rojizostang

I started out with cables and Crosby clamps, however the cables over time didn't really hold up so i went to a chain and quick link set up. I don't really know how long they are on each side, but just guessing maybe 16-18 inches, since they are now in a loop as opposed to how I had them originally installed. I just looped them under the bottom bracket and over the top bracket and connected it with a quick link and left a couple of extra links for adjustment. if you have your truck on jack stands and a floor jack you can get an idea of how low you want the rear end to drop and then figure out how long of a chain you need by trial and error, more or less. you can let the bags stretch a little, but over stretching or hyperextending them leads to trouble. First time after I installed the bags i went to get an oil change at the dealer, and because it was busy they put the truck on a lift instead of driving it over the pit. I went out to the shop and found the rear end hanging pretty much by the bags. Afterwards they started leaking. The chain I believe is 1/4 inch. It doesn't rattle around or make any noise at all.

It looks like my bags have shifted a small amount. I don't remember them being off centered on the brackets. I will have to take the wheel off and look at it.

By the way, I'm sure it's a no no, but my upper brackets are tig welded to the frame. I'm sure some will find fault with this but there have been no issues so far.

maxpat82

no strap needed.
The kit should be installed as per the manual which says that they should be installed with the truck jacked up with the wheel off the ground(which are then limited by the leaf pack and mainly shock maximum lenght)

rojizostang : bracket welded and chain? Nice accident waiting to happen:
after a couple thousand miles friction in the moving chain will just make them super slim and will break eventually. Would be fun to have a small lenght of chain flapping around under the truck
-puncture to the bag would be the least of the dammage
-eventually broke totally and smash let say a windshield, radiator of other car or even worst : straight in the face, chest, hand of a motorcyclist.
Real limit strap are textile and WAY more durable and tensile strenght then those chain!

Transport grade chain would be less bad , but come on, home depot flemsy chain and even worst a quicklink!! They won't do much going over a railroad at speed with the diff coming bearing down on the chain.

I had the bag 2 year and truck being on the lift a couple time and never had an issue.
if installed properly they would never overextend.

rojizostang

the chain isn't rubbing on anything, it merely limits the travel. it wouldn't break in a thousand years. everyone will have flying cars by then. what am i planning on doing? going airborne over a ramp? i have yet to encounter the top of the extension of the chains as they are installed. even if they broke, it wouldn't make any difference from a safety stand point. all other suspension components....leaf springs and shocks are still in place. the bed of the truck would merely travel further upward than i want it to. their sole purpose is to support the axle weight while on a lift. they are not a suspension component or play a part in any way. no chance in hell they're a danger to anyone else.

as far as being installed incorrectly, they (the bags) were installed per the instructions that were furnished at the time. Their instructions used to advise installing a limiting strap. Now their instructions say to support the axle with a stand. As far as the bracket placement is concerned, I used the guide tool they supplied with the kit to install them. The only alteration i did was welding them to the frame. welding to the frame is a topic for a different discussion.

the bags aren't an integral part of the suspension...they merely provide support when needed. on an every day basis, i could run them without air. if they punctured, it would make no difference with the exception the rear end would drop down a little if it was heavily loaded.

by the way, here's an excerpt from the installation instructions, per air lift company and the kit i used:

RAISING THE VEHICLE 1. Raise the vehicle and remove the wheels. 2. Ensure that the vehicle is at the custom, lowered ride height. If not, raise the frame or lower the axle as necessary. a. If the vehicle is raised with an axle contact hoist, place axle stands under the frame and lower the axle as needed. b. If the vehicle is raised with a frame contact hoist, place axle stands under the axle and lower the frame as needed. c. If the vehicle is raised with a jack and supported with axle stands on the frame, use a floor jack to raise the axle.


if i installed them as you advise, the brackets with the installation tool wouldn't even contact the frame. they would be hanging in mid air. these bags are designed for vehicles with an flipped axle and lowered between 4 and 6 inches.

click on the link and download the installation instructions, and you will find that these bags cannot be installed with the axle extended to the bottom of the spring pack or shock extension. the upper bracket would never mate with the frame, if you are using the plastic installation dowel provided by the kit. you'll have to download the pdf.

now, having said all that, if you can find a set of shocks that are short enough to keep the axle from hanging too far down when on a lift, you can get by without straps. I had mine set up like that for a while, however the shocks just weren't very good shocks to work on the back of a lowered truck. they didn't provide enough damping so i swapped them for the calmax shocks for lowered trucks (f150's) but they were longer so i had to go back to straps.

another option would be to disconnect the u bolts that hold the bags to the leaf springs and just let them hang while it's on a lift. a bit of a pain but easily accomplished.

rojizostang

for everyone else using the slam air helper bags for vehicles with flipped axles and a 4 to 6 inch drop..trust me...install a limiting strap or chains or whatever you decide. it will keep the bags from hyperextending and leaking around the top which is merely sealed with a banding tool. or disconnect the u bolts and let the bags hang while the vehicle is on the lift.

the good thing is the bags have a life time warranty. if one leaks, air lift will send a new one, for free.

drewzx3

How heavy has everyone towed with these and a lowered truck? My camper is 6500 dry and wanting to lower mine

maxpat82

Robert Rube Dean

how fast do ya''s leak down, i put 20lbs in mine and 2 wks later theres 0 in there

rojizostang

one side leaks down over night, the holds air indefinitely. mine is leaking thru the gauge.

maxpat82

I had no leak the 2-3 years I had them...but I only put the minimum 10psi in them when not towing or hauling anything