Air spring install

[brushogger]

I’ve been wanting to install some air stings on the rear axle so I can have some adjustability for varying loads. I have a 2004 e350 Quigley SMB. It looks pretty tight back there. It’s about 6” from the spring plates to the top of the frame. Any suggestions?




Most of the kits I see are for cab chassis drw.

[225]

That stopper that Quigley uses is strange. I'd think you would have to cut that off to install any air bag.

I bought a kit, and it didn't work for my lifted van. I plan on just building my own kit.

[brushogger]

I hope to find one that will work off the shelf since I no longer have a place to do any fabricating.

[carringb]

You do not want a "between the frame and axle" airbag kit. These limit travel so much, they make it terrible.

Instead, go with an outboard kit. You can use a double-convoluted airbag, and leave it "floating" so it isn't constrained. U-Joint Off-road sells the appropriate version as a kit. Or you can use the Firestone "Sportrite" tapered long-travel airbag kit. This one rides the best IMO, but doesn't tolerate driving deflated so you'd want onboard air with this kit.

[shenrie]

I have the sportrite kit. Easy install and they work well. Only suggestion is if you have rear air and heat to make sure that the lines do not touch the bag bracket at all. Took 4-5 years but just barely touching that bracket wore a hole through one of the hard lines. When that happens all your coolant ends up on the ground and they hold a lot of expensive coolant.

[UJOINT]

Originally Posted by carringb

You do not want a "between the frame and axle" airbag kit. These limit travel so much, they make it terrible.

Instead, go with an outboard kit. You can use a double-convoluted airbag, and leave it "floating" so it isn't constrained. U-Joint Off-road sells the appropriate version as a kit. Or you can use the Firestone "Sportrite" tapered long-travel airbag kit. This one rides the best IMO, but doesn't tolerate driving deflated so you'd want onboard air with this kit.

Thanks for the plug

Our kit won't work with a stock spring, needs more room, 6" lift.

[brushogger]

Thanks so much for all the advice guys!!! I’ll check out the sportrite kit.

[brushogger]

Originally Posted by shenrie

I have the sportrite kit. Easy install and they work well. Only suggestion is if you have rear air and heat to make sure that the lines do not touch the bag bracket at all. Took 4-5 years but just barely touching that bracket wore a hole through one of the hard lines. When that happens all your coolant ends up on the ground and they hold a lot of expensive coolant.

Thanks for the reply. Is your van a Quigley conversion? If so, could you post a pic or two so I can see what mods if any I need to make? Advice like this is why I love this forum.

[shenrie]

drivers side. note how close the lines are to the airbag bracket. when you install add some rubber or something so they can’t connect with the bracket. with enough dirt road travel they will eventually wear on the edge of the bracket.



passenger side.



it’s been a while since the install but I don’t recall having to do any mods. iirc, it was a bolt on affair other than the onboard air system we did at the same time.

oh, and yes my van was converted by quigley. in all honesty I’ll likely remove the airbags when I replace my worn out rear leaf springs.

[TomsBeast]

I took the Firestone Ride-Rite kit off my 1988 F350, and used it on my E350. My van is lifted with blocks, the way these mount, the airbag kit doesn't know the difference between stock height and lifted with blocks, as the lower bracket bridges the leaf spring plate. If I remember right, I had to drill some, but not all of the holes in the frame for the upper mount, maybe trim the body at the pinch weld seam with my grinder, everything else was cake.