Helper bags should be standard.
03-24-2014, 02:58 PM
#32
Senior Member
I'm lost in this thread. Is this supposed to be an advertisement for some airbag vendor or something? That's the way it reads.
Nevertheless, I use air-bags and love them! Does it mean that I don't use a WD hitch, of course not, that would be stupid. I setup my hitch as normal and dial-in the amount of weight distribution I normally run based on front-end ride height measurements and CAT scale weight readings. Once the hitch is all hooked up, I raise pressure in the bags to return the rear-end to my unloaded ride height.
One thing people often overlook is that even with the most efficient WD hitches that are affective in restoring the front-end weight back to unloaded levels, that you can still have rear-end sag. Some people seem to think that with WD setup correctly, somehow you magically shouldn't have any rear end sag - simply not the case. This is where the bags come in handy to add that additional support to restore the rear end back to normal ride height.
Nevertheless, I use air-bags and love them! Does it mean that I don't use a WD hitch, of course not, that would be stupid. I setup my hitch as normal and dial-in the amount of weight distribution I normally run based on front-end ride height measurements and CAT scale weight readings. Once the hitch is all hooked up, I raise pressure in the bags to return the rear-end to my unloaded ride height.
One thing people often overlook is that even with the most efficient WD hitches that are affective in restoring the front-end weight back to unloaded levels, that you can still have rear-end sag. Some people seem to think that with WD setup correctly, somehow you magically shouldn't have any rear end sag - simply not the case. This is where the bags come in handy to add that additional support to restore the rear end back to normal ride height.
03-24-2014, 03:05 PM
#33
Senior Member
I'm lost in this thread. Is this supposed to be an advertisement for some airbag vendor or something? That's the way it reads.
Nevertheless, I use air-bags and love them! Does it mean that I don't use a WD hitch, of course not, that would be stupid. I setup my hitch as normal and dial-in the amount of weight distribution I normally run based on front-end ride height measurements and CAT scale weight readings. Once the hitch is all hooked up, I raise pressure in the bags to return the rear-end to my unloaded ride height.
One thing people often overlook is that even with the most efficient WD hitches that are affective in restoring the front-end weight back to unloaded levels, that you can still have rear-end sag. Some people seem to think that with WD setup correctly, somehow you magically shouldn't have any rear end sag - simply not the case. This is where the bags come in handy to add that additional support to restore the rear end back to normal ride height.
Nevertheless, I use air-bags and love them! Does it mean that I don't use a WD hitch, of course not, that would be stupid. I setup my hitch as normal and dial-in the amount of weight distribution I normally run based on front-end ride height measurements and CAT scale weight readings. Once the hitch is all hooked up, I raise pressure in the bags to return the rear-end to my unloaded ride height.
One thing people often overlook is that even with the most efficient WD hitches that are affective in restoring the front-end weight back to unloaded levels, that you can still have rear-end sag. Some people seem to think that with WD setup correctly, somehow you magically shouldn't have any rear end sag - simply not the case. This is where the bags come in handy to add that additional support to restore the rear end back to normal ride height.
One thing though...wouldnt inflating your airbags after setting your WDH alter your trailer attitude? I would think you would go one more step and re-set the WDH one more time with air in the bags to ensure proper trailer attitude. (Maybe you've already got it worked out with the trailer nose down enough before the bags that it stays nose down after you inflate the bags?)
03-24-2014, 03:26 PM
#34
Senior Member
One thing though...wouldnt inflating your airbags after setting your WDH alter your trailer attitude? I would think you would go one more step and re-set the WDH one more time with air in the bags to ensure proper trailer attitude. (Maybe you've already got it worked out with the trailer nose down enough before the bags that it stays nose down after you inflate the bags?)
I base everything off of ride height. My front ground to top center of wheel well is 39.75", and my rear is 40.25". Once I hook up my trailer I get my WD dialed in until my front ride height is restored to 39.75. Then I jack up the rear using the bags until they reach the unloaded ride height of 40.25 (or close to it). The trailers ride height (attitude as you put it) is setup using an adjustable hitch shank to my unloaded ride height.
The bags are mandatory in my case. This last trip I hit the CAT scales and I'm 10lbs over my GVWR fully loaded down, although I need to move some stuff around in the trailer as my tongue weight is 15.5%, so I should be able to drop the hitch load by a couple hundred pounds.
Last edited by xcntrk; 03-24-2014 at 03:33 PM.
03-24-2014, 04:09 PM
#35
Senior Member
...
The bags are mandatory in my case. This last trip I hit the CAT scales and I'm 10lbs over my GVWR fully loaded down, although I need to move some stuff around in the trailer as my tongue weight is 15.5%, so I should be able to drop the hitch load by a couple hundred pounds.
The bags are mandatory in my case. This last trip I hit the CAT scales and I'm 10lbs over my GVWR fully loaded down, although I need to move some stuff around in the trailer as my tongue weight is 15.5%, so I should be able to drop the hitch load by a couple hundred pounds.
"Rock solid", or still some "rock and roll"? Mine still has some "rock and roll", like when coming to a quick stop at a red light despite the RAS and Ford's HD shocks. Just wondering if your Bilstein HD + Air Bags would be more solid.
03-24-2014, 05:42 PM
#36
Senior Member
Hmmmm, you have a very similar setup to mine with similar weights. How would you describe your ride with the trailer, wdh, and airbags inflated?
"Rock solid", or still some "rock and roll"? Mine still has some "rock and roll", like when coming to a quick stop at a red light despite the RAS and Ford's HD shocks. Just wondering if your Bilstein HD + Air Bags would be more solid.
"Rock solid", or still some "rock and roll"? Mine still has some "rock and roll", like when coming to a quick stop at a red light despite the RAS and Ford's HD shocks. Just wondering if your Bilstein HD + Air Bags would be more solid.
I'm not sure it's a fair comparison though as I'm using a fancy ProPride pivot projection type of hitch. It adds a tremendous amount of stability to conventional trailer sway. But the hitch aside, I was getting some wallowing similar to what I think you're describing when I was running the stock P-rated tires with weak side-wall (despite having the air bags). It wasn't until I moved to E-rated tires that the ride really firmed up! Probably from a combination of super stiff side wall and 60psi of tire pressure. The front Bilsteins really helped a lot too. They are noticeably stiffer then my stock front shocks were. I hear the rear Bilstein shocks are more firm as well, but figured I don't need them with the bags so I run the stock rear shocks still.
As for overall ride, the ProPride hitch does in-fact eliminate conventional trailer sway. That would be sway where the trailer moves around behind the TV and requires counter steering input to correct. But that doesn't go to say that it eliminates all movement going down the road. With the pivot point projection technology, the ProPride hitch sort of locks the TT and TV together. So now any cross wind that hits the trailer pushed the trailer and the TV around as a single unit. This still requires corrective steering input but it's more traditional (keeping a straight path) as opposed to countering, turning into, or trying to predict conventional trailer sway. I plan to do a full write up on my ProPride experiences one of these days.
Last edited by xcntrk; 03-24-2014 at 05:48 PM.
03-24-2014, 06:56 PM
#37
Just throwing this out there, but if air bags (when used properly and inflated correctly) don't help weight distribution and loads on a truck then why do all the big rigs use them for that exact purpose? I'm sure someone can help educate me on that point.
03-24-2014, 07:27 PM
#38
Yeah and there load is right over the axles not hangin of the back of the truck same thing as with a 5th wheel on a pickup
03-24-2014, 08:43 PM
#39
Senior Member
They use the air bags just like we do, with or without the WDH, to stabilize the ride, or instead of our leaf springs.
