Truck rear air suspension

[ntsqd]

I think it really depends on what you're going to ask of the suspension as to whether or not you can effectively damp both air springs and leaf springs with the same damper.

If you're very sensitive to suspension performance and tend to drive like you're pre-running Vegas to Reno then it just isn't going to ever work and any attempt to try is going to be an exercise in futility. At one time a truck that I worked on had both torsion and coil springs under the front of it. A hugely respected name in off-road racing dampers, whose product was on the truck and was carrying those coil springs up front, told us to make a choice because we would never, ever be able to get the damping to work well with both. Torsion bars have a huge rising rate and the rebound damping to control that would overwhelm a coil spring. Air springs also have a huge rising rate.

If you just want a smooth ride and you tend to drive just poking along then it will work.

 

[Squatch]

JH I was mostly inquiring as to whether Ram had speced special shocks for the air bag only rears.

NTSQD I'm knowledgeable and sensitive to my trucks. I realize adding the Firestone air bags to my truck is a big compromise. For non extreme use a standard good shock will probably work well enough. Here in the East any off roading is slow going. Not Prerunner style.

I'm still toying with replacement spring packs instead of the combo.

When I replace my shocks I think I'm going with Bilstein 6112's in front and 5160's in the rear.

The mismatch of the added airbags at certain pressures and loads can cause a bit of pumping or hammering for lack of a better description on highway irregularities. Springs move and stock shocks are late to react to the airbag movement.

Sorry for the thread jack.

 

[rollinrollinrollin]

Thanks for the Don and Aaron website 2tallDA. Although my Ram 2500 plus camper handles fine, it's almost too soft riding ( kinda like an old Buick Roadmaster) with the extra weight. I think a stiffer type shock would do the trick.