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Originally Posted by daveb
How do you air the bags?
Are there gladhands?
I would like to be able to monitor the air pressure like I do with my rear bags. I plan to first do a spring upgrade on the van and if I can utilize the bags switch them to the trailer.
Dave B.
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Dave,
The AT setup originally had airbags and shocks mounted separately. The current design is with the airbag surrounding the shock, as in a doughnut (airbag) with the shock in the center hole. As such, one cannot use any other airbag on the market.
I have shop air at home, and a portable Extreme Air in the van, so inflating the bags is not an issue. Actually, all one needs is to use a bicycle pump with a clip on (Schrader?) attachment to the valve stem. The pressure is not monitored, only the length (extension) of the bag (~4.75"). The bag is the spring preload. Setting it to the correct height lets the shock perform in its optimum range.
The SMB trailer leaf spring tries to do double duty for preload as well as dampening. Unfortunately, I believe that the load has to be pretty high before the (minimal) dampening part of the spring comes into play. If you add airbags to the trailer, the air pressure in the bags will probably not overcome the stiffness of the springs, so your trailer suspension will remain as stiff, if not stiffer. Now, if you take off or decrease the spring tension, it might work a bit better. But note that most springs have a linear range whereas a shock dampening is nonlinear. You will have to overcome some of the tendency to pogo.
Peter
Linear Mode
