Load leveling airbags

Mustang2Ranger

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I was theorizing that if I raised the rear under load (functionally stiffing spring rate) and put more weight onto the front that the tail wouldn't wag the dog quite as much. I also thought combining this with E-rated 10 ply tires would also aid in reducing the squirrely-ness.
I think that actually may help - Just my .02, other opinions may differ. By increasing the height of the rear it changes the fulcrum point. Also, if you have the A/T tires and not the LT currently, you may want to try a regular LT first before going to 10 ply which is heavier.

I've also found that riding with more weight redistributed to the bed (not to exceed capacity, I scaled mine) helps keep the truck planted
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I think that actually may help - Just my .02, other opinions may differ. By increasing the height of the rear it changes the fulcrum point. Also, if you have the A/T tires and not the LT currently, you may want to try a regular LT first before going to 10 ply which is heavier.

I've also found that riding with more weight redistributed to the bed (not to exceed capacity, I scaled mine) helps keep the truck planted
It's physics there is no opinion.
Adding air bags or HD springs to raise the rear has very little effect on the weight distribution. The weight distribution is determined by the truck wheel base and the distance from the rear axle to the hitch ball.
A WD hitch adds a moment (torque) that attempts to re-distribute the weight among all axles. The tighter the spring bars the more weight is transferred from the truck rear axle to the front, this reaction is countered with increased weight onto the trailer axles.
 

DT444T

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Nope, I have the Equalizer hitch. No chains.

With that said, once the tongue is lowered onto the ball the bars are pretty much under tension, and the subsequent squat after that only adds to the tension - so functionally even with bags raising the rear to return to "level", my load leveling bars are still in play, just not as much.

I don't think it's that much of an issue for me. I'm only curious about them due to the fact that at max towing weight, this light truck with a narrow wheel base is a little squirrely. I was theorizing that if I raised the rear under load (functionally stiffing spring rate) and put more weight onto the front that the tail wouldn't wag the dog quite as much. I also thought combining this with E-rated 10 ply tires would also aid in reducing the squirrely-ness.

It could be that there's really just no way to over come the fact that my truck is 3k lbs lighter than the trailer with a narrower wheelbase and that this is as good as it gets.
I'm confused then. Do you have pics of your WDH setup? I can just go one link tighter on mine to increase the amount of tension and therefore weight distribution. My truck rides level with my WDH on.

This is what mine looks like: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71BsqGaIU0L._AC_SL1500_.jpg


Does yours look like this? https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71u4iSIkptL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

If so, then adjust the brackets up. My truck barely squats at all when I pick the jack up. And with my friction sway bar it tows great. Granted I am towing lighter than you but I've been in some pretty decent winds and it's super stable.
 
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So I tried the Firestone RideRite springs. Unfortunately, they did not fit on my truck. The bracket is not wide enough to fit over the bumpstop pad on the spring. I didn't want to modify the truck so I returned that kit.

I don't want to run the APG HD Deavers as the truck is completely unloaded 99% of the time. I also didn't buy the Ranger to tow, so it's not its primary purpose.

I might try the AirLift setup at some point in the future, but for now I will pull the trailer with my Cayenne.
 

Sashimi_Moto

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Does yours look like this? https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71u4iSIkptL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

If so, then adjust the brackets up. My truck barely squats at all when I pick the jack up. And with my friction sway bar it tows great. Granted I am towing lighter than you but I've been in some pretty decent winds and it's super stable.
That one. To adjust those brackets requires all the nuts/bolts to be undone on each side, pulled apart and reassembled into the new positions - doing that every time I switch between my Motorhome and Truck ain't worth it and the adjustment to that point wouldn't equally applicable to each.

This isn't really a priority for me to solve. The truck only tows the trailer to local tracks or to the dyno. The RV pull the trailer the long distances. If I knew I had to tow a 100+ miles more than once - I would have already started buying things.
 


DT444T

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Oh ok. Understood. When I take my trailer to the track nearby it's less than an hour each way and I don't bother with the WDH either.
 

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I’ve had airbags on all my previous trucks, to help with load leveling. The last truck was a 2016 f150, and I installed a on board compressor to allow the bags to be filled on the go. While it was a handy feature, I was tired with leaks and line failing at -40C. I decided to try an alternate route with the Ranger, since I hav a fibreglass camper shell, there’s already extra weight on the truck, I went with SumoSprings. I ended up modifying them by cutting the first “rib” off them, to prevent them from always being engaged during unloaded driving. I’m really happy with how they’re working, and they’re soft enough to not cause an annoying or harsh ride now. I tow a 6000lbs flat deck car hauler, and a 4800lbs camper, both with a WDH. I’d go this route again. I plan to use shackles to lift the rear when I do the Eibach coil overs up front.
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