Help: Setting Up Air Spring W/ A Weight Disribution Hitch?

[Cobra4B]

I've setup my GMC Canyon to tow my car on my open trailer... I've added an auxillary trans cooler, trailer brake controller, air lift ride control air bags, and an equalizer hitch. Also have an intake and a towing tune.

 

The Equalizer instructions tell me to set the bags at min psi (which in this case is 10) and use the WD bars to level the truck.

 

The air-lift tech support said"

*Set up hitch w/ bags a min PSI to the point the rear sags some still

*Air up springs until truck is level

*Fine-tune w/ WD bars

 

This makes no sense to me... why not start w/ more PSI in the first place? If I can, then why not balance the truck w/ the WD bars?

 

Anyone know how to do this correctly? It would seem to me that folowing equalizer's instructions of keeping the bags at 10psi would negate their true benefit.

 

TIA,

Brian

[C & A s Dad]

I have an Equal i zer hitch and run air lift air bags in the rear of my Yukon XL. However, my airbags are inside my coil springs instead of mounted to a leaf as your are.

 

Here is what I do and it seems to work perfectly.

 

I run at 10 PSI when not towing When towing, I air up to 25 PSI, mine max at 30 PSI. I then hook up my hitch and WD bars as normal and run with the 25 PSI. This method seems to have really helped stabilize my truck with my 6500 lb camper behind it.

 

My Airlift instructions noted to inflate before hitching and if I can remember correctly, there was no mention of doing this differently with a WD hitch.

 

If you have not used a WD hitch before, it will take you a couple of pulls to get it "tuned out". I used the EQ instructions to the letter and it works great.

 

You may a wise choice with the trans cooler. This is absolutely the best cooler on the market. I used a Hayden but just like B & M, they don't make this cooler, they just market it under their name. If I am not mistaken, True Cool is the actual mfg.

[Cobra4B]

Thanks for the input... the bags I have are 10psi min and 100max. I was thinking of inflating to 50 and just starting from there and seeing what I get.

 

I'll be setting everything up on Saturday so I'll report back w/ some pics.

[Cobra4B]

ttt... anyone else on here use bags and WD?

[Billdog350]

If your bags go to 100psi, they're likely the 2000lb springs. That's what my bags were on my K1500. If that's the case, you do NOT want to start at 50psi since you'd be adding 1000lbs to your capacity and trying to level that! figure 200lbs per 10psi. If you want 750lbs tongue weight, you'll want to add approx 20-30 lbs to your air springs (like C&A's Dad) and start there, since your OEM springs will also be providing some assistance too.

[Cobra4B]

If your bags go to 100psi, they're likely the 2000lb springs. That's what my bags were on my K1500. If that's the case, you do NOT want to start at 50psi since you'd be adding 1000lbs to your capacity and trying to level that! figure 200lbs per 10psi. If you want 750lbs tongue weight, you'll want to add approx 20-30 lbs to your air springs (like C&A's Dad) and start there, since your OEM springs will also be providing some assistance too.

Hmmm... C&A's springs only go to 30... they're a very different design apparently as they go inside the coil spring.

 

The Canyon is underspung for ride quality... which is why I went w/ the air bag vs. helper springs. This way I can deflate and still have my nice ride when not towing.

 

There will be about 500lbs of tongue weight... but the WD hitch will distribute 1/2 of that to the front.

 

The way I look at it the truck needs the extra rear srping rate... so I'd got to 50 (1/2 way) and start from there... see how much it sags.

[Billdog350]

Find out what your max air spring "added" capacity is. On my K1500 the air springs were good for 2000lbs. If so, you won't want to start at 50. If your air springs only add 1000lbs, then starting at 50 makes a lot of sense.

[Cobra4B]

Find out what your max air spring "added" capacity is. On my K1500 the air springs were good for 2000lbs. If so, you won't want to start at 50. If your air springs only add 1000lbs, then starting at 50 makes a lot of sense.

Gotcha... I just checked, says they add up to 2000lbs of leveling capacity. I'll put them at 20 or 25psi and go from there.