Firestone Ride-Rite Oddity
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More Turbo
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 677
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From: Ontario, Canada
Firestone Ride-Rite Oddity
Ok, so I installed a set of ride-rites a while back and I have been noticing something rather odd. perhaps some of you could chime in... So anyway I do not have on board air and simply air the bags individually from the license plate area. I set the bags to 12psi (I am unloaded) and after a week or so, I go to check them and the pressure has increased to anywhere from 15-18psi 
Also, I hooked up the trailer for the first time today and inflated the bags to 60psi (after the trailer was connected) and after a short haul, I unhooked the trailer and checked the pressure in the bags and they were at 45 psi!
Has anyone else encountered this? This seems rather unusual.
Also, I hooked up the trailer for the first time today and inflated the bags to 60psi (after the trailer was connected) and after a short haul, I unhooked the trailer and checked the pressure in the bags and they were at 45 psi!
Has anyone else encountered this? This seems rather unusual.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 5
From: Maryland
I can offer a few observances. If you air the bags up with a load on them and then check the pressure with no load, the pressure is going to be lower. With 10 psi in my bags empty, it will read 40-45 psi after I hook up to the fifth wheel with over 3,000 lbs pin weight. Most truckers with air suspension can give you a pretty good ballpark idea of what their gross weight is based on their air pressure to maintain ride height. It is just the simple math of lbs per square inch pressure times the surface area of the airbag.
The second thing I can attest to is that temperature affects pressure. Your variance would require a 30 to 60 degree temperature differential, but it is very possible especially given the proximity of the right airbag to the exhaust. I will also add that most tire gauges are not accurate enough to worry about a 3-4 psi difference.
The second thing I can attest to is that temperature affects pressure. Your variance would require a 30 to 60 degree temperature differential, but it is very possible especially given the proximity of the right airbag to the exhaust. I will also add that most tire gauges are not accurate enough to worry about a 3-4 psi difference.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 508
Likes: 0
I can offer a few observances. If you air the bags up with a load on them and then check the pressure with no load, the pressure is going to be lower. With 10 psi in my bags empty, it will read 40-45 psi after I hook up to the fifth wheel with over 3,000 lbs pin weight. Most truckers with air suspension can give you a pretty good ballpark idea of what their gross weight is based on their air pressure to maintain ride height. It is just the simple math of lbs per square inch pressure times the surface area of the airbag.
The second thing I can attest to is that temperature affects pressure. Your variance would require a 30 to 60 degree temperature differential, but it is very possible especially given the proximity of the right airbag to the exhaust. I will also add that most tire gauges are not accurate enough to worry about a 3-4 psi difference.
The second thing I can attest to is that temperature affects pressure. Your variance would require a 30 to 60 degree temperature differential, but it is very possible especially given the proximity of the right airbag to the exhaust. I will also add that most tire gauges are not accurate enough to worry about a 3-4 psi difference.
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More Turbo
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 677
Likes: 118
From: Ontario, Canada
OK, I get what you guys are saying... but my question is then why are tires not the same? I put 80psi in my tires before hooking up and I still get a reading of 80psi after the trailer is hooked up. Why do the air bags function differently?
The temperature fluctuations make sense as well as I know tire pressures increase as the tires heat up. the bag closest to the exhaust has less pressure difference than the driver side bag?
The temperature fluctuations make sense as well as I know tire pressures increase as the tires heat up. the bag closest to the exhaust has less pressure difference than the driver side bag?
More Turbo
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Rob
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Tuned
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Las Vegas
Just for my understanding, because I do not get this either. If the air bags adjust in pressure based on weight I would also think the tires would. I could see how air volume would come into play, the more area the less effect, but if the air bags jump up in PSI when loaded you would think that the tires would jump up as well, with the OP trailer he is adding over 2000 lbs of weight to the back tires.
Would a spare tire that has no weight at all jump up in PSI when a load is put on?
I have always checked my tire pressure before hooking up, so before any weight is added. if I am doing this backwards I need to know before I create a problem. If you guys are correct I have been wiping before I poop, which just don't make sense.
Leon
Would a spare tire that has no weight at all jump up in PSI when a load is put on?
I have always checked my tire pressure before hooking up, so before any weight is added. if I am doing this backwards I need to know before I create a problem. If you guys are correct I have been wiping before I poop, which just don't make sense.
Leon
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,598
Likes: 5
From: Maryland
If the air bags adjust in pressure based on weight I would also think the tires would. I could see how air volume would come into play, the more area the less effect, but if the air bags jump up in PSI when loaded you would think that the tires would jump up as well, with the OP trailer he is adding over 2000 lbs of weight to the back tires.
Would a spare tire that has no weight at all jump up in PSI when a load is put on?
I have always checked my tire pressure before hooking up, so before any weight is added. if I am doing this backwards I need to know before I create a problem. If you guys are correct I have been wiping before I poop, which just don't make sense.
Leon
Would a spare tire that has no weight at all jump up in PSI when a load is put on?
I have always checked my tire pressure before hooking up, so before any weight is added. if I am doing this backwards I need to know before I create a problem. If you guys are correct I have been wiping before I poop, which just don't make sense.
Leon
As far as wiping first goes, that would be one time where a preemptive strike has no merit!
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
Dang - can't give you reps for that last line !!!!
I'd try to keep it simple
had separate fill points at the rear license on the 2012 and noticed differences because the truck weighs a bit different if I'm alone or I have 400 lbs of passenger or bed 'stuff' on one side !
guess at a starting point and then adjust as need be... all you have to do then is just do it the same each time...
measuring before or after loading doesn't matter, it's what you set it at for each stage ... 10 psi before loading every time or 50 psi after loading every time... whatever floats your boat, er, ah, rv !
and each one of us has a different setup and needs so a guesstimate as a starting point is all you can have...
I set mine air bags to 45 psi.. but I may have to go up or down depending on the roads and loads why I like the WirelessONE in cab compressor remote !
I'd try to keep it simple
had separate fill points at the rear license on the 2012 and noticed differences because the truck weighs a bit different if I'm alone or I have 400 lbs of passenger or bed 'stuff' on one side !guess at a starting point and then adjust as need be... all you have to do then is just do it the same each time...
measuring before or after loading doesn't matter, it's what you set it at for each stage ... 10 psi before loading every time or 50 psi after loading every time... whatever floats your boat, er, ah, rv !
and each one of us has a different setup and needs so a guesstimate as a starting point is all you can have...
I set mine air bags to 45 psi.. but I may have to go up or down depending on the roads and loads
why I like the WirelessONE in cab compressor remote !
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 20,169
Likes: 16,002
From: Wisconsin
While I know that I will not cover all the technical aspects to everybody's satisfaction, I will take a crack at this. A tire inflated to its full rated 80 psi will not increase in pressure when loaded because that is the pressure at which the tire is designed to carry its full load capacity. If you are not overloading the tire, you should not see an increase in pressure. The airbag (at least Firestone) reaches full capacity at 100 psi. If you only have 10 psi in the bag and the load that you apply requires 50 psi, the bag is going to compress until the internal pressure is high enough to support the load or in our application here, a combination of internal pressure increase and the truck springs supporting some of the load. If you start with 100 psi in the airbag and only apply 50-80% of its rated load, you will not experience a pressure increase in the bag.
As far as wiping first goes, that would be one time where a preemptive strike has no merit!
As far as wiping first goes, that would be one time where a preemptive strike has no merit!
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 374
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas
While I know that I will not cover all the technical aspects to everybody's satisfaction, I will take a crack at this. A tire inflated to its full rated 80 psi will not increase in pressure when loaded because that is the pressure at which the tire is designed to carry its full load capacity. If you are not overloading the tire, you should not see an increase in pressure. The airbag (at least Firestone) reaches full capacity at 100 psi. If you only have 10 psi in the bag and the load that you apply requires 50 psi, the bag is going to compress until the internal pressure is high enough to support the load or in our application here, a combination of internal pressure increase and the truck springs supporting some of the load. If you start with 100 psi in the airbag and only apply 50-80% of its rated load, you will not experience a pressure increase in the bag.
As far as wiping first goes, that would be one time where a preemptive strike has no merit!
As far as wiping first goes, that would be one time where a preemptive strike has no merit!
Thanks again.
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