Hey Folks,

I'm finally getting around to cleaning up some of my loose ends with the truck, one of them being installing my viair pump and tank. My issue is I have Air Lift air bags with an onboard compressor and it no longer works.

I cant for the life of me figure out I can keep the bag pressures separate from the tank pressures. I thought about putting a T inline between the compressor, but I don't think that will work since if I fill the tank the bags will fill as well. I also wanted to be able to keep the Air Lift console in the truck since you can adjust each bag independently depending on how the bed/trailer is loaded.

Thanks for the help, I just cant wrap my mind around this.

Sarge

 

Install a regulator for the airbags somewhere with easy access with a pressure gauge so you know how much you have in the bags.

 

It is not necessary to have the bags independent because the leaf springs and rear sway bar keeps it inline, but is still possible with system I put together but would require additional valves and switch.
I bought 12v electric 1/4" npt. solenoids from Amazon. I plumbed 2 of them head to head to fill from the tank and one valve is a dump valve. So 3 valves to operate the bags. I also installed a momentary rocker on the dash to fill/empty the bags. It's been fantastic.
Airbag switch
Air supply manifold
In the pic above, main supply is connected on the far right fitting. The far left fitting goes to the airbags. Moving right, the first "T" goes to the dump valve. Then are the 2 feed solenoids back to back. The reason for 2 is because they hold pressure one way. The other 2 T's with fittings are for a remote air coupling and one for the air horns.
The solenoids are from Amazon and are affordable and been dependable. I even use one for my 91 gallon fuel tank in the bed since the solenoids are also diesel rated.
Air supply assembly
The whole unit is bolted to the underside of the bed to the bed crossmembers.

 

I like that idea,but I still can't grasp the back to back solenoids. I have the Rancho 9000 shocks on my truck and never hooked up the inside air pump. I know this could be incorporated into the system to work the adjusters as they use air pressure.

 

For the back to back solenoids: They only hold pressure one way, like a check valve. So think of it as one is for the tank side pressure and the second is for the bag pressure. When you fill the backs BOTH solenoids are activated to let the greater pressure into the bags. Both solenoids are wired in parallel, +'s to power and -'s to switch to activate.
To add, I did this incase the tank supply pressure is lower than bag pressure it won't bleed down. Also if I'm on the road and the compressor fails I won't lose the bag pressure. I also T'ed in a Schrader valve at the back bumper so I can manually fill them with a tire pump if I had to.

 

Ok, I understand that concept.But how do you bleed the pressure off from inside the truck.

 

Ok , never mind. I got it figured out. The 3rd solenoid is the relief. I'm having a brain fart today. Must be the meds.

 

You got it. The switch is a double pole double throw momentary, also from Amazon. Even the 150 psi Viair unit was from Amazon. The 1/4"npt pipe and fittings I got from either the big orange or blue store.

 

Smexy setup! Nice job, looks great! where's the train horns mounted?
Have to eventually go with an air bag system down the road. After the engine burns a $5k hole in my wallet first though. And then will have to upgrade to a LN alt & wiring first to help out the extra load from the plow & future compressor for air bags. My plow has toasted my front leaf springs, rather than replace, I prefer air bags. Guessing about $1k for a similar setup to yours?

 

I got the small triplets (again from Amazon, I have a problem lol) and mounted them in the passenger wheel well facing out the front near the tow loop. My camera is awesome and looks like I'm in a fog but it's all I got at the moment. U can barely see them and I used a pre-existing fender liner bolt to mount them and I tapped into the stock horn harness for activation. They are definitely loud and worth the effort. The last pic you can see them in the background. They were the best priced ones I could find and still be made of an alloy instead of plastic.

 

Sweet setup.

Do the train horns impact your ride height?

 

LMFAO
One heck of an alarm until the tank is empty, unless they clip the horn wires.

 

Thank-you.
There's 2 ways I can take that question.

A. Not at all, it's an FX4 with snow plow package.

B. Not at all, they draw from the tank and the solenoid valves keep the air pressure set in the bags even if I was to drain the tank completely. That's why the 2 valves back to back. No matter what the pressure differential is, the bags hold up independently from supply.

I labeled a pic below.

1. Manifold feed from tank
2. Air horn feed
3. Remote air chuck ( front stake pocket)
4. Airbag feed
5. Airbag bleed

 

Thank you Crew,

This helps a lot. My set up must be similar in a way, because my bags are plumbed to 2 gauges, and I also have a momentary switch and a bleed for each bag right in the cab. I installed this kit in 2006 when the truck was fairly new and I cant remember how it went together, now that the compressor is failed Id like to make it nice, especially with the kid and all her darn blow up toys for the beach and camping, I'm getting too old to manually blow those darn things up anymore.

Someone here shoulda told me that 39 is too old to be having babies!!

Sarge