Review: Air Lift RideControl Air Spring & WirelessOne System

[Zane]

The Merva Brothers

GM-Trucks.com

9/3/2015

 

Product: Air Lift RideControl Adjustable Air Spring (59565) & Airlift WirelessOne Compressor System
Editor's Note: This product was provided at no cost for the purposes of a review. We only publish our honest opinions and give no consideration for the gratis product.

 

Manufacturer: Air Lift Company

 

 

What it is: The RideControl kit from Air Lift is an adjustable air bag system used to keep your pickup’s suspension level while towing and more comfortable when unloaded. Using a compressor and wireless remote, air pressure is adjusted from 5psi up to 100psi, allowing the driver to level their vehicle for various loads or situations. With a level suspension, towing a trailer is easier on your truck, more stable on the road, and safer for you and your cargo.

 

Product Features/Specifications:

• Up to 2,000 lbs. of load-leveling capacity
• Eliminates squat, trailer sway, rough ride and bottoming out
• No frame drilling required
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

Cost: $530

$235 - RideControl Adjustable Air Spring + $295 - WirelessOne Compressor System

 

Installed and tested on: 2011 GMC Sierra All Terrain SLT Extended Cab

 

The whole towing problem

Many of us tow with our trucks on a frequent basis. In fact, we bet many of you purchased your truck with towing in mind. However, if you tow more than a couple thousand pounds with a light duty truck on a regular basis you’ll probably get an idea why the pros use 2500HD and 3500HD pickups. However, most of us don’t have a need for a heavy duty truck and are only towing on occasion.

 

While it’s true that our trucks are built for the purpose of hauling stuff around, most of the time they dutifully serve as personal transporters and elaborate grocery getters. GM knows this and as a result, our 1500 Silverado and Sierra pickups are tuned to be comfortable first and to perform while towing and hauling second.

 

That means our trucks suffer from less than desirable traits in both situations. We all know how easily a truck’s rear end bounces around while unloaded. On the flip side, rear end squat is a serious issue when a light duty pickup is pushed to its rated limits.

 

When a truck is pushed to its limits and the rear suspension bottoms out you inhibit the shocks ability to dampen bumps. Added weight in the rear also has the effect of lifting up the front end. This wreaks havoc on your steering, tire wear, maneuverability, and most importantly... safety.

 

 

This is where AirLift comes in. The RideControl system is an aftermarket airbag system used to support your truck’s suspension. Inserted between the rear axle and frame, parallel to your existing shocks, the system adjusts its internal pressure to add support only when your vehicle needs it.

 

We were interested in Airlift’s RideControl system, so we installed one on Project Sierra. Here’s how it went and what we thought.

 

Installing the RideControl and WirelessOne:

 

Installing the RideControl is a task that is entirely possible to do in your driveway with a set of ramps or jack stands. With that said, this is not a beginner project and if you’re not entirely comfortable digging into your truck and running wires, we’d suggest having a professional complete the task.

 

 

While we won’t go over the entire process, installing the RideControl breaks down into a few easy steps.

 

First we removed the rear tires, the rear inner wheel well liners, and the rear spare tire.

 

Then we mounted the brackets to the frame and leaf spring along with a deflated airbag. It's worth nothing no drilling of the frame is required.

 

The next step is to run your airlines. Both bags will be connected to the same compressor. We ran the lines from each airbag to a ‘T’, which in turn had another ‘T’. One end of the hose will be run to the air compressor while the other is tucked behind the rear bumper and equipped with a schrader valve for emergency manual inflation.

 

We then carefully cut the inner wheel well liner to fit the mounting bracket and reinstalled it.

 

We then installed the air compressor and controller manifold under our spare tire. We chose this location because it was protected and far enough away we cannot hear the compressor running from inside the cabin.

 

Lastly, we ran the wiring harness to the engine compartment and connected it to a keyed power source.

 

After we confirmed the system inflated the airbags and none of our lines leaked, we reattached the wheels and buttoned the project up.

 

A smooth ride, all the time

After installation, we couldn’t wait to test our new air suspension. As we accelerated out of the shop we could immediately feel a distinct difference in the way the Sierra handled.

With our Sierra unloaded we got to work testing every available air pressure setting we could. The system has a minimum pressure of 5psi and should never be driven completely deflated. Conversely, the compressor has a maximum setting of 100psi, for when you’re taking your vehicle to its limit.

 

 

We found that the RideControl system significantly changed the unloaded driving behaviour of our Sierra for the better when set to between 5psi and 10psi. The air bags helped our truck’s suspension soak up bumps and settled down axle bounce at the same time. The result was a vehicle that drove with less flex, more composure, and was more comfortable than stock.

 

We then hooked up a dual axle 12-foot enclosed trailer stuffed with an ATV and its related equipment. This combination weighed approximately 2,500lbs. After increasing the pressure in the airbags until the truck and trailer were level we set out to see how this combination handled.

 

With a trailer hitched up in our rear view mirror, the RideControl system shined. We immediately noticed how level our Sierra sat, even with the extra weight in the back. This level position preserved the correct steering angle of the front end, brake distribution, and helped reduce drive line shock during transitions from acceleration to braking.

 

In general, our Sierra acted as if it was given a huge confidence boost.The AirLift system stiffened our Sierra’s suspension and added new found stability and capability to our last generation truck.

 

 

Worth noting, however, is when we went to take video of the airbags operating, the unit stopped working. We couldn’t figure out why, and since the remote still lit up we assumed it was functioning correctly. After checking everything else, we decided to replace the remote's batteries, and voila, everything came back to life. Because of this, we highly recommend keeping a spare set of batteries to avoid any mid tow remote battery failures.

 

Conclusion

Not just for towing, Airlift’s RideControl Airbag System improves our Sierra’s ride and handling every time we get behind the wheel. Before installation we were dubious that this product would provide any measurable benefit beyond substantial towing and hauling. We were wrong.

 

 

While we love the added stability while towing a fully loaded trailer, we really appreciate the added stiffness the RideControl system adds to our trucks rear suspension when running errands or driving to work. Our rear axle dances less on washboard dirt roads and sucks up potholes better than before. And with the new K2 trucks sharing much of the same chassis design as our 2011, they too would benefit from this serious upgrade. If you tow more than a few times a year and don’t want to compromise your truck’s everyday driving ability, then the ride control system from AirLift is just what the doctor ordered.

 

[greg912]

Did the 5 to 10 psi lift the rear of the truck at all? Looks like a nice setup. Do you feel like this would be a good option for someone who wanted to leave enough pressure in to lift the rear an inch or so while unloaded?

[[email protected]]

Did the 5 to 10 psi lift the rear of the truck at all? Looks like a nice setup. Do you feel like this would be a good option for someone who wanted to leave enough pressure in to lift the rear an inch or so while unloaded?

Exactly what I've been wondering

[barry G]

that is clever. Rigs have been all air bag for some years. I remember them being all leaf springs.

the transition was very nice.

 

not sure why pickups take longer to change. interesting overlap. I'd try the air bags.

 

if your truck is bouncing on washboard roads, experiment with pressures on LT tires. P-rated will do nothing for you ever. There is a sweet spot that allows the tire to capture the empty spring reverb, same as old tractor trailers.

 

on the old trucks with little tail end framing, they were very springy. Many decades of the design.

 

65psi is still a sweet spot, almost 20 years after the last of them. All trucks respond with their own numbers.

I understand they left the newer 1500HD at 80psi in the back.. a bit extreme. Just have to figure it out on your own.

[AgDoctor]

I had a airbag setup on my 2011 and with 7# it did lift the rear a little but only maybe 0.5"-0.75". I didn't notice the ride being better or worse.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[DSChamber]

I have the manual version of this Air Lift system (I need to pump air into the air bags and let it out the old fashion way) and I will recommend it 100%. I orginally had the system on my 2010 Sierra and when I traded it in on my '14 I removed it and put the system on my '14. I haul firewood and I love the way the air bags bring the truck back to level, no spring sag, no bottoming out, no "nose in the air" lost of control. Simply put it's awesome! When not hauling firewood or my quad trailer I leave 10 lbs in the bags, it doesn't bring up the rear at all but it also doesn't let the rear squat as much either so I guess there's a trade off (maybe less power going into squatting the suspension would be better IDK)

I never saw that Air Lift came out with a wireless system, the older wired systems sort of put me off since I had to drill holes in the dash to mount a controller, run wires through the firewall blah blah.... I think since I already have the air bags all I would need now is the wireless controller and the compressor. Hummm, will have to look into that to see if I can buy these pieces separately!!!

 

[hamd1719]

I'm A NOOB this thing fit Yukon 2015 without magnetic

Because the review says k2 have same chassis

I don't do a lot of towing interested only for suspension stiffness

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[stillwaters960]

I used Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 Ultimate (with internal jounce bumpers) on my 2003 Silverado 2500HD. It did level out the load with my new 5th wheel camper and gave a great ride. However, some states are starting to check tow vehicles against their towing load. The pin weight of my 5th wheel exceeded the payload stated for the 2500. They will write you up even though you are towing with airbags. In some states/cases, if you're in an accident, it's classed as a felony. Just beware.... Even though I tow the five'r about 6 times a year, I've since purchased a 2014 3500HD dually which has a lot more payload.

[DSChamber]

I used Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 Ultimate (with internal jounce bumpers) on my 2003 Silverado 2500HD. It did level out the load with my new 5th wheel camper and gave a great ride. However, some states are starting to check tow vehicles against their towing load. The pin weight of my 5th wheel exceeded the payload stated for the 2500. They will write you up even though you are towing with airbags. In some states/cases, if you're in an accident, it's classed as a felony. Just beware.... Even though I tow the five'r about 6 times a year, I've since purchased a 2014 3500HD dually which has a lot more payload.

Yeah....the Air Lift system clearly states to not to exceed the load carrying specs of your truck. I think the 2014 1500 truck has a bed payload of 2200 lbs or something like that.... if you have more than 2200 lbs in the bed of your 1500 you're asking for trouble!

[sillywillie07]

I had this kit on my 2010 silverado 1500. I sent it back after talking to the company. I had tire rubbing on the air bag top plate, when the axle would articulate. It was fine sitting level. I then installed timbren ses kit. The air bags were nicer ride, but timbren are just put in and forget about them. no need to add air.

[Jsdirt]

I threw a set of Firestone bags in mine. Turns out after installing a weight distribution hitch setup, I didn't really need the bags. They'll come in handy the next time I need to haul a 2,400 lb. pallet of coal though.

 

I keep about 4psi in mine. All gauges vary, so it could very well be above the 5psi minimum stated by the manufacturer. Any higher than that, and the ride quality SUCKS. It'll pound the crap out of you and the truck. But, these things with 60 psi in them will handle 5k lbs.. They're pretty beefy.

 

I didn't buy that automatic setup, since spending another $200+ for the pump, ect. when I already have a Viair compressor system seemed foolish. With that system back there, I don't mind airing up manually, so I gave up researching a solenoid to isolate the bags from the air tank. Buying the parts individually would end up FAR less than buying the complete system. Someday I might do it. No real rush at the moment ...

[Mossyoakglock]

*Double Post*

[Mossyoakglock]

Did the 5 to 10 psi lift the rear of the truck at all? Looks like a nice setup. Do you feel like this would be a good option for someone who wanted to leave enough pressure in to lift the rear an inch or so while unloaded?

 

Wondering the same thing.

 

I'm on the fence with this kit or get one of the extended bump-stop systems (either Firestone or Airlift).

[66nova]

 

Wondering the same thing.

 

I'm on the fence with this kit or get one of the extended bump-stop systems (either Firestone or Airlift).

 

I have had both systems. The exact one the review is about (ride control) and currently the Load Lifter 5000 ultimate kit with the jounce bumper.

 

I liked the ride control kit, but developed a leak after running them with no air for a bit. (My fault) running 5-10 lbs barely moves the rear end up. Maybe slightly but not much. I had 2 inch rear drop shackles with this kit.

 

I started hauling heavier loads and decided to upgrade to the 5000 kit. I love it. You can run them empty if you want. But, with a rear leveling kit they will not work because of where they mount. I ended up raising the front end instead.

 

Highly recommend either kit, but if you're hauling heavy loads the 5000 is a better option.

[Mossyoakglock]

Thanks. I have the front leveled so nothing on the rear so I don't think I'll have any issues.

 

I'll have to take a look at the 5000 series since you can run it with no air if needed.