I have the RAS already and love it but also have a pair of Ride Rites Airbags sitting on my bench that I got free. Is it worth having both? Is anyone running both?

Thanks for the replies.

Nate

 

Ras is an anti wrap device and the bags are a spring helper so if you do heavy towing I would definitely throw them in.

 

No, you can't use them together. And you are only 375 miles away from me. I'll come get them...

What are you towing? That will make the decision for you.

 

I tow multiple snowmobile trailers up to 35 feet and a 23 foot Master Craft. I usually have the EX FULL of gear and people while doing these activities also.

 

I'm sure you can use them together...although I'm not sure what you will be adding actually.

Does the rear of the Ex squat excessively (like more than 3" or something)?

The RAS is a variable rate spring that 'assists' the rear leaf springs.

I tow a 9000# travel trailer that puts 1100-1200#'s of tongue weight on the rear axle. My rear axle is right at the GAWR of 5250#'s...I have no issues with excessive squat...now...if you aren't using a weight distribution hitch like I am...well that could be it.

Also if you aren't...you may want to look at the receiver ratings...if you are over 500#'s of tongue weight...Ford requires the WD hitch to let you go up to the 1250# (or 1000#) rating on your receiver.

Again...you can probably use both...but if you need both...I suspect you are way overloaded on your rear axle which is the real problem you should be solving...just some thoughts.

joe.

 

RAS doesn't assist the rear springs in the form of load carrying capacity and is mostly an anti wrap device. The air bags would be beneficial to someone who does heavy towing because they do assist the springs in the form of sharing the burden, therefore it would be a great combination for heavy towing.
http://www.activesuspension.com/videos.html see the video; RAS in action. Hemi guy does have more experience with towing than I do though so this is just my 7 cents (inflation).
But wait! The OP never mentioned towing so OP, if you don't tow just pack them up and send them to me and I will dispose of them properly.

 

From their website: "When towing a boat, trailer, camper or other heavy equipment, Roadmaster Active Suspension adds strength to the rear leaf springs while absorbing the increased load. "

 

I have Landyot Radius Rods to eliminate axle wrap and Firestone airbags to level the load. I tow a 6X12 dump trailer and sometimes it is not loaded correctly (too much tongue weight) at the materials outlet. So I get out the little portable air compressor and inflate the airbags to level the load. Works great.

DSMMH

 

Thanks Monsta...I'm not sure how the RAS couldn't add rear spring capacity with where it is located and the physical attachment of the spring.

The physics involved with how the RAS is mounted by assisting the leaf springs to 'resist' flattening...the way I think about it the only way the leaf springs are more resistant to flattening is to have more capacity. It is basically an add a leaf but in a torsionial spring mounting position horizontal to the ground.

The difference for me is that they are totally PASSIVE meaning that I do not have to pump up the RAS to add height to the Ex...as I drop more and more load on the rear of the Ex...the combination of the RAS and stock leaf springs takes up the load.

FWIW...it is my opinion that you actually WANT some squat in the rear of your truck to engage/load the deeper springs in the spring pack...placing hard airbags in the equation...you are essentially riding more on the air bags than the springs.

When I load up with fire wood and other camping gear in the rear of the Ex and then drop 1100#'s of tongue weight...I get about 1.5-2" of squat...and to me that is a perfectly acceptable reaction to the load.

The method DSMMH took to eliminate wrap and add spring capacity (i.e. landyots and air bags)...I fulfilled with the RAS and with all the care free miles I've towed...I can say that my setup is incredibly stable...so my thinking is my $240 for the RAS was worth it to me...but there are lots of ways to skin a perverted cat!

My opinion still stands...I'm not sure what the benefit is of RAS and Air Bags unless someone is seriously overloaded...

Joe.

 

I agree. With the air bags, you can adjust the "tension" by adding or removing air. But since the OP already has the RAS, there is no reason to add air bags. Loading the Ex to the point of requiring the air bags may already exceed the GAWR?

A peeping tom cat!

 

On the video; RAS in action, on the RAS website , they say they don't add to carrying capacity, they give a better ride, they keep the arch in the spring, they don't affect the ride, they lean less on with a load, ect, which is all contradictory. They are like a president running for office, they say whatever sounds good at the time. It will affect the ride if it stiffens the front arch section at at all. It's like the hype on expensive shocks; all they can possibly do is give you a rougher rider and possibly last a bit longer. Look at the ras in the video; it is almost on the same plane as the front leaf section and it appears to give some assist for the load but is mostly a wrap device. Load assist=rougher ride, no way around it. Probably not enough to notice much though.

 

If if you take time to listen to most of all they say they start to talk in circles and leave your head baffled.

 

I agree with you plus you, a little help with the load and the added benefit of the anti-wrap action.

 

Hype or not, they work and the ride isn't noticeably rougher when empty and it's much better when towing. GREAT towing mod that doesn't affect daily driving when not towing.

 

I agree they do not add capacity because theoretically capacitiy is determined by the factory not anything you add to your truck, so that is basically said for legal reasons if nothing else. What they do is reduce the amount of deflection which is really the goal of the air bags I would think. I have the RAS and tow a 35 foot 10,000# trailer and have found the deflection to be less than two inches. I have thought about air bags but I haven't really felt the need myself.

Ryan