Suspension Tech General discussion of suspension for the Ford Ranger.

Rear helper bags

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Old 03-03-2010
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Rear helper bags

I carry alot of weight in my bed it's about a good 600lbs and the rear sags and when I tow a trailer with alittle of tong weight the rear looks ever worse I was thinking of going with air bag helpers instead of redoing the rear springs does anyone use bags on here and can give me there likes and dislikes
 
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Old 03-03-2010
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Try using punctuation and forming readable sentences.
Airbags would work fine for your application. The only real downside is that they generally don't allow full suspension travel if you take the truck off road a lot. Otherwise they are fine, and being able to adjust ride height is nice.

You could also look into add-a-leafs (adding another spring in the pack), or overload springs from hellwig or supersprings.
 
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Old 03-03-2010
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Brian, there are alot of people on this forum that can't spell or use proper grammer. Dont call this guy out...
 
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Old 03-03-2010
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^yea thanks LOL but yea the truck doesn't go off road at all.I even have hwy tires on it cause I'm always on the interstate.The reason I was thinking bags is cause when I empty the truck out it will be like stock again and If I do the springs I will always have a stiff ride in the rear.
 
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Old 03-03-2010
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air bags would be fine then
 
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Old 03-03-2010
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I agree, I would use airbags. I have several friends that use them on their trucks and love them.

I wasn't calling him out on grammar (I know I don't much much effort into mine on forums), just asking for some periods and commas so it was easier to read.
 
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Old 03-04-2010
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I would definately go with air bags. I have them on my truck and they work great. Extra capacity when I need it, smooth ride the rest of the time. Just make sure you route the air lines in a smart fasion or they will rub holes in the lines quick.
 
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Old 03-04-2010
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im running them on my f150 they work great.

as for the offroad aspect, it would have to be pretty extreme for them to limit flex.
 
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Old 03-04-2010
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if you do go that route

make sure you fabricate a brace between the 2 frame rails

the frame was not manufactured to handle that kind of side stress loads

i have already seen the damage those type of helper springs do

basically the frame snapped at the air bag mounting location ( driver side )

it was not a pretty sight of the aftermath
 
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Old 03-04-2010
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I bagged mine, Firestone sport-rite sleeved bags I believe they were. 60 psi with a 1400 lb camper and the truck sat 2" higher than stock in the rear! They are the single best mod I've done to my truck so far. You can get just the bags and manually inflate them as needed (gas station, or a compressor), however I installed a 12v compressor with the gauges and I'm happy I did, its a lot more convenient.

If you use your truck off road, then you will find that they limit the suspension somewhat. Rangers flex pretty well stock, it'll cut it down to about the same travel as most other stock trucks. If this is an issue for you, I can post some before and after pics. LR
 
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Old 03-04-2010
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Originally Posted by cheese_man
if you do go that route

make sure you fabricate a brace between the 2 frame rails

the frame was not manufactured to handle that kind of side stress loads

i have already seen the damage those type of helper springs do

basically the frame snapped at the air bag mounting location ( driver side )

it was not a pretty sight of the aftermath

even with bags, you should never go over the recommended weight for the truck. its there to help manage the load.
 
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