Firestone Air Bag System

[James Briar]

I had them installed on my 97 f350. $300 total. No big deal to air up with Lowes 120/12 portable comp. Punch in desired psi and it quits by itself. Did loose goose neck hitch though. Clearance problems said installer.

[PenJoe]

We have had Firestone Ride-Rites on our last 3 trucks and they have been exceptional. I have installed all three sets without having to jack up or remove anything except the joust bumper. The hardest part was finding the right socket size to remove the joust bumper. Each of these sets were installed with a valve on either side of the rear license plate. They are inconspicuous and especially convenient to adjust both sides to equal pressure. As others have said, there is very little volume of air between 10 lbs to 60 lbs pressure. Sixty lbs was the most I ever used with a fully loaded slide in camper.

As other have suggested, there is really no need for adjusting on the fly. You may avoid some grief by keeping it basic. If your rig is level, that's all you need. The average price for a set of Ride-Rites is in the range of $350 and you can find them cheaper. The only addition is a cheap tire pump and an air gauge. Firestone has maximized their designs to bear the weight between the axle and the frame while making DIY installation super simple. Go for it!!

[GSlone]

I too installed the air bags and heavy duty shocks. However I tow a trailer and not a fifth wheel so I am inclined to believe I did not need the air bags. My only grip is now my truck makes a lot of squeaky noices in the rear, like a rusty spring or something.

[silverback 35ts]

I have to say that if a shop is installing what you are stating here then it is about right as just the air ride ssytem is about $1000 just look at this site i quickly looked up (Leveling Compressor Kits - 4 Wheel Parts) and the full version 2 wireless set up is not cheap, it is the best but in all cases you pay for the best.
As for having the air bags they will help help if you are towing a heavy load so good luck with your choice
Happy Camping

[Carrier]

I installed Firestone bags on my F150 and had them hooked together with a T fitting and truck would roll in sidewind. Took the T fitting out and manually filled bags and that got old real fast. Bought a Airlift 7000 wireless and it is awesome.

You have to decide if you can do it yourself or need to get someone else to. But like others have said I really recommend that you go with either the Firestone compressor kit or the Airlift.

[ferguson65]

I've had bags installed on my dually for 2 years now. It just rode miserable loaded heavy without. I've had the Airlift WirelessAir sitting in a box for nearly 2 years and just finally installed it last month. It is MUCH nicer to be able to control the bags from the cab, as opposed to having to air them up with the bike pump or compressor. Last trip I forgot to reinflate the bags when we left, just push a button and done out on the road once I realized that's why the ride was rougher than normal. I always air the down once the trailer is dropped or the unladen ride quality suffers. I've got airlift 5000 Ultimates with the jounce bumper so I don't worry about residual pressure, and mine are hooked to an upfitter switch so I can kill the entire system. $1300 install on my setup would be a bargain......................I've got a lot of hours invested in a clean, weathertight install.

[moondog2000]

I almost bought Firestone until someone told me about Helwig airbags. Less than $300 and I installed them myself. Very heavy duty, my model is for the 1500 and the 2500. The only difference is the air pressure. 50 psi for 1/2 ton and 100 psi for the 3/4 ton. These are the same bags semi's and buses use and I will pump them up to 100 psi if I need to.

[bobfa]

Having a bike pump on hand like someone said is really all you need, I put 45 psi in mine with my 12500 lb loaded 5th wheeler. Unhitched for a long while I would take them down to 10 psi, but otherwise don't mind the stiffer ride. Like tires, the bags lose about 5 psi over a month. It would be cool to press a button while your running to adjust for road conditions but not for the extra money... and something else that can break potential.

[ColoradoRick]

Thanks, again, everybody. One thing I may not have mentioned is that my Tundra doesn't have the leaf springs (just shocks in the rear) so my first choice, the StableLoads, is not an option.

This is my big winter project so I have a few months to decide but, right now, I'm leaning towards the whole kit since those who have it constantly say they are "awesome" But I'm bringing the Tundra in for an oil change to the dealer in a week or so and I'll check in with their parts department to see what kinds of options they offer. (I purchased the bed cover from my dealer that's four very sturdy panels that are easy to lift up and are also removable which is awesome!! It's also almost completely water/snow proof.)