Does anyone know if there is a difference in the frame on a 2005 Ex vs other years? I'm pretty sure the answer is no. I tried installing an Airlift Load Lifter 5000 Ultimate air bag system on the rear yesterday and encountered an issue with bracket fitment on the driver side. The kit is 88340 and with it I ordered a level 2" spacer as I have the ATS mod C springs in the rear and I ordered the stainless upgrade kit.
The issue is the top bracket which attaches to where the stock jounce was and on the side of the frame where one of the parking brake cable hold downs is located. If you just take the upper bracket (not attached to the spring assembly and slide it up against the frame the hole in the upper bracket can not get up high enough to line up with that hole in the frame to put the parking brake cable hold down bolt back through. What I eventually ended up doing after about 6 hours of frustration was to grind down about 1/4" off the top of the bracket where it contacted the frame and on that same side of the bracket used the grinder to deepen the slot for the frame lip by another 1/4". Sorry I didn't get any pictures , I hope my explanation was clear enough. Anyone else encounter this problem?
Going out in a little while to start the passenger side and hope I don't have the same issue but a quick comparison of the brackets and frames on both sides last night tells me I will....and I get to do this in the snow that's falling again...yay.

 

Picture of the upper bracket on the passenger side. Is it supposed to make the top of the air bag sit at that angle? The frame lip is level across this area directly above the axle but with the upper bracket having one low side and one high side it cants the top of the air bag.

 

I just went out and stuck my head under my truck to look at mine. Keep in mind my wheels are on, so I don't have a 100% clear view of my install. It does look like the top of my bag has a slight can't, as yours does. But it also looks like the bottom has a very slight cant also (virtually matching). I can say that my install was completely straight forward and all holes / brackets lined up great with no unusual drilling or grinding on anything. As far as the slight cant forward goes.... I don't see how it will be a problem ?? And there shouldn't be any difference between an 05 frame and my 01 frame.

 

Thanks IMASAP. Here's how it looks now after everything was tightened down. Even more of a can't at top. When I did the passenger side the very last thing I did was to attach to the perch (like the directions stated, duh). So I think I will need to call airlift and see if it's possible to order a replacement driver side upper bracket that I cut with a grinder.

 

Is there an existing hole in the frame for the top mounting bolt to go through or do you drill one? That looks crazy.

 

 

Thanks SmackDaddy. I didn't have to drill any holes for the top brackets as stated in the instructions . Drivers side uses one of the parking brake cable hold down bolts and the passenger side uses the same hole but empty on that side since the cable only runs on drivers side. Wished Airlift would put out specific videos to each installation type instead of a generic one. I keep wondering if I have the right kit but it matches what their website calls for.

 

I put the “regular” bags on mine (not the Ultimate). But I would think the install and brackets would be identical. Here are pics of mine from the rear. Stock springs with RAS.

 

I don't remember any issues like that when I did my buddy`s 05? Of course this was back in 06. but I believe they bolted right on with no issues. Those pics don`t look right. I know the axle is on an angle, but that seems excessive!

 

jasoncw, do you have a picture of the bag from the outside looking at the frame? That's where I can see how tilted looking the upper bracket is. Thanks.

 

 

I can't speak for the springs you have (I have the V/Modded B springs), my bags have no issues with lining up. Those bags are seriously at a weird angle. If the lower "wings" of the bracket (that ride on the bottom of the frame) were different, would the top hole then line up? If so, then I'd think maybe they didn't make the brackets correctly.

Those do NOT look right.




AirLIft is a vendor/sponsor on the site, have you reached out to them?

 

Any possibility you mistakenly have the right side bracket on the left and vise-versa ?

 

Here are a few pictures of mine. 2WD, so the lower perch is different. Seems like they only fit one way.

 

Was on the phone with Airlift for about an hour yesterday to no avail. I didn't mix up the brackets. The directions are clear as to which is driver side and which is passenger side. I explained to them that the way the upper brackets are designed there is a high side and a lower side where the notches in the brackets engage the lower lip of the frame. They agreed this is correct. Then I told them that if you slide up the bracket to the bottom of the frame and fully seat the frame lip in the grooves on the bracket it has to by its very nature cause the fastened bracket to sit at an angle yet they, as some of you have stated, doesn't look right. The engineer that designed this was out yesterday and they told me to call back today.