Disadvantages of having air bags

[agent orange]

What are some of the disadvantages of having air bags on your ride or experince you've encountered (ie blowout, valves...etc) with air bags? I have airbags on my ride and hopefully i don't encounter any major problems down the road. Any helpful tips of maintaining air bags?

[copperchevy]

I used to have problems melting plastic lines touching the exhaust after some zipties kept breaking off. Decided to put stainless braided line from the cab forward. After that, haven't touched any of my air suspension in about 3 years.

[see ten]

Originally Posted by copperchevy

I used to have problems melting plastic lines touching the exhaust after some zipties kept breaking off. Decided to put stainless braided line from the cab forward. After that, haven't touched any of my air suspension in about 3 years.

I was unaware that braided stainless could be used. (of course I've never ran a bagged truck). It would seem to be a great alternative to rubber which can melt or easily be pinched/cut in two. I would also think that it would be a lot easier to run then a metal hard line. Anyone else have experience with braided hose for air lines? What does it run cost wise as compared to regular rubber air lines?

[MotorHead Lon]

Getting dirt in your compressor.

[HotRodYJ]

Originally Posted by see ten

I was unaware that braided stainless could be used. (of course I've never ran a bagged truck). It would seem to be a great alternative to rubber which can melt or easily be pinched/cut in two. I would also think that it would be a lot easier to run then a metal hard line. Anyone else have experience with braided hose for air lines? What does it run cost wise as compared to regular rubber air lines?

I'm planning on running copper lines for mine. I just don't like the idea of plastic lines for something as important as air in the suspension. Seems like to big of a risk to have a really reliable system. Espaecially if your truck lays frame and isn't drivable without air. Mine wont be laying frame, but it will be low enough that it wouldn't really be drivable except in a straight line on smooth level ground. I'm also thinking I'll install a block off valve and shrader valve for each corner so in event of air system failure, I can still get air in the bags and drive it home.

[MotorHead Lon]

Disadvantages can come from your own planning, or not planning. I had my compressor tank and solenoids on the frame under the cab. When the compressor died I had to reach under the truck, unhook a hose, hook up my airhose attatchment, get a portable compressor and air up the truck. No fun in the gravel at midnight. My solenoids are now under the hood, on the inner fender, like on AirRide Techs green shop truck. And I will be installing shrader valves.

[agent orange]

im running Hydralic lines througout the truck...

[shifty]

only downside i can think of is the lack of alignment. no matter how badass you think you are, once you lift/lower after getting aligned, you'll almost never manage to be in perfect alignment again. i think as long as it's "close", who cares though, right? benefits far outweigh the negs.

if you manage to pop your bag, i suppose that coule be bad as well. never heard of anyone being dumb enough to let their bags rub, though.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by shifty

only downside i can think of is the lack of alignment. no matter how badass you think you are, once you lift/lower after getting aligned, you'll almost never manage to be in perfect alignment again. i think as long as it's "close", who cares though, right? benefits far outweigh the negs.

The same could be true w/a static drop. I've had trucks that when you jack them up the spring doesn't seat properly in the pocket once they're set back down. It can effect the alignment as well (temporarily, but it can effect it).

if you manage to pop your bag, i suppose that coule be bad as well. never heard of anyone being dumb enough to let their bags rub, though.

There are many who feel a 'little' rubbing doesn't hurt the bag (like setting the bag in a lower control arm but the sides of the bag touch the pocket). I disagree & feel nothing should ever touch the bags, but I have only my limited experience w/my own truck.

[bedsled71]

my pressure switch went out and then my check valve didnt do the checking it was supposed to.. compressor wouldnt shut off so i had to hot wire it on and off.... and the air would backfeed through the compressor and messed that up... so i had to drive my truck at about 30 miles an hour with the control arms one inch off the ground for 200 miles

[BeerMonkeY]

only prob i had on my front only bagegd burb was letting my dad borrow the truck and putting a folding chair in the back and breaking off the line ot the gauge and him driving the truck 10mi witht e left front rubbing the fender

[oldspowered67C10]

The problem I had w/ mine was that they rode too soft. I suppose if you had alot of ground clearance it wouldnt be a problem but I had my crossmember about 2.5" off the ground and w/o bump stops it would drag the crossmember through dips and when I installed bumpstops it was always on the bumpstops when hitting bumps. I tried many differents shocks w/o much success so I eventually went to a static drop in the front and kept the bags in the back.

[lowrollin70gmc]

I also am running hydraulic hose, the shipment should be here this week, with swivel 90s on both ends. 2500 psi working pressure should hold my 150.

[baggedcten]

none really been daily driving my truck for about 3 years.I swithing to hydo hose also just for looks and better protection.
Agent orange what are you running out back a four link ??????????

[Dinos63]

best is not to cut corners and rig the stuff,use good parts and do a good job installing it,i see trucks with air bags and junkie work ,i wouldnt drive it .as far as the lines be smart use the dot line ( big rigs use) don't be a dope and run the lines the fasted way , run them smart ( not by hot things headers) clamp down the lines, and service the air ride system like the same time you change your oil,

[Dinos63]

here is one of my set ups

[HotRodYJ]

Anybody ever have problems with the DOT plastic lines, assuming of course they are used properly. I can't help feeling that once they get a couple of years old they would get brittle and start to crack and cause problems. Is this not the case?

This is why I'm thinking copper. Run them very very neat just like brake lines with good bends etc. Should NEVER have problems and it couldn't get any cleaner. You can't make a tight 90 bend with any kind of hose unless you put a fitting there and that's one more potential leak. Steel lines would work very well also, but an air system will always have water in it the best you can do. Copper wont rust and it's very easy to work with. But I have never done anything on bags before, this is my first time thru it. Just my thoughts.

[Shane]

DOT tubing is fine as long as you keep it away from extreme heat ... take a look at the brake systems on semi trailers sometime ... DOT plastic tubing. And they spend a lot more time on the road than any of our trucks ever will.

[see ten]

Big trucks also run the plastic tubing due to it being friendly to roadside repairs. Is the hydraulic hose much cheaper than the braided stainless? I bought some hydraulic hose a couple weeks ago for a trans cooler and the list price was close to $9 per ft. I don't remember how much they ended up charging me for it.

[lowrollin70gmc]

Originally Posted by see ten

Big trucks also run the plastic tubing due to it being friendly to roadside repairs. Is the hydraulic hose much cheaper than the braided stainless? I bought some hydraulic hose a couple weeks ago for a trans cooler and the list price was close to $9 per ft. I don't remember how much they ended up charging me for it.

My total investment in materials for hydraulic line is $70. My hydraulic hose was $.89/ft. It's not the nicest out there, but it will do fine for this application with crimped ends. (Working pressure 2250PSI and burst of 9000 psi) I ordered ends and hose online and will cut and bring to a local shop to crimp when I figure out the exact lengths I need (and pay to crimp it of course).

Along with swivel 90* fittings on the bag side and straight swivels on the valves, it is slightly more than push in fittings, but not by more than $20. I feel it will be a longer lasting system, as I currently have plastic, but the fittings leak on mine (I cheaped out the first time and used AIM industries).

[Tony@AirRideTech]

All of my stuff has been in since 98 and I now have over 225K on the clock... how is that for daily

[abadsvt]

In my opinion the biggest disadvantage of having air bags is the looking cool factor. I mean every where you go, you just look cool. You can't help it no matter how hard you try. It is a cursing and a blessing at the same time

Josh

[PrerunnerRob]

There is a place locally by my house called royal brass, and they have all kinds of line and fitting. I'm running a rubber/steel winding/woven fabric outer hose that has comression fittings that thread on. It's about 3 bucks a foot for 3/8, and the fittings aren't cheap, and it has to be cut with a metal chop saw. I'll see if I can find some pictures of it later.
With the copper lines, be sure the line is subject to no vibration, the fatigue life of soft drawn copper is very low.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

D.O.T line is good stuff and as long as it is used appropriately you will not have any failures with it. Keep it away from heat source, if you run throung a body panel, make sure that you grommet the hole. I would definitely run D.O.T. before I plumbed it in copper.... if you want to hardline it, I would suggest using seamless stainless tubing.

[copperchevy]

I've seen alot of trucks running copper lines that tend to leak alot since they are hooked up with pushin fittings. D.O.T plastic line with compression fittings have never given me any problems. Stainless braided line is expensive, but worth it. I paid around $110 for two 6ft lines with swivel fittings for my front end.