap iron to the yard. it weighed 1500 pounds and i was not even close to the overloads. mine rides very good with a load like that. much better than empty.

[ISX]

My truck used to basically do what Caj does, cept with campers for 200k miles.. So I'm guessing these springs have lost their sprung a little. I could get new springs but I'm still going to face the problem down the road so would rather ditch those damn overloads, plus worn out springs give it a better ride, but I need something to handle the extra weight of the trailer/firewood/stuff that weighs down the bed. There isn't enough wood to amount to much weight, think the problem is more that the divets here are really deep and it's like your going over train tracks. If I don't go 5mph over railroad crossings it does it like crazy. I'll have to make a video of it tomorrow.

[jlwelding]

I ran air bags on a truck back in the mid 80s and hated every min. of it. Air bags multiply the shock with stiffer air as the impact incresses and pogo stick back up. Thats how it was explained to me, the timbrens are suposed to absorb impact with out increase the shock. When you go around a left hand corner the left shock gives a push up and makes it fill like it's tipping over effect.No air lines to fool with no air leaks no shock seals leak.

[Ldrivon]

my 1996 didnt have overloads. I bought some on e-bay for $150. Hay dropped the back, horses dropped the back, my ex....I mean my camper dropped the back. After I got my overloads I am alot more steady with my truck and All our trucks have Overloads besides my wifes truck....It looks like its going to do a wheelie because of the suspension. Our f-450 has overloads..We Put them on our 1976 w-200 in the 80's and whats always nice is they are there and ready for the load.You dont have to maintain air.

[War Eagle]

I carry a truck camper and I have the dodge factory overloads. I use a product by Torklift called "Torklift Stable Load" It is basically a very large bumper pad that replaces the small stock bumper. This puts the bumper pad in contact with the springs putting them back to work to help stablize the load without the gap and travel distance that the bed/frame must travel to contact the springs when you go over the bumps. Some people use these in conjunction with air bags but I don't use air bags and have really liked the stablized affect it has on my truck. Maybe something like this can be useful to you. Free Shipping and less than airbags. http://tweetys.com/stable-load.aspx

[Mopar1973Man]

Lots of interesting ideas...

[Rogan]

I'll be doing airbags this year. Had them on a 94 CCDRW chevy, years ago. I loved the ride. Made the 1T ride like a Monte Carlo ;)

Drug a 40ft gooseneck race car trailer with it, and it was awesome.

My QCSB has no overloads, or bags. My current 25ft enclosed tag trailer squats the hell out of my truck. Was even worse on my '96 SCLB.

Current truck already rides like a buckboard wagon..

the rear is squatted about 2+" or better...

[ISX]

This is getting tough, so many options. I really like the idea of airbags since they are always contacting. Oversized rubber things is something to think about but I don't want to have a haywagon ride the entire time. Timbrens are nice but I don't like that the don't contact when they aren't in use. I will hardly use any type of "overload" so I don't think air bags will really screw with the truck too much, I just need a few pounds in them to help it out a little. I do like the other options but I just can't convince myself to get them after listening to this thing for months. Now the question is, which airbags are best? I don't need anything but the bags and maybe the mounts, I can air them up under the truck or run air lines to the back bumper or something.

[Rogan]

In the Chevy, I had Firestone bags. When the goose neck was loaded down, I'd run 20-30psi in the bags, and it rode level, and comfy. With trailer disco'd, I'd drop the bags to 10-15psi for a smooth ride.if you arent going the whole onboard compressor/tank setup, then T the lines, and put the schraeder valve inside the fuel door area.

[2500ctd]

Well as soon as my money tree starts droppin $100's I want to do these Air bags Oh and a set of these, umm air pressure relief orfices....Relief orfices or these

[Ldrivon]

Snoop Dog will have a rap song about his cummins fo sho! Would be cool with a dually!

--- Update to the previous post...

[Mopar1973Man]

Snoop Dog will have a rap song about his cummins fo sho! Would be cool with a dually!

--- Update to the previous post...

[Ldrivon]

LOL...sorry just had to...

[ISX]

I got air bags from firestone, the ride rite ones. I don't see why I didn't do this a long time ago. It's 10x better ride now. I watched the pressure gauge while my brother jumped on the truck and saw it going up and down and I knew it would do the same thing while driving and I was thinking about the whole cornering deal. This made me leave the air lines separate so that when the truck rolls into a corner, it won't compress the air into the other airbag as the truck rolls and make it roll even more. I don't haul enough weight or go fast enough to really worry about it but I figured it would be wise to prevent it. The shrader valve was pretty neat since it had a quick connect hose fitting on the back. Most people put it in the bumper or something but I absolutely hate the idea of shrader valves just hanging out there for someone to mess with. I looked and looked and finally found the perfect spot. When you open the tailgate there is a square rubber block maybe an inch x inch x inch that seems to serve as a bump stop though my tailgate doesn't hit it, anyhow I drilled a hole right under it and stuck it in there. It's perfect, nobody knows it's there and it's easy to get to. I am starting to think I did good getting airbags, I really like the idea of being able to vary the psi rather than having something that's just 1 setting.

[AH64ID]

Airbags are great, I have the firestones on my truck. I don't think you will be sorry with your investment. I have never been a fan of the Timbrens, never made much sense to me. Nearly all of the cost and no adjustable. One of the best things about airbags is the ability to maintain a level stance when loaded which improves steering and headlight operation.

[ISX]

Airbags are great, I have the firestones on my truck. I don't think you will be sorry with your investment. I have never been a fan of the Timbrens, never made much sense to me. Nearly all of the cost and no adjustable. One of the best things about airbags is the ability to maintain a level stance when loaded which improves steering and headlight operation.

I actually just drove it a sec ago. I drove it through a ditch after I put them on to see if it banged like before since I haven't taken the overloads off yet and it didn't make a peep. I put them on top of the overloads and just aired them up to get them a couple inches away from the overload contact points so that they wouldn't be used. The plan is to take those rubber contact points off and just let the overloads do nothing. I didn't want to take the U bolts out and get rid of the overloads and have to make new U bolts and all that. As for the drive I just did, they are incredible. Turned a wagon into a cadillac. Can't wait to hook onto the trailer and see what difference it makes.