Firestone Air Bags with Lift?

I'm lifted about 3" on Icon RXT leafs at option 3 (about 300 lbs constant bed weight) and want to get some Firestone Ride Rite airbags with Daystar cradles to compensate for the added weight of being loaded up for a trip (about 200 lbs), and my soon-to-arrive steel high clearance rear bumper (around 200 lbs).

Are the air bags long enough to "engage" at 3" of lift, or will they only add support once the rear sags beyond 3 inches?

 

Sumo springs may also be a good answer to this; maintenance free and no worries about air leaks plus you can always add a spacer if you require it.

 

200 pounds is nothing to worry about. The truck won’t even sweat.

 

Sumos limit articulation off road from what I've heard. I don't want to limit my travel at all.

As far as the weight effecting ride height, I already get about 1.5-2" of sag just from our camping load of about 200 lbs (maybe a little more). I think with the added weight of my inbound steel HC bumper (yet another 200ish lbs) it'll sag even more.

I'm just wondering if the Firestone bags will extend to the lifted 3" of height that I'm running now, and keep it there with enough PSI, or if they don't have any effect until the truck sags past the stock ride height.

 

Are you measuring these differences in ride height or just eyeing it?

 

Eyeballing it. I can clearly see that the truck sits noticeably lower when loaded up. When I eventually add the weight of a steel HC bumper out back, it's definitely going to sag more.

I'd rather not get a stiffer leaf pack as the truck rides so well with the RXTs on option 3 with the constant 300 lb weight, so I'm hoping to find a solution for the occasional heavy load that won't hinder travel or articulation when wheeling.

So...the specific question I'm asking remains...does anyone know if the Firestone bags will help prevent sag if you're lifted beyond stock height?

 

Sorry man.. you're getting a stiffer ride either way. It may not be very noticeable but the way the ride rite airbags attach to your leaf spring they restrict a couple inches of the center of the spring from moving.

..and to answer your first question yes the airbags can raise your 3" lift even higher if you inflate them (enough.) I typically run my airbags at the 5 psi minimum unless towing.

 

Thanks, that's the info I was looking for. I'll pull the trigger on a set soon.

 

don't forget to consider daystar cradles, they'll allow the airbags to sit freely on the bottom, so they sort of float on the bottom. Someone made an adapter if you did a u bolt flip as well, but it's fairly easy to make some out of 1x3 tube steel

 

Yep, mentioned that in the 1st post. I wouldn't consider bags otherwise, I use every inch of travel I have. This would've ripped the bags apart if they were attached on both ends:

 

fwiw I've had the wheels hanging by the bags a bunch and haven't ripped them yet but the little wheelin' I do is slow and controlled. I should get the cradles BUT I really don't want the chatter.

 

With airbags, it will ride rough without extra weight, from my experience.

 

OME 3” lift, +660lb springs out back, Daystar cradles and RideRites on there too. No issues. Actually the only problem is you need a little extender on the axle support due to the thicker spring pack…. When the camper is off I run 5# of air and it’s FINE!!!!

 

Great info, thanks!

 

Exact same setup as me (except they sent me 3" spacers instead of recommending the daystar cradles) Did you need any spacers at the bottom of the bags? I’m noticing my spacers are almost too much lift and don't allow enough compression of the rear for full articulation. Even with the bags at 5psi, the rear sits pretty high. Now I'm wondering if the daystar cradles would have been the answer.

 

These work well but offer a very rough ride. I have them on my 2011 tacoma.

 

Yea that was my thought. I also change the weight on my truck quite a bit and remove the Four Wheel Camper often. Therefore, I am loving the ability to adjust the air pressure in the Firestone Airbags that I just installed. They are amazing and solved the problem perfectly. Now, the only issue is realizing the fact the sticker on my truck says not to exceed 1,000 lbs with gear and passengers. That means my camper + me is already exceeding that. I hope Toyota means the suspension components and not drivetrain establishing this number. Oh well, the Tundra has barely more payload capacity so...

 

Hey man, what did you use for an extender?

EDIT: in case anyone reads this, turns out the bolts to attach the mounting plate to the leaf springs are called carriage bolts - I bought some some 3/8" - 16 x 6" (4.5 or 5" would have worked but I could only find 6" at the store)

 

Bought the extension plates from OK4WD in NJ and welded them on and then a couple coats of spray paint. Gtg.

 

I have almost exact same suspension. OME 2.5" Lift Medium Load Kit with 600 pound rear springs. For my clarification: You did not use a Firestone lift spacer under the daystar cradle? You did mention an "extender" you bought from OK4WD. Shall I assume this was your "lift spacer"? I figured I may as well ask rather than assuming. Great looking truck btw.