Best way to deflate air bag suspension

[Nicka]

Leaf springs in truck I use to haul my bumper pull got weak and it was cheaper to put air bags in then replace I know what psi I run empty and was told to measure bumper height connect trailer and inflate to a pressure that restores that but when trailer disconnect is there an easy way to deflate back to the 9 lbs in there now without taking down past minimum ( 5 lbs)

 

[Believer45]

Take a tire gauge and listen closely as you use a key or screwdriver to let air out of the schrader valve. The sound changes as the pressure goes down, I can come within a couple lbs of pressure. I also carry a rechargeable air compressor to adjust the air bags on my 2011 Ram 2500.

 

[Nicka]

Take a tire gauge and listen closely as you use a key or screwdriver to let air out of the schrader valve. The sound changes as the pressure goes down, I can come within a couple lbs of pressure. I also carry a rechargeable air compressor to adjust the air bags on my 2011 Ram 2500.

I’m going to buy a digital cordless inflator that I can use my dewalt 20 volt batteries on I just want to make sure I don’t go too far letting out the air I was wondering if there was a type of guage that shoes psi as air being let out

 

[Believer45]

If you have a compressor no worries about going too low. Just let the air out until you think it sounds right and if you go too low air it up before you take off driving. As I said with practice you will probably be able to come very close airing down. Another thing you could do is plumb in an air pressure gauge on the air line going to the schrader valve and mount the gauge somewhere near the inflation valve. My thought on this is more connections and such in an air system give you more places for a leak to develop.

 

[Nicka]

If you have a compressor no worries about going too low. Just let the air out until you think it sounds right and if you go too low air it up before you take off driving. As I said with practice you will probably be able to come very close airing down. Another thing you could do is plumb in an air pressure gauge on the air line going to the schrader valve and mount the gauge somewhere near the inflation valve. My thought on this is more connections and such in an air system give you more places for a leak to develop.

Shop that installed mounted the 2 air valves where my licence plate screws are but no gauges were included but I have a dual tire guage I was wondering about putting it on and pushing the release valve to see if needle keeps registers pressure drops. Also for when I’m hauling loads in back of truck any guidelines on if you know weight ( say dumping a sister bucket into back of truck say 13000 lbs ) how much extra psi to add prior to dropping it in

 

[CharlesinGA]

Many tire gauges have a release button on them, so you can hold it on the stem and release the pressure down to what you want. Many tire gauges are not accurate or are only accurate at certain ranges. This video may help.

My motorhome had a set of add on air suspension bags made by 3-T's RV Products and it has two Schrader type fill valves, connected to the air bags by 1/4" air brake tubing and I just used a tire gauge to set the pressure on them.

Charles

 

[Derby6]

@OP. If you will use/adjust often on board air rocks. Garage door opener type controller showing PSI and you can adjust at will.
And it will auto inflate/deflate when in extreme temps altitude changes, etc.

 

[Nicka]

@OP. If you will use/adjust often on board air rocks. Garage door opener type controller showing PSI and you can adjust at will.
And it will auto inflate/deflate when in extreme temps altitude changes, etc.

Not that fancy of system no built in compressor no built in gauges but i appreciate the suggestion

 

[Derby6]

Tracking. You can likely add it is what I was thinking.

 

[kwplot34]

Install one of these and take the guess work out of it.

WirelessOne | Air Lift Company

Performance Air Suspension and Air Management

www.airliftcompany.com

 

[Onyrlef]

Leaf springs in truck I use to haul my bumper pull got weak and it was cheaper to put air bags in then replace I know what psi I run empty and was told to measure bumper height connect trailer and inflate to a pressure that restores that but when trailer disconnect is there an easy way to deflate back to the 9 lbs in there now without taking down past minimum ( 5 lbs)

Leaf springs are relatively cheap, you could also have them re-arched ( the heat method, cold re-arching won't last). Air bags are helpers to, not replacements for leaf springs. Otherwise you regulate the pressure in them same as you would a tire, only there's much less volume so the psi changes are rapid.

 

[Nicka]

Truck is older and design of it requires disconnecting hitch, gas tank and I believe they said rearend to get access to connection points. And all of the necessary bolts needed to do that corroded so time in labor would have cost more even if they didn’t break anything that’s why we went with airbag option

 

[RV_Lee]

Mine has bags and I cant get a reading with a mechanical old school style gauge, its like its not deep enough to hit the valve. Anyone run into this? I dont want to end up buying and returning a dozen gauges to find something that works

 

[workinonit]

Get yourself one of these. I made my own with a gauge and hose.

 

[Nicka]

I have found a digital inflator that I can set desired pressure that uses dewalt batteries I already own that way I set pressure I will soon determine I need for hauling trailer attach to valve stem and pull trigger and it cuts out at that point. for deflating im still working on that but for checking I was told get a dial style guage that is calibrated to show lower pressure. I am going to try if I use it when time to let extra air for load I had on and see if by holding the button that releases air in guage if guage still register as it’s dropping. 2 things I’m wondering where did they install the fill valves mine come through where I had screwed In my rear license plate and look just like tire valve stems. Also brother warned me when at low pressure ( mine about 9 lbs )for empty truck cold winter weather can easily drop that to below minimum ( 5 lbs) leading to bags being damaged so monitor closely when weather changes

 

[Onyrlef]

Mine has bags and I cant get a reading with a mechanical old school style gauge, its like its not deep enough to hit the valve. Anyone run into this? I dont want to end up buying and returning a dozen gauges to find something that works

Should be just an ordinary schrader valve. I'd look at changing the valve stems.