Firestone air bags

[RLTW]

Here is my 2013. I have had the Firestone airbags since Jan 2016. So far no problems and works great for towing our Jeep.









Also put a Leer shell on a couple of months ago.

I dig the wheel color, white really lends itself to a lot of possible color combinations, I powdercoated mine subtle gold with a coat of Casper clear.


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[Reptar]

Installed my firestone kit a few weeks ago. Really impressed with the kit!

Everything bolted up great, no issues. Hardest part was taking the factory bump stops off, which once I figured out to pop the rubber out of the cup, was cake lol. Literally that easy of an install!

I've got it plumbed to the receiver hitch right now, they have a real nice bracket, and I can fill/bleed them right by the hitch, but I'm looking into a remote operate compressor/gauge setup now so I can adjust on the fly, just trying to figure out if I want to keep it dual or single adjustable.

Ride quality, at 10 psi (their recommended min) the ride feels almost the same, it's just a tad bouncier over bigger bumps. My shocks are stock 43k miles though so they're probably due for a rebuild which may take some of the bounce out. I haven't tested them at 5 psi yet, but it seems that would also be fine to run for DD use and still be ok for the bag, and probably have less "bounce" on big bumps.

THe last pic shows them at 70 psi just for testing for leaks, the rear traveled up a good 4-5". Now obviously I'm not driving around like that, and the bags are just to get the truck level when towing instead of sagging (even though that's the trendy new look for truck stance lol), but just shows the range of adjustment the bags have. They can go to 100 psi.

Towing, I pulled my open trailer & race truck, about 7000 lbs, and I didn't even have to adjust the bag pressure, the truck just sat level. Before it'd be a little squatted. That's really nice for me since that combo I tow most frequently, I don't even need to touch the bags!

I'll see what it is like when I hook up my enclosed trailer and pulling about 8000 lbs, but honestly I don't see me having to go above 20 psi, which is great for ride quality while towing too

 

[Sierra13]

RallyeX and Reptar are either of you guys running mid perch? I'm going to be ordering these bags to run while pulling my RV and have a bed load of stuff. Never wanted to go mid perch because it would always be drag assing bad once the trailer went on but if these help to then now might be the time. Do you notice it sitting a little higher even with 10psi in the bags while unloaded. Any info is good info. Thanks guys.

RallyeX really dig the wheel color

 

[Sage]

You guys must not drive on rough roads. Anything less than 16 pounds and I bottom on the internal bump stops and really get hammered. That or they've made changes.

 

[RallyeX]

RallyeX and Reptar are either of you guys running mid perch? I'm going to be ordering these bags to run while pulling my RV and have a bed load of stuff. Never wanted to go mid perch because it would always be drag assing bad once the trailer went on but if these help to then now might be the time. Do you notice it sitting a little higher even with 10psi in the bags while unloaded. Any info is good info. Thanks guys.

RallyeX really dig the wheel color

I have mine on the mid perch. I run 10 or 15 psi in mine all then time.

 

[SKT]

Here is my 2013.

...works great for towing our Jeep.

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Awesome set-up!



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[Trucktreehouse]

Here is my 2013. I have had the Firestone airbags since Jan 2016. So far no problems and works great for towing our Jeep.









Also put a Leer shell on a couple of months ago.

Great looking setup! Do you offroad the truck often or ever? How does the airbag setup fair offroad? (compared to how everyone says it will cause frame damage when used offroad?)

 

[Reptar]

RallyeX and Reptar are either of you guys running mid perch? I'm going to be ordering these bags to run while pulling my RV and have a bed load of stuff. Never wanted to go mid perch because it would always be drag assing bad once the trailer went on but if these help to then now might be the time. Do you notice it sitting a little higher even with 10psi in the bags while unloaded. Any info is good info. Thanks guys.

RallyeX really dig the wheel color

I know this is umpteen months late, but I don't get on here often, and for anyone searching down the road they may still find it useful.

I am on mid-perch. Before the bags my truck sat pretty much exactly level. After the bags the *** does sit up about 1/2" maybe an inch when the bags are aired enough for riding empty but not bottoming out on crappy roads. I actually prefer the slightly higher *** end though over perfectly level. Plus with as frequently as I tow with the truck, before the bags it would always be *** down. Not dragging, but about an inch or so squat which I hate the look of. With the bags it's nice because I can get it set to perfectly level for towing. ANd it's not just an appearance thing, the truck tows so much nicer with the bags aired up because the trailer isn't overworking the suspension, the suspension becomes stiff enough to handle the trailer load and it tows much more stable, yet inside the truck it doesn't feel stiffer and teeth rattling. It just rides as if there weren't a trailer back there.

You guys must not drive on rough roads. Anything less than 16 pounds and I bottom on the internal bump stops and really get hammered. That or they've made changes.

I guess a lot of that can depend on what you consider rough roads, and also what all you have in the truck. I know some of you guys can run around with 500-1000 lbs of $hit in your trucks between jacks, spares, tool kits, coolers, etc. as if any day of the week is a zombie apocalypse lol. My truck is usually empty for daily use other than a rubber bet mat, a bubba rope, and a small bag of ratchet straps and a couple D-rings. So if I run ~7 psi in the bags the truck rides exactly like stock, but if I do hit a big enough bump or whallop in the road at high speeds, it will bottom out. If I run ~10 psi in the bags it stops that, but it is just slightly bouncy in the back end on bumps. But if I stick even a couple hundred lbs in the bed, it does change the dynamics noticeably. A bin of engine parts, or a transmission or something tossed in the back, or some crap from home depot for the house, it does help to bump the bags to ~15 psi.

It's good that they are sensitive to a few hundred lb difference down low, because you can dial them in really nicely. But that is an advantage of having an on-board compressor and in-cab gauge and switch, so you can easily adjust them on the fly as you have stuff in or out of the truck bed. Half the time I forget to toss my little battery compressor in the truck.

 

[Trucktreehouse]

I know this is umpteen months late, but I don't get on here often, and for anyone searching down the road they may still find it useful.

I am on mid-perch. Before the bags my truck sat pretty much exactly level. After the bags the *** does sit up about 1/2" maybe an inch when the bags are aired enough for riding empty but not bottoming out on crappy roads. I actually prefer the slightly higher *** end though over perfectly level. Plus with as frequently as I tow with the truck, before the bags it would always be *** down. Not dragging, but about an inch or so squat which I hate the look of. With the bags it's nice because I can get it set to perfectly level for towing. ANd it's not just an appearance thing, the truck tows so much nicer with the bags aired up because the trailer isn't overworking the suspension, the suspension becomes stiff enough to handle the trailer load and it tows much more stable, yet inside the truck it doesn't feel stiffer and teeth rattling. It just rides as if there weren't a trailer back there.



I guess a lot of that can depend on what you consider rough roads, and also what all you have in the truck. I know some of you guys can run around with 500-1000 lbs of $hit in your trucks between jacks, spares, tool kits, coolers, etc. as if any day of the week is a zombie apocalypse lol. My truck is usually empty for daily use other than a rubber bet mat, a bubba rope, and a small bag of ratchet straps and a couple D-rings. So if I run ~7 psi in the bags the truck rides exactly like stock, but if I do hit a big enough bump or whallop in the road at high speeds, it will bottom out. If I run ~10 psi in the bags it stops that, but it is just slightly bouncy in the back end on bumps. But if I stick even a couple hundred lbs in the bed, it does change the dynamics noticeably. A bin of engine parts, or a transmission or something tossed in the back, or some crap from home depot for the house, it does help to bump the bags to ~15 psi.

It's good that they are sensitive to a few hundred lb difference down low, because you can dial them in really nicely. But that is an advantage of having an on-board compressor and in-cab gauge and switch, so you can easily adjust them on the fly as you have stuff in or out of the truck bed. Half the time I forget to toss my little battery compressor in the truck.

Is the amount of suspension travel lost measurable? is it all up travel, or some down travel as well? can this be partially uninstalled easily, as in towing a travel trailer to a campground, then unhitch (and uninstall just the bag itself) and go play on the trails?

 

[Sage]

Is the amount of suspension travel lost measurable? is it all up travel, or some down travel as well? can this be partially uninstalled easily, as in towing a travel trailer to a campground, then unhitch (and uninstall just the bag itself) and go play on the trails?

I set mine up that way. 3 bolts on each bag, 5.min max to remove when not in use. Air valve right on the bag so no lines.

Mine have been permanently removed and will be for sale soon. I bought an FX4 with the heavy tow package so the Raptor will no longer be used for towing.

Sage