Added Firestone air bags

[Hoginedgewood]

It's a 22 2500hd, put 3k in the bed, she squatted about 3", im assuming it bottomed out but can't be sure. Cranked 90 psi and gained about half of the ride hight back. It rode much better than the Timberins with 3k. 
I was thinking the bags claimed 5k, but maybe that's how much it assists not actual load capacity.

[HighCountry MP]

i didn't like the ride from timbrens  i am looking into the air bags are you still happy with them.

[Kerry Pulaski]

I added the Firestone 5K bags to my '16 2500 HD, liked them a lot. Rode soft.  I put a Shrader valve on each one, not the usual "T" for both, to stop air transfer side to side, for better stability in corners and side wind.

Also added a 1-1/2" dia. Anti-Sway Bar from Roadmaster. That was also an Incredible improvement in drivability and stability.

If you buy  3500 HD Dually Cab & Chassis (No Box), Gm includes one of those Bad Boys  on the rear axle ........

Get a 3500 HD  Dually Pickup.......Nope....Not even an Option.

[chopjaw]

On 2/2/2024 at 1:53 AM, HighCountry MP said:

i didn't like the ride from timbrens  i am looking into the air bags are you still happy with them.

Me either, they seem like sledgehammers when hitting bumpy roads at highway speeds.  I put bags on my 2500 and loved them.  Sold that truck and bought a 24 3500 HC and bags are going on for the RV.  Every truck I have owned has had bags.  I tried the Timbrens and hated them.   

 

[sealberta]

On 8/29/2023 at 2:35 PM, Hoginedgewood said:

It's a 22 2500hd, put 3k in the bed, she squatted about 3", im assuming it bottomed out but can't be sure. Cranked 90 psi and gained about half of the ride hight back. It rode much better than the Timberins with 3k. 
I was thinking the bags claimed 5k, but maybe that's how much it assists not actual load capacity.

Were did you mount your fill valves?

 

[chopjaw]

Got pics of them installed.

 

Edited March 1, 2024 by chopjaw

[Chuck FB]

Here is a video that shows what some of the bracket designs for air bags will do when asking too much of the air bag system to hold up the load. As he points out, once one starts using the airbags as a leveling device and taking too much of the carried weight away from the leaf springs, its putting too much stress on the air bag system then it was ever designed for. I also came across something else lately of an older F250 7.3 diesel that hauls a camper and he put in air bags and had his pumped up near max pressure and realized that his frame was cracking at the area of the air bag bracket on the frame. 

 

I know a couple of people that are running timbrens for hauling truck mounted campers and they seem happy with them but there are different grades/stiffness levels of timbren or timbren like brands of these units. At some point though I believe more springs are required and not over depending on timbrens or air bags. Also tall slide in campers have more sway issues with air bags as its the nature of the beast with such a high center of gravity load. Timbrens fail too I have seen if over dependent on it for carrying too much of the load and no doubt could damage the frame as well and goes full circle back to having enough spring capacity to carry the bulk of the load ( and enough truck/frame under the load ! ) since these frames were never designed from the ground up to have an air ride suspension like a highway tractor. 

 

 

[asilverblazer]

I recently posted about my airbag setup. 

 

 

Generally, I wouldn't add air bags - and certainly not Timbrens (or other fancy bumpstops).

 

Also, notes about a rear stabilizer bar. I wouldn't mind a disconnecting rear stabilizer but not a fixed one. The rear is really the only axle articulation available and I wouldn't want less for off-road purposes.

[Chuck FB]

2 hours ago, asilverblazer said:

I recently posted about my airbag setup. 

 

 

Generally, I wouldn't add air bags - and certainly not Timbrens (or other fancy bumpstops).

 

Also, notes about a rear stabilizer bar. I wouldn't mind a disconnecting rear stabilizer but not a fixed one. The rear is really the only axle articulation available and I wouldn't want less for off-road purposes.

 

I am not thrilled abut the firestone or similar style airbags and how the kits work dimension height wise in some applications, bottoming out was an issue I had as well with an older truck until I put a lift block in to gain travel height and then didn't require air in the bags at all at that point anyway for what I did with that truck with an added leaf spring etc. 

 

Stabilizer bars or stiff ones and off road don't go well together, disconnects or very soft stabilizer bars depending on the suspension type. On road packing top heavy weight ( or off road still needing it but where the rig really shouldn't be going anyway ) vs a light weight or at least low center of gravity weight rig for off road articulation needs lighter sway bars and/or a disconnect at one end or the other to get proper tire contact to uneven ground. 

[NaturallyAspirated]

FWIW

switched out my leaf pack for a softer leaf pack and added air lift bags. Deadens the bumps which I like but feels less like an old school springy pickup. My purpose was to improve ride and maintain some of the payload ability. I don’t go over max payload and this setup has suited me well.

[Chuck FB]

9 hours ago, NaturallyAspirated said:

FWIW

switched out my leaf pack for a softer leaf pack and added air lift bags. Deadens the bumps which I like but feels less like an old school springy pickup. My purpose was to improve ride and maintain some of the payload ability. I don’t go over max payload and this setup has suited me well.

 

Do you happen to know the brand of the spring packs and what they rated them as in pounds per spring. Also are they designed the same way with the thick tapered bottom overload and then the same thickness leafs as factory on top of that but with less leafs ?. Or is it more the deaver style pack that I believe has no bottom overload and all leafs the same thickness. 

[Mark57]

NA. I also had my springs re-done and put Fox 2.5 HTOs on my 2026 4X4 dually, I put Airlift bags on. The ride is as good if not better then my wife's 2024 Sierra 4X4. The bags are for a load in the back to prevent sagging. With that in mind I will never have a 5th wheel or haul alot. I love the way it rides.

[NaturallyAspirated]

Cognito Comfort Ride for the springs. Tried to find something cheaper, but didn’t find many other options at the time. 
 

Mark, I think we were after the same thing. But you got me beat with the dually. DRW 3500 might be my next truck.

[Chuck FB]

6 hours ago, NaturallyAspirated said:

Cognito Comfort Ride for the springs. Tried to find something cheaper, but didn’t find many other options at the time. 
 

Mark, I think we were after the same thing. But you got me beat with the dually. DRW 3500 might be my next truck.

 

Ok so those are probably made by Deaver then and would come down to who creates a certain spring pack rate and if that is the same, the price. Was it advertised as a same height replacement or as a certain amount of lift over stock ( without having to add lift blocks ). Looking on the Cognito website now, I see a version that  comes with a bottom overload leaf spring pack and doesn't mention it being for a lift and wondered if it was that one and they advertise a 22% improvement in ride quality/ 22% reduction in load carrying ability. Unfortunately they claim they will not work with the upper overload pack of a 3500 in place, not sure why but that is the stipulation. 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2025 by Chuck FB

[NaturallyAspirated]

I’d call them, honestly. Think they are used to talking through these things.