Air bag and tire pressure

[ottorogers]

What are you running for springs???

My current setup is close to the weight of a FWC in my Tundra and almost zero sway.

factory springs, I do not want a hard riding truck when the camper is not in the truck

 

[Vic Harder]

thanks Phil, I’m at 55 psi in airbags, tried 50 psi in rear tires, still getting away, I’ll try 70 in airbags, then I give up

Otto, earlier you said that the airbags are inflated together have you rerouted the air lines so that the two sides are independent ? that really contributes to sway

 

[ottorogers]

Otto, earlier you said that the airbags are inflated together have you rerouted the air lines so that the two sides are independent ? that really contributes to sway

we are traveling and I don’t have air lines with me

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

OttoRogers

For some reason it wont let me "quote" you...

I have the 2.5" OME. Even before I added my leer top and decked system, the truck rode 100x better than stock, felt like a luxury car on the freeway and nice and stable but not harsh on dirt roads.

When I added the Leer top and decked system I added the OME add a leaf. Amazing.

Stock I felt it VERY mushy and swayed a lot even stock.

Might be worth checking out. Just my .02

Its tough to find a happy medium.

I could be wrong, but I don't think youre going to be able to compensate for the entire weight of that camper with just the airbags.

My .02

FYI, I've built many Toyotas and used to be a tech editor for Toyota trails, I am fairly suspension savy and do pretty good dialing in all my friends trucks.

Happy to help if you have any questions.

 

[Vic Harder]

we are traveling and I don’t have air lines with me

Stop at an RV place?

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

Could also order off amazon and have it delivered to a local post office at the next place youre stopping in your travels. Ive done that before several times with moto stuff.

The lines should be a 20 minute fix, if that

 

[MattC]

thanks Phil, I’m at 55 psi in airbags, tried 50 psi in rear tires, still getting away, I’ll try 70 in airbags, then I give up

Separate those airbags

 

[ottorogers]

OttoRogers

For some reason it wont let me "quote" you...

I have the 2.5" OME. Even before I added my leer top and decked system, the truck rode 100x better than stock, felt like a luxury car on the freeway and nice and stable but not harsh on dirt roads.

When I added the Leer top and decked system I added the OME add a leaf. Amazing.

Stock I felt it VERY mushy and swayed a lot even stock.

Might be worth checking out. Just my .02

Its tough to find a happy medium.

I could be wrong, but I don't think youre going to be able to compensate for the entire weight of that camper with just the airbags.

My .02

FYI, I've built many Toyotas and used to be a tech editor for Toyota trails, I am fairly suspension savy and do pretty good dialing in all my friends trucks.

Happy to help if you have any questions.

a spring place in Phoenix told me to only add one leaf, NOT 2, he said it would ride to rough with 2, he quoted me $500 for one leaf

 

[Wallowa]

Otto, earlier you said that the airbags are inflated together have you rerouted the air lines so that the two sides are independent ? that really contributes to sway

Agree with several that have recommended being able to independently inflate air bags...again, you use the air bags to equalize the ride height of the vehicle since the load weight is never equal side to side or fore and aft...nor are the air bags there to "compensate for the entire weight of the camper"...they do however also resist side loads and do so smoothly to dampen sway..in that they augment the anti-sway bar.

But hey, I could be wrong!

Phil

 

[rruff]

a spring place in Phoenix told me to only add one leaf, NOT 2, he said it would ride to rough with 2, he quoted me $500 for one leaf

Seems pricey for adding one leaf, and they are not giving you the full story. 2 thinner springs will ride better than one thick. Someone on this forum gave glowing reviews of an upgrade from Boise Spring Works. I think it was a 3 (thin) leaf pack.

But I suspect your sway issue will be solved by separating the bags. Also a shock upgrade is in order if you are running the stock black ones. They have insufficient damping for high payloads.

 

[ottorogers]

Seems pricey for adding one leaf, and they are not giving you the full story. 2 thinner springs will ride better than one thick. Someone on this forum gave glowing reviews of an upgrade from Boise Spring Works. I think it was a 3 (thin) leaf pack.

But I suspect your sway issue will be solved by separating the bags. Also a shock upgrade is in order if you are running the stock black ones. They have insufficient damping for high payloads.

i do have the stock black shocks, what upgrade shocks should I get???

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

i do have the stock black shocks, what upgrade shocks should I get???

With the weight of the camper it is going to generate heat so some sort of Resovoir shocks will help with that a lot.

I run the Bilstein 5160s in the rear and so far with about 10k dirt miles fully loaded they do great and they aren’t that expensive and bolt right on.

Once I get my FWC I might upgrade to Kings, but the 5160s have done great.

 

[rruff]

i do have the stock black shocks, what upgrade shocks should I get???

A good inexpensive choice would be the Bilstein 4600s that come on Tundra TRDs. The Rancho 9000XLs are another option with the added bonus of adjustable damping. Rear shocks are easily replaced but front ones are difficult. Just doing the rears might be enough.

It's my understanding that reservoirs are not very helpful unless your suspension is moving a lot (larger bumps). On washboard they don't do much to forestall overheating.

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

A good inexpensive choice would be the Bilstein 4600s that come on Tundra TRDs. The Rancho 9000XLs are another option with the added bonus of adjustable damping. Rear shocks are easily replaced but front ones are difficult. Just doing the rears might be enough.

It's my understanding that reservoirs are not very helpful unless your suspension is moving a lot (larger bumps). On washboard they don't do much to forestall overheating.

No, the reservoirs have a lot more oil to disapate the heat from the weight

 

[rruff]

No, the reservoirs have a lot more oil to disapate the heat from the weight

The point I was trying to make is that the oil doesn't really circulate over stutter bumps, only if the suspension is moving through a longer stroke.

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

The point I was trying to make is that the oil doesn't really circulate over stutter bumps, only if the suspension is moving through a longer stroke.

Yes, but a stock shock with the minimal oil will get HOT even on a simple washboard. Once they heatup they lose the damping.

We did a bunch of test in Death Valley. 5 miles on racetrack playa road and the shocks were scalding hot.

And that’s a basic fireroad

 

[ottorogers]

A good inexpensive choice would be the Bilstein 4600s that come on Tundra TRDs. The Rancho 9000XLs are another option with the added bonus of adjustable damping. Rear shocks are easily replaced but front ones are difficult. Just doing the rears might be enough.

It's my understanding that reservoirs are not very helpful unless your suspension is moving a lot (larger bumps). On washboard they don't do much to forestall overheating.

i have a TRD model, does this mean I have “good shocks”??

 

[rruff]

i have a TRD model, does this mean I have “good shocks”??

Tundra TRD shocks are yellow and blue. If they are in good shape they should provide decent damping. Base shocks are plain black.

 

[MattC]

A good inexpensive choice would be the Bilstein 4600s that come on Tundra TRDs. The Rancho 9000XLs are another option with the added bonus of adjustable damping. Rear shocks are easily replaced but front ones are difficult. Just doing the rears might be enough.that the rancho adjustable 9000 would be a great upgrade

Based on the homework I have done, both online and with friends that have them, I think the rancho adjustable 9000 shocks are perfect.

 

[ottorogers]

Based on the homework I have done, both online and with friends that have them, I think the rancho adjustable 9000 shocks are perfect.

What I find very interesting is my truck is a TRT 4 x 4 off-road, and yet my shocks are black, so that means I have the standard shocks?