What’s your daily driver and project vehicles?

[Duck]

Standard large suspension bolts. Similar to those used to hold the rest of the vehicle together...

I don't know the grade but they can hold the vehicle. That's their purpose.

Seriously an air shock prevents sag. It doesn't do anything more than the regular shock does, except compress less because it has air in it.

You can't tow more with them. Mndriver is overloaded no matter what. But if you put 700lbs of tongue weight as 10% of your truck's 7000lb trailer capacity, it'll keep that 700lbs level. That's all. It won't give your 7000lb rated vehicle the ability to suddenly pull 10000lbs. That isn't what they're for. Heck that isn't even what air bags are for.

The weight of the vehicle is not riding on those little shock absorber studs. It's riding on the springs. Transferring weight from the springs to the shock mounts is not a good idea.

What you're looking to do is level it while loaded. Well whatever is holding it level is bearing the payload.

My F-150 has air bags on top of the leaf springs for that. They're between the axle and the frame. Solid. The bags will explode long before they can damage anything on the truck.

 

[Ontario Outlaw]

The weight of the vehicle is not riding on those little shock absorber studs. It's riding on the springs. Transferring weight from the springs to the shock mounts is not a good idea.

What you're looking to do is level it while loaded. Well whatever is holding it level is bearing the payload.

My F-150 has air bags on top of the leaf springs for that. They're between the axle and the frame. Solid. The bags will explode long before they can damage anything on the truck.

Why do you have air bags on an F150?

 

[Electric Chicken]

Why do you have air bags on an F150?

I put 'em on mine too. Mostly to stop the big car hauler box from making it bounce/porpoise so much. Ideally I'd have a sway control/load leveling hitch too but I don't pull it that much or that far. Doesn't need to hold the load, but they put relatively soft shocks on it.

 

[Electric Chicken]

The weight of the vehicle is not riding on those little shock absorber studs. It's riding on the springs. Transferring weight from the springs to the shock mounts is not a good idea.

What you're looking to do is level it while loaded. Well whatever is holding it level is bearing the payload.

My F-150 has air bags on top of the leaf springs for that. They're between the axle and the frame. Solid. The bags will explode long before they can damage anything on the truck.

The vehicle bounces up and down on those shocks constantly. They're taking more than just the vehicle weight. They're taking it with velocity added. For YEARS.

You're gonna have to tell Monroe, Rancho, and everybody else that makes air shocks that they need to stop. And provide some charts showing what a horrible idea they are.

 

[Ontario Outlaw]

I put 'em on mine too. Mostly to stop the big car hauler box from making it bounce/porpoise so much. Ideally I'd have a sway control/load leveling hitch too but I don't pull it that much or that far. Doesn't need to hold the load, but they put relatively soft shocks on it.

So air bags or air shocks just stiffen the ride?

Are yer guys trucks on coils or leafs?

I assume yer navigator is on coils all 4 corners

 

[Electric Chicken]

So air bags or air shocks just stiffen the ride?

Are yer guys trucks on coils or leafs?

I assume yer navigator is on coils all 4 corners

Yeah it's all four coils. Meant for comfort not stability. But it's a cheap conversion from an expensive factory air ride setup.

My F-150 is on leafs. But not many of 'em. It's fine for normal driving, so I keep the bags aired down but it doesn't take a 24' box that well due to the aerodynamics.

 

[Bruces]

lol i like that you guys drive trucks as personal vehicles even when you're not at work..

 

[Electric Chicken]

lol i like that you guys drive trucks as personal vehicles even when you're not at work..

I have a couple cars too for that comfort reason. But the one car needs a head gasket at the very least and the new one is way too new to go anywhere near the filth of my job, yardwork, housework, or playing in the garage.

My vehicles, even trucks, are still hella comfortable compared to what I drive at work though.

 

[Ontario Outlaw]

Yeah it's all four coils. Meant for comfort not stability. But it's a cheap conversion from an expensive factory air ride setup.

My F-150 is on leafs. But not many of 'em. It's fine for normal driving, so I keep the bags aired down but it doesn't take a 24' box that well due to the aerodynamics.

Gotcha.

I'm not a huge fan of bumper pull trailers. I prefer a gooseneck. Puts more weight farther ahead and pulls a lot nicer, too. Turns better, too.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Gotcha.

I'm not a huge fan of bumper pull trailers. I prefer a gooseneck. Puts more weight farther ahead and pulls a lot nicer, too. Turns better, too.

Agreed. My car hauler is enclosed and I wasn't really thinking in terms of adding a fifth wheel hitch to my pickup at the time. Even on a half ton it's a better setup.

 

[Ontario Outlaw]

Agreed. My car hauler is enclosed and I wasn't really thinking in terms of adding a fifth wheel hitch to my pickup at the time. Even on a half ton it's a better setup.

I am definitely sold on wheelbase for towing. Way smoother ride and handling. Yes getting groceries or going to the mall can suck in a crew cab longbox.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I am definitely sold on wheelbase for towing. Way smoother ride and handling. Yes getting groceries or going to the mall can suck in a crew cab longbox.

Yep hindsight is 20/20. But I have what I have so I'm making it work.

If I use it more I'll get weight distribution/sway control, and probably even a nose cone for some aero help.

But I really only store tools and cars in it when it sits and fetch furniture and appliances when it's moving. Furthest I ever pulled it was 120 miles round trip.

Side roads and state highways aren't even a problem. It's the danged interstates with trucks blowing by that cause white knuckles.

Like a camper except lower and lighter.

 

[Ontario Outlaw]

Yep hindsight is 20/20. But I have what I have so I'm making it work.

If I use it more I'll get weight distribution/sway control, and probably even a nose cone for some aero help.

But I really only store tools and cars in it when it sits and fetch furniture and appliances when it's moving. Furthest I ever pulled it was 120 miles round trip.

Side roads and state highways aren't even a problem. It's the danged interstates with trucks blowing by that cause white knuckles.

Like a camper except lower and lighter.

I wasn't criticizing your set up. At least, I didn't mean to. Just to clarify

 

[Duck]

Why do you have air bags on an F150?

Because the guy I bought it from was a retard.

He was trying to pull a 30 foot camper with it and was getting a grinding noise.

So he had a friend who was only slightly less retarded drive it, and he said the noise was from the squatting suspension pushing the drive shaft into the back of the trans.

So they put the air bags on it but never used them because he bought a Suburban instead. Big family.

Anyway the grinding was actually the trans slipping.

Dude tried towing a 30 foot camper with an half ton with an automatic.

The vehicle bounces up and down on those shocks constantly. They're taking more than just the vehicle weight. They're taking it with velocity added. For YEARS.

You're gonna have to tell Monroe, Rancho, and everybody else that makes air shocks that they need to stop. And provide some charts showing what a horrible idea they are.

They don't take the beating. They are to prevent bouncing and seasickness. When you bottom out, the axle hits the rubber blocks before the shocks bottom out. Have you ever noticed that the shocks on an 18 wheeler aren't much bigger than the ones on a pickup? Do you think you can bounce 34,000 lbs on them? That's 8500 lbs on a single shock. Do you seriously think they hold up the vehicle?

lol i like that you guys drive trucks as personal vehicles even when you're not at work..

And you don't? Why not?

 

[mndriver]

lol i like that you guys drive trucks as personal vehicles even when you're not at work..

My wife and I camp. When we camp, we use actual canvas tents from medieval time period. Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. There's lots of hardware that goes with us. For two, the entire camp goes into the back of the pickup under the topper. It's full when we go camping.

In addition to that, I own my truck. I USED to have a toyota corolla for travelling to / from work. It made sense then. But trying to haul 4 brake drums, 4 sets of brake shoes and various other parts just don't quite work in a corolla like they do in a pickup truck.

I wanted a pickup with all 4 doors, 5.4L v-8 and a sun roof. I got lucky one day 5 years ago driving past a local dealer when I spotted this pickup. It sat there all of two hours before I bought it. While I was doing the paperwork on it, there were three others that wanted to buy it. Including a friend of the guy who traded it in. He was pissed. I told him a price I'd take. But he just started muttering stuff and left.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I wasn't criticizing your set up. At least, I didn't mean to. Just to clarify

Oh I know. I'm just sayin'. I wish I had a 5th wheel or goose rig. I don't think they make goose car hauler boxes though just open decks. All the boxes I saw were 5ers. So if I got a goose open deck I'd need two separate hooks.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Because the guy I bought it from was a retard.

He was trying to pull a 30 foot camper with it and was getting a grinding noise.

So he had a friend who was only slightly less retarded drive it, and he said the noise was from the squatting suspension pushing the drive shaft into the back of the trans.

So they put the air bags on it but never used them because he bought a Suburban instead. Big family.

Anyway the grinding was actually the trans slipping.

Dude tried towing a 30 foot camper with an half ton with an automatic.

They don't take the beating. They are to prevent bouncing and seasickness. When you bottom out, the axle hits the rubber blocks before the shocks bottom out. Have you ever noticed that the shocks on an 18 wheeler aren't much bigger than the ones on a pickup? Do you think you can bounce 34,000 lbs on them? That's 8500 lbs on a single shock. Do you seriously think they hold up the vehicle?

And you don't? Why not?

It's not the size it's the weight. You can pull a 30 foot camper as long as it's light enough to be under your vehicle's weight rating. A modern half ton can pull more than half tons from days gone by. And they do it more easily.

My truck is rated to tow 9200lbs. As long as my towed vehicle is that or under, it's fine. Just can't pack too much stuff in the pickup to go over my GCVWR.

Having said that, size can make it uncomfortable like my car hauler when there are wind forces.

 

[Duck]

It's not the size it's the weight. You can pull a 30 foot camper as long as it's light enough to be under your vehicle's weight rating. A modern half ton can pull more than half tons from days gone by. And they do it more easily.

Do you consider 1988 to be "days gone by"?

Mines a horrible year for automatics.

The AOD was the first 4 speed automatic they put in trucks and it's just not beefy enough.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Do you consider 1988 to be "days gone by"?

Mines a horrible year for automatics.

The AOD was the first 4 speed automatic they put in trucks and it's just not beefy enough.

Based on improvements made very recently I'd say yeah 88 is a bygone era for towing with a pickup.

Automatics in those days definitely didn't have the guts. Literally.

The 4R100 in my '98 Navigator is rated to handle 1000lb-ft of torque. It's beefy. I'm not sure what the transmission they put in the '15 F-150 is rated to but it's quick even with a load. Probably quicker than it should be. Empty box behind me, doesn't feel it. Car inside, feels it but it's like tow dollying. Navigator inside, it's back there but not as bad as you'd expect. And with my tools in with it, that's riding the edge of the 9200 rating.

 

[tommyh]

I have a 1992 F-150 Ford Pickup,and a 2006 Honda CRV.I usually split time in each one.
My wife drives a 2008 Lincoln MKX.I rarely drive it because my wife fusses if I smoke in it.