air ride bags on pickups

just bought a 2009 F250 Ford 4x4 this fall and was woundering if anyone has the air ride bags on thier trucks?
do they improve the ride any at all? mine rides really rough without a load I want to install a goose neck hitch
and pull a trailor with at least two two cylinder tractors on it is it a waist of time or good idea? they don't seem
to be priced to high thanks for any advise Howard
 
I like mine on my '98 K1500. It won't improve the empty ride but will level out the loaded. I got just the bags and put the air nipples in the bumper. If I am picking something up I will add air before I leave and ride a little stiffer until I get the load. Or just use my little 12v air pump that comes in a lot of emergency roadside kits.
 
Air Ride as in removing the springs and converting to a true air ride suspension? Or an air bag to level out the truck while carrying a load?
Air bags will make the ride stiffer and harsh empty, but with a load on them they ride nice and you can keep your truck level. I like my air bags for carrying a load on my 1 ton. I only keep about 20 psi in them while empty. Any more than that and they will beat you to death empty.

Greg
 
I have them in my 98 K2500. Leave about 20 psi in them empty and then I pump them up as needed with a load on. It just seems like it is a whole lot easier on everything with them aired up under load. I love them and use them everytime
 
I have rear air bags on my 2014 Silverado. I have a wireless remote to change air pressure with an onboard compressor.
 
They are intended for heavy loads to level the suspension, not ride control.

TIP: Isolate the air supply lines to each bag and it will be a little more stable when cornering or sway.
 
I have them on my f250 you could achieve a better ride if you wanted to put bags and switch for softer springs but that could be a pain and pricey. I do love the fact that I can load the backhoe or fill the gooseneck with seed and air it right up to level
 
In 2001 the rear leaf springs on my 1990 Dodge W150 4X4 were starting to turn down. I installed air shocks in place of the stock shocks. They raised the bed and turned the springs back up. It was supposed to be a quick fix until I got home and replaced the springs. Well, fast forward to 2016 and the air shocks are still on the PU and they have never lost air. Kind of skippy on a wash board road with an empty bed.
 
I have them on my 1 ton Dodge dually. Only time I put air to them is when I load a trailer. Like was said before, nice not to have people flashing lights at you thinking you haven't dimmed.
They won't improve your ride empty, just make it stiffer. I don't have onboard air, so I have to find a compressor when I want to ad air.
 
I have them on my '00 Expedition that I used to tow a livestock trailer with. System worked pretty well to keep the vehicle level. Had trouble with it one time and the bags wouldn't inflate and the ride was horrible, no spring to the suspension at all. One kind of neat feature was when you put in in 4WD low the air system would raise the vehicle another inch or so.
 
Since you are going gooseneck you will not have any problems once you get a load on the truck. Just place the load correctly. How much weight are you going to haul ?
 
Howard While I had the tire shop, I saw a lot of them beat to death by driving on our gravel roads. This was in the 80's and 90's. Hope they are designed better now.
 

There are two different styles. One style, which most of you guys are talking about, serves ONLY to increase the load carrying capacity.

The other style is very similar to the air-ride suspension used on a lot of semi trucks. Air-ride IS available for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. Do a google search.

The difference between full air-ride and conventional springs on a semi truck is night and day. You will think you are riding in a Cadillac.
 
If you swap to the lightest rear springs + bags its softer. If just bags with existing springs its rougher as bags can't run with no air.

Only exception I know of is if the main leaves are sagged so its on the overloads, bags can get it up off the overloads and be a tiny bit softer.
 
I put a set on this 2015 welder/service truck.I wanted her up a littlt higher on the rear.it weighs in just over 10000 lbs loaded
Rick
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I removed the leafs and 4 Linked the rear of my Dakota, used tapered air springs. Handled great but I vowed next time I wanted to increase the load capabilities I'd stay with leafs and use those air assists like my RV has got.
 

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