jdm556

Picking up a 5er soon for my f150. I crunched all the numbers (even brought my truck to a CAT scale). I am under my payload by 200lbs and under my tow rating by 2000 (its a small light weight 5er). I have made estimates for cargo, passengers etc. Do I need airbags?? My father in law says yes. He works for a Ford dealer and has airbags in his eco to pull a TT toy hauler. I say no, because a 5er pulls different than a TT. What do the experts say?

fcancer

,Personally I would have something back there , just because I dont like the squat.
RAS , Airbags ,,,something

brulaz

Do you have the HD Payload option? If so, the improved suspension should be good enough.

If not, the regular F150 suspension is pretty wishy-washy IMHO. I would stiffen it up with air bags, Timbrens, RAS or whatever, get stiffer shocks and get LT tires.

smokeywren

Pulling is not a factor. Hitch weight is the main factor. A 5er has more hitch weight than the same weight TT, so it's more likely to need something in the rear suspension to raise the rear end of the tow vehicle back up to near-normal ride height.

Very easy to tell. When on the road at night, if oncoming traffic flashes their headlights at you, that indicates they think you have your headlights on bright instead of dimmed, and they're asking you to dim your headlights. If your headlights are already dimmed, then you need to raise the rear end of the tow vehicle to bring the headlights back down to the earth. Air bags are the easiest way to raise the rear end of the tow vehicle.

If you know how to use the side of a building to tell you if your headlights are aimed right, then you can tell without being on the road at night if your headlights are aiming at the stars and blinding oncoming drivers.

93Cobra#2771

iTrader: (2)

Do you have to have them?
No.

Will you enjoy having the rear stiffened up with them, and giving you a smoother ride. Absolutely.

Be advised there may be interference with the fifth wheel mounting points and the bags. Do your homework.

If you don't do bags, at the very least upgrade your shocks to bilsteins or ranchos.

Tweeter1977

I had a 2004 FX4 Screw Short Box with stock suspension and LT tires towing a light weight 5er. The truck hardly squatted at all, but at times it was rough riding while towing. You could feel the trailer behind you especially when you went over some bumps at bridges or railroad tracks.

With my new truck (2011 FX4 Screw Short Box), I added the Air Bags along with the LT tires. I am towing a little heavier 5er than before but the ride is so much better. While towing it to storage two weeks ago, I went over some of the same "rough" areas as with my other setup, and the ride was so much smoother.

You may not need the air bags or some sort of suspension support, but I believe it is worth the investment. I strongly suggest to make sure you have LT tires. They made a big difference in how my truck handled.

KingRancher05

I have the Firestone ride rite airbag kit on my 2005 and it is awesome makes towing almost anything more comfortable but it does make the ride a little rougher when unloaded with the recommended 5psi in the bags minimum. I've been running them with 0 in the bags and the valve cores in with no problems

POSboost

Be careful. The bags can start to wear around the top. The bag can rub on the metal top

Boulevard

I would use an add-a-leaf which is an additional long leaf added to your existing pack. This will also help deal with spring wind-up which the other systems will not.

POSboost

I would choose air bag over an extra leaf. I've done that. The truck rode horrible. The air bags I have now ride fine. I don't notice them unless I forget to drop the pressure back down when empty.