Harry's Firestone Air Bag Install

Hey guys, got another one for you since I was sick of seeing my Tacoma riding completely flat all the time.

Decided to throw a pair of Icons in there as the stock Hitachis are softer than baby shit.


All torn down:


Icon popped in:


Airbag assembly mounted in the correct direction (bag on the inside of the frame closer to the differential):


Bag attached and ready to be aired up. I elected to reverse the bolts on the bump stop tower because it makes a little easier to zip tight with a power tool.


Had to go to the hardware store for a monster socket to torque this bad boy. I think its like a 30mm:


And here she is. Aired up to 20psi. Parked next to lifted Taco for reference.


Any questions, let me know. This job was a big pain in the ass. ha

 

Looks good! Was hoping for a step by step thing, just curious

 

Basically you cut the bump stop > attach the lower assembly with carriage bolts and torque to spec > bolt the lower portion of the bag to the lower assembly > attach the upper assembly with finger tightened bolts > maneuver the upper portion of the bag into the upper assembly and torque the jam nut down on the bag to attach the lower and upper assembly > from here its a long and arduous process of tightening all the finger tightened bolts, the angles are terrible

 

so how do you air them up? is there a tank and compressor?

 

How's the ride?

 

Bicycle pump. Gas station air. N2 bottle......

 

I've got an awesome Kobalt air inflator. The bags are fairly small and don't need to be tweaked much once you decide where you wanna be at. They do make air compressor kits for this if people have onboard air. I don't need to be that fancy.

 

I've got a few hundred pounds in the back so 20psi isn't too stiff, but if I had an empty bed I would advise something more like 5-10.

Overall, I have noticed less body roll when turning and I think the Icon's help dampen bumps a bit as well.

 

so you just have an exposed scheader valve and adjust the air with a pump or compressor, same as air shocks but in your case bags?

 

Well, not super exposed, but yes, thats how I've got it set up at the moment. I'm contemplating moving the valves to the fuel door down the road possibly.

 

I have my valves mounted under the bumper, this way access to them is easier for my portable air pump which is plugged in at the bed 12v outlet.

 

Just purchased this kit. Mainly to help support load during road trips .

 

What are the pros and cons compared to a helper spring ?

 

I would want to say I helps distribute weight straight to the axles than to the leaf springs themselves

 

Ive got those too. They help. On my 2008 I installed the airlift. I kinda prefer them after testing both. They give better support, less bouncy, and provide more lift to fight the sag with extra weight. Easier to install also. Only downside is that the design of the airlift you have to keep at least 5 or 10 lbs in them all the time. The firestones seem to be fine when run down to zero.