450 air bag preference?
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Joined: Nov 2015
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From: Fort Worth
450 air bag preference?
I’ve got a 2020 450 and was looking at air bags . Any preferences out there . I see some 5000k and 7500k ratings . I have no experience with them so I’m open for suggestions. I have a 5thwheel that I pull with a gooseneck hitch . I’m at around 3800 -4200 pick weight on a 40’er .
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cwtex
I went with firestone riderite 5K bags and an airlift wireless air on board compressor for my 2020 F-450. I have a Montana 399, which is a 40'er, not sure what the hitch weight is but I suspect its in the same ball park. I had the same set up on my 2012 F-350 SRW and ran at 50/55 PSI when towing, with the F-450 I'm only running 15 PSI. When not towing I lower it all the way to 5 PSI.
I went with firestone riderite 5K bags and an airlift wireless air on board compressor for my 2020 F-450. I have a Montana 399, which is a 40'er, not sure what the hitch weight is but I suspect its in the same ball park. I had the same set up on my 2012 F-350 SRW and ran at 50/55 PSI when towing, with the F-450 I'm only running 15 PSI. When not towing I lower it all the way to 5 PSI.
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I just installed the airlift 5000 with the stainless lines and an onboard compressor. I really wanted to go with the 7500 but it didn't come with the internal jounce bumper. When I first started researching this, I didn't care if it had the jounce bumpers but then I read that you have to remove the factory jounce bumper. If you don't have a jounce bumper and not enough air in the air bags you can do permanent damage to the air bag.
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Texas
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This. The last dually (‘15 F-350) I put airbags on were nothing but trouble. Let your suspension do its job.
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What problems did you have?
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Texas
They would not stay in place. The lower bracket around the bottom of the axle tube would keep slipping out. This was the first truck I had them on, and the last.......unless they are factory installed; therefore under factory warranty
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Joined: Nov 2015
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From: Fort Worth
I forgot to mention I have the GenY 5thwheel to gooseneck hitch with the torsion flex . It seems to do a pretty good job . I have about 2- 2.5 “of squat on the rear suspension. Front axle seems to stay about the same . I thought air bags might bring the rear up and help cushion the ride a little more . I’m not saying it’s bad now except going over those dreaded bridge expansion joints . If I do add air bags it will have the internal bump stops . I think they now make the 7500 with it .
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Before experimenting with air bags you might want to consider upgrading your rear shocks first. Bridge joints were my biggest complaint on my F450 when loaded. The shocks I took off were shot and your truck is new enough that yours shouldn't be as bad, but the Fox 2.0s I put on improved those loaded impacts 100%.
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Another vote to avoid adding air bags if it can at all helped.
Especially on the newer boxed frames that are stiffer in cross section as a frame unit, but thinner in material wall thickness, which is the bolting surface where the dynamic loads borne by the air bags transfers to, through the air bag's bracket bolted to that thin box tubing wall. (Unless the aftermarket bracket designs have changed.)
Given that the truck itself is already an F-450, I agree with @99150 , let the truck's suspension do its job. Might as well take full advantage of all the engineering that was purchased with the price of the truck.
Especially on the newer boxed frames that are stiffer in cross section as a frame unit, but thinner in material wall thickness, which is the bolting surface where the dynamic loads borne by the air bags transfers to, through the air bag's bracket bolted to that thin box tubing wall. (Unless the aftermarket bracket designs have changed.)
Given that the truck itself is already an F-450, I agree with @99150 , let the truck's suspension do its job. Might as well take full advantage of all the engineering that was purchased with the price of the truck.
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