86 K20-Considering Helper Springs

[cramezl]

My K20 has been a farm/feed truck for most of its life and it's been carrying a steel flatbed for the same amount of time. The rear springs are holding up fairly well, but I'm considering maybe a helper spring...or Timbrens? What do you squares use?

 

[HotRodPC]

Where you at in OK? City Spring over near I-40 and Council, I believe it is, can hook you up with whatever you want. There front door faces Reno, but you can see the back of their lot from I-40 Westbound.

What's the purpose of the spring? Are you wanting to increase the height? Carry more weight most of the time, or carry more occasionally? How much weight are you wanting to increase? Concerned about right comfort? Many things to consider when making a suggestion.

What I like for most situations, is overload leafs. They don't raise the height, they don't affect ride comfort and can usually increase capacity about 800-1000lbs. The thing about overload leafs, is they are there pretty much doing nothing, UNTIL, you got enough weight on the truck that it has dropped a couple inches and now the overloads start to takeover and help with the load. When you've that much weight on, ride quality isn't affected at all.

 

[cramezl]

I'm North of Tulsa in Bartlesville. I'm wanting something to help haul more occasionally. The truck is fine as it sits, but it will have the opportunity to pull some decent loads and I fear it will squat. My girlfriend has access to a couple of gooseneck horse trailers which I may have to move from time to time (less than 30 miles). Overloads may be just what I'm looking for.

 

[baclay9]

I have an Air lift AOL set up for 73-87 Chevy I need to sell. It comes with all the brackets, lines, gauges, and on board compressor. Includes everything. This is Brand new in the box. This way you could I crease load capacity when you need to. I am asking $375. I gave $475 for it.

 

[HotRodPC]

I have an Air lift AOL set up for 73-87 Chevy I need to sell. It comes with all the brackets, lines, gauges, and on board compressor. Includes everything. This is Brand new in the box. This way you could I crease load capacity when you need to. I am asking $375. I gave $475 for it.

ohhh ohhh ohhhh, You're local to Moore too. Haven't got the funds as of yet, I sure might be interested in it if you still have it when I do get the funds. Gotta sell this fuggin house in tornado ravaged Moore. I wonder how that would work on a 4x4 with 2-3 in lift blocks? I'm going to be putting an ARB air locker in the front axle that I got for real real real cheap. But, I don't have a compressor set up yet. I figured I'd get a set up like this, I have a 2 and a 3 gallon tank too. So I could use the compressor and a tank for Air Bags, Air Locker, and an air hose for air ups after leaving the trail. That's my goal anyway. I'm actually even working on an air ride seat since my back is jacked. Don't hold it for me, but sure check back if you haven't sold it. Do you by chance have a brand and model #?

 

[ScottyB]

Do you run your plumbing through a central manifold with shut-offs? I like this because it allows you to isolate a broke air line. You may not be pretty, but you can keep other things working until you can make a repair. If you blow a bag or air line to a bag you can isolate the leak and still be able to use your locker. Just a thought.

 

[MrMarty51]

I have an air bag setup in My 93 1500 4X4, I can hook to My trailer and pack some helasious loads with that setup.
It makes a big difference in the ride too since the bags is required to maintain 15 PSI at all times.
I sure do like Mine, even without the compressor.
Just wondering though, remember those air shocks that were so popular, they had the shocks hooked together with a T, hit a bump on one rear tire and the shock would shove air to the other side causing it to bump up just a little, forth and back until it settled or another pot hole was encountered with one wheel of either side ???

I did`nt hook My air bags together, I have two seperate schrader valves, just for the purposes stated above.

Now, the thing I am wondering about, if both airbags is hooked to one compressor, without some sort of a check valve system, would it cause the air bags to bump from one side to the other ???
I was thinking on installing two compressors, one for each side, then matching them, so they`d both be airing the bags equally, when needed, or to maintain the 15 PSI as required by the Firestone air bag company. I think it was Firestone.

Also. I have had the bags on My 1500 for over ten years and not a problem one.

 

[MrMarty51]

Do you run your plumbing through a central manifold with shut-offs? I like this because it allows you to isolate a broke air line. You may not be pretty, but you can keep other things working until you can make a repair. If you blow a bag or air line to a bag you can isolate the leak and still be able to use your locker. Just a thought.

The manifold/valve setup You describe might be the answer to My post to isolate each air bag.

 

[ScottyB]

Not saying air leaks are common on these setups. It's just one of those things I think about from too many years on the road with air ride and air brakes. There are now companies that make air isolation manifolds for class 8 trucks so you can limp to a shop when something breaks. Just seems like a good idea if you are going to have more than one system run off of air on your truck. Just my two cents.

 

[89Suburban]

Big rigs have all their air bags tied together. Only reason to keep them isolated is to control side to side leveling.

 

[ScottyB]

Big rigs have all their air bags tied together. Only reason to keep them isolated is to control side to side leveling.

You are correct. The after market isolation valve doesn't control leveling. It allows you to manually isolate a leaking bag. You would install one on the tractor and one on the trailer and but that ahead of all your airbags running each one individually through it's own shut off. If you've ever been along side the road with an airbag failure you would have no trouble seeing the value here. It may be overkill in a pickup but I love the idea for a big truck.

 

[MrMarty51]

You are correct. The after market isolation valve doesn't control leveling. It allows you to manually isolate a leaking bag. You would install one on the tractor and one on the trailer and but that ahead of all your airbags running each one individually through it's own shut off. If you've ever been along side the road with an airbag failure you would have no trouble seeing the value here. It may be overkill in a pickup but I love the idea for a big truck.

Kind of a long story so I`ll try to cut it short.
About 96, My Son was working for this jackass truck mechanics shop. There was a tanker that they were told to bring in empty, the brought it in loaded, over loaded at that, because they did`nt want to have to make a return trip back to the farm, about 30 miles, to load after the air bag was replaced.
This jackass, had the tanker setting on jack stands and a jack to help supprt the weight. My son was fresh out of High School, and so being young, He questioned the jack and stands, the owner of the business tol Him that all was secure. My son gets under there, with the wheels removed from the axle, to replace the airbag and that ******* truck slid on the stands and the jack rolled, pinned Him between the bags mounting and the third member of the differential. He had been in a fight and had His jaws wired shut, when He yelled, it snapped them wires. after they got Him from under the truck, they said, well, maybe We should have brought it in empty. fuggin ********.

 

[89Suburban]

Kind of a long story so I`ll try to cut it short.
About 96, My Son was working for this jackass truck mechanics shop. There was a tanker that they were told to bring in empty, the brought it in loaded, over loaded at that, because they did`nt want to have to make a return trip back to the farm, about 30 miles, to load after the air bag was replaced.
This jackass, had the tanker setting on jack stands and a jack to help supprt the weight. My son was fresh out of High School, and so being young, He questioned the jack and stands, the owner of the business tol Him that all was secure. My son gets under there, with the wheels removed from the axle, to replace the airbag and that ******* truck slid on the stands and the jack rolled, pinned Him between the bags mounting and the third member of the differential. He had been in a fight and had His jaws wired shut, when He yelled, it snapped them wires. after they got Him from under the truck, they said, well, maybe We should have brought it in empty. fuggin ********.

Holy phuck

 

[ScottyB]

Kind of a long story so I`ll try to cut it short.
About 96, My Son was working for this jackass truck mechanics shop. There was a tanker that they were told to bring in empty, the brought it in loaded, over loaded at that, because they did`nt want to have to make a return trip back to the farm, about 30 miles, to load after the air bag was replaced.
This jackass, had the tanker setting on jack stands and a jack to help supprt the weight. My son was fresh out of High School, and so being young, He questioned the jack and stands, the owner of the business tol Him that all was secure. My son gets under there, with the wheels removed from the axle, to replace the airbag and that ******* truck slid on the stands and the jack rolled, pinned Him between the bags mounting and the third member of the differential. He had been in a fight and had His jaws wired shut, when He yelled, it snapped them wires. after they got Him from under the truck, they said, well, maybe We should have brought it in empty. fuggin ********.

So your son owns the shop now due to the owners neglegence???

 

[MrMarty51]

So your son owns the shop now due to the owners neglegence???

OH NO, He walked out of there with His tools and left them phuckers high and dry, with a couple of other vehicles tor down, extensively. Said fuggum.