Using Weight Distribution With Air Suspension on 2000 Ford F350

Question:

Hello, I just bought a Curt Trutrack weight distribution for you guys. My truck is a 2000 Ford F350 crew cab diesel with a firestone airbag system. Im Getting ready to install the weight distribution hitch and have a few questions on how to use it with air bags. And also a question on using the WDH with a loaded and unloaded truck bed. According to the curt instruction is says to bring air system to lowest setting and then install WDH. Then says nothing about what to do with the air bags after installation and if a loaded truck bed will change the WDH. When I go pull my trailer sometimes my truck bed will be heavily loaded and sometime it will have nothing in it. So this is my plan on setting my WDH and wondering your advise if this is the right way or if this will work. My plan: Level trailer and record truck height with a unloaded bed and install WDH as to Curt instructions. Then when Im pulling my trailer with a loaded truck bed Im going to use my air bags to bring truck to level or to unloaded truck bed original height and hook up my trailer with my WDH as normal. My thinking is the airbags and or loaded truck bed wont effect my original WDH setting. Thank you

asked by: Kyle

Expert Reply:

Air suspension systems like the Firstone # F2550 Ride Rite and weight distribution systems like the Curt # C17500 TruTrack really preform two different yet related functions. Air bags work best when used to suspend the weight of cargo carried in the truck bed. Weight distribution on the other hand works best counteract the tongue weight of the trailer compressing the rear suspension by leveling out the ride height at the front and rear truck axles.

Since air bags don't do a whole lot to change the ride height at the rear of the vehicle, as the instructions state you'll want to set up the system with the minimum amount of pressure in the air bags. Then, set up the system per the instructions. You'd then add air to the system, about 10 psi at a time until you reach the desired ride quality.

If the tongue weight the trailer applies to the vehicle is pretty constant, then you should only have to do an initial set up and leave it unless the trailer tongue weight changes. Use the air bags to compensate for loads in the truck bed.

I've linked you to a series of help articles about weight distribuion.

expert reply by: Mike L