Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs - Double Convoluted - Rear Axle

by: Barry04/14/2024

I install this for a customer that I have on the recommendation of etrailer as being the one that was necessary for this vehicle. On receiving the product was having problems as the truck was not set up the way that the illustration showed the truck was bought new by the original owner and had 50,000 miles and have never been modified spoke to fire stone about that at the recommendation of a trailer other parts were necessary, it turned out to be quite a mess. Mini phone calls hours of trying to make something work. The system failed at about 500 miles customer was very upset. I spoke to eat trailer no help at all referred me to fire stone no help at all. It was just to say the way things go sometimes and they were very sorry. I ended up having to give the customer his money back very expensive for me all the way around very poor recommendation on what I should’ve bought for this vehicle very poor product service by a trailer and fire stone both so end result after turning the truck back to stock, I haul the airbag system that I purchased to the dump1766939

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Worked great. Easy to install. I use them on my F-250 while pulling a 12000 pound fifth wheel travel trailer and had no issues.1458742

David

11/7/2023

I am still impressed with these air springs. I have used them several times and still no issues. I would definitely recommend.

Mike L.

11/16/2023

@David Awesome, thanks!

Great product, I ordered this for a 1998 custom e350 running 2010 king ranch gear meaning the running gear, since I couldn’t go with the kit specific for my van due to the fact that I converted it to 4x4 I ordered this kit. I did have to drill some holes since it was not specific to my rig, but that was no big deal just used a step bit. I also had to cut a bracket and reroute my emergency brake line, but hey I knew it wasn’t gonna be super easy. Any way kit is superb bags are top quality. The kit comes supplied with everything you need1337496

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by: Richard04/26/2023

Installed on a 2003 Ford F-250 Lariat extended cab long bed, the best factory installed rear spring options, and with the factory rear anti-sway bar, 2wd. For me, installation is tricky and, as a shade tree mechanic, I see it as difficult.... so I had my long-time trusted mechanic install the air bags... so he had his trusted helper actually do the job. Installation was successful. Gee, I just checked the current price of the kit it has shot up again... I think I paid under $XXX from eTrailer for the kit... and guessing it was about $400 for my mechanic to install, so I spent about $800. Lucky... because here in San Jose CA a local trailer shop wanted about $800 for an install, and who knows how much they would charge for the air bag kit (I'm estimating about $1600 for the complete job, out the door). This Ford F-250 Lariat has fixed step bars along the sides so that guys and dolls can more easily climb into the cab no matter what their age or what they are wearing; these bars have the fixed mounts front and rear bolted to the frame of the truck. I did NOT want to have an "on board" air compressor to inflate the air bags, and I did NOT want to crawl under the back of the truck, in the dirt, to monkey with inflation valves, so I had my trusted mechanic run the red left-and-right air tubes up along the side of the truck frame and over to the left rear step bar mount, and used cable ties to secure the 2- air valve filler kit -- and there it sits, with the caps on the valves sticking out ever so slightly (completely accessible just behind the door with no crawling), and ready for action. See picture. Although the printed instructions for the air bags suggest 10 lb psi for each bag in with no load in the truck, I filled with 20 lb on each side just for fun on the unloaded truck. (This is a HUGE improvement over the essentially worthless rubber Timbren bump stops that I once had, that previously attempted to shake my truck and camper apart on a multi-state round trip.) When my 8.5 ft camper is on the truck, I have a small 12 volt air compressor securely mounted and wired into in a left-hand side compartment of the camper; its location means that I am able to easily open the side compartment and pull the bright yellow air line from the compressor to any of the 4 tires on the truck OR to the short distance from the compressor to the air bag filler valves just under and behind the left rear door of the truck.

When planning your rig, recommend you think in terms of getting slightly "more truck than you think you need." Ford says that this truck weights 5500 lb dry. But with factory add-ons and a basic camper weight of 2100 lb the fully loaded "wet" camper and truck on the CAT scales gives a readout of 9600 lb. And now with the air bag kit, a front hitch receiver, and some other things I have added, that adds to about 10,000 lb for a 5000 lb truck! And then, there is the hitch weight of any added trailer! Go figure. Air bags YES. Stay in control. [Ford says that for this particular old truck, loaded truck + trailer maximum for this is 13,500 lb, so to tell the truth, if towing a trailer, gross loaded weight of the trailer should be no more than 13,500 lb - 10,000 gross truck weight = 3,500 lb gross for the trailer.] To adjust your air bag fill, consider using your tape measure to measure from from the style side top of each rear wheel well down to the ground. And of course, trailer hitch equalizers are most welcome. See picture.1564658

Put on 2008 f250. With a B&W turnover ball. Had to remove one bolt on both side of B &W to mount top bracket then replace with new bolts in kit No big deal. Put both sides on and ran the air lines in less than 2 hours. Had a leak on driver side. It was where I didn't cut the air line straight. Recut air line and that fixed the problem. I would recommend this to anyone. 181344

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This kit improved the comfort and drivability of my truck. I can drive the curvy roads without body roll. Install was bolt in as discribed.1644781

The air helper spring kit installed quickly. The quality was everything I expected1599628

The air bag kit shipped right away and arrived in a couple of days. Installation took about 2 hours. I did have a drive on lift to use. The system does improve towing a gooseneck horse trailer on my 2002 F250.1548663

by: Richard 04/08/2023

My truck pulled so much better with the air bag kit. I have a fifth wheel trailer, and a goose neck and we recently moved. Made quite a few trips to get moved. It was great!1552691

by: Judy09/30/2021

So far so good. Love the air bags. Would have been a 5-star review but one of the push in fittings failed on the left side, air supply tube. I had to get a replacement from the local BST (big scary truck) store. Swapped it out and no further problems. Hope they last because I like and need them on my 2009 F250.1168532

Judy

10/4/2022

Perfectly. Need to add air from time to time to maintain pressure but very pleased with the product.

by: Steve11/23/2021

This has been a great addition to my truck. Pulling the fifth wheel became so much nicer, should have done it much sooner. Suggest installing with the onboard compressor.1209635

Steve H.

11/24/2022

Love the purchase. makes towing the 5thwheel so much easier.

by: Joshua 01/09/2023

Love it. Makes towing a dream and leveled my truck out with the 1000 pounds i regulary keep in the bed. I bought a "t" for the air lines to tie them togeather but that was my persornal preference for what i use it for. But great kit.1496779

Fit nice and top quality. Was miss Schrader valves but luckily I had 2 laying around.1622641

by: Chris 06/22/2023

Excellent! Works as designed. Truck handles and rides much better.1606681

by: Dustin 01/22/2023

Fit good with my hitch I had installed amd the sits lever and has a better ride with my gooseneck trailer1504872

by: John02/02/2018

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Great product. On truck a year now with no leaks or other problems. I put a tee in the air line with a ball valve on one side so I could air them up evenly every time. My fifth wheels tongue weight is 1500 lbs and truck rides level with 20 lbs air. 472171

by: Anthony04/02/2022

See Last Review. Both are related.

This unit is a good option but I’ve never been able to track down a troublesome air leak that slowly releases the compressed air over fifteen minutes. It’s a very annoying problem. Beyond that the unit was relatively easy to install although I made some specific upgrades to mount the compressor in a manner that leaves the fuel and brake lines in there original position so they didn’t need to be twisted up and out of the way. I used a 4” c-channel to firmly attach and mount the compressor over the undisturbed lines. Works great with less risk. I wish I could find the micro air leak and fix it but am at a loss as to how I might do that. I’d gladly try to spray some kind of stop leak into the air lines if I didn’t think it might screw the whole system up. In the end I’m not sure I would install this system if I had to do it all over again. I may ultimately remove it and reinstall the original rubber stops on the fra I’m since I no longer have my RV trailer anyway.
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Jenny N.

4/12/2022

You mentioned that you wanted to find the micro leak and I wanted to ask if you had tried the soapy water technique? Where you would spray soapy water onto the lines -being careful of course- and see where bubbles form.

Easy to install, fit perfect with my 5th wheel hitch. My camper weighs 14000 lbs, hitch weight is 3000 lbs. It takes 85 lbs of air to raise my truck to standard driving height. Definitely a better ride. Thanks E trailer, Melinda, you were very helpful in helping me making the right decision for lifting air springs. 201678

Terry S.

6/18/2016

I had to replace a couple of support brackets due to an auto accident. Etrailer was very helpful in contacting the manufacture for the parts. Thank you for you help. Now for the lifting bags themselves. All work great, very easy to make adjustments with load. I will have them on any truck I own from now on.

It was easy to install with the exception of the ear that sticks out that goes in between the two pieces on the axle is a half inch too long so the bolt that holds the bottom of the air bag is sitting on it instead of the axle1562437

by: Antonina02/09/2023

Overall very happy! One very minor problem with air valve needing to be replaced in one airbag. Otherwise excellent product.1515181

Easy to install. Vehicle rides so much better! Needed desperately to pull 36' camper trailer. Perfect!1590601

by: Larry P10/24/2017

2010 Ford F-250 Super Duty

I have this product on a Ford F-250. Have towed a 34 ft Fifth wheel Trailer more than 10,000 miles this past year and the air bags have worked great. I keep 50lb when towing and 15lb when my Fifth Wheel is parked. Have been very happy with all product and service from etrailer445579

Larry P.

10/24/2018

Ive been very happy with the product. We have put 30,000 miles on the truck since purchasing the air bags and it has improved the drive tremendously with hauling a trailer. Thanks for following up.

My airbags showed up quickly and I installed them as soon as I got home. I spent about 3 hrs to install them, the instructions are alright, could be a little better. I have a gas F-250 and installed the air valves in behind the fuel door which makes them very easy to fill of deflate. I put 20lbs of air in them and they lifted the back end 1 3/4" with the truck empty. Going to be pulling the fver this weekend, looking forward to see how much air I need to put in them with a load and see how they perform. 194451

Gordon M.

5/26/2016

They are still performing great, only issue I had with them was I had to replace the valve stem cores right away as they started leaking.

The product is high quality. The components are heavy duty, well made and fit together properly. Just beware, this is a time consuming installation that requires lying on your back on a creeper for several hours and doing work requiring some arm strength over your head. If I were doing it again, the kit would go to my mechanic and the young guys would do it with the truck on a lift. Also, removing the jounce bumper on the four wheel drive truck was very difficult. The nut was well corroded on the bolt and it is in a nearly inaccessible position. I ended up using a sawzall with a metal cutting blade to remove them and that wasn't easy. After about seven hours of hard labor flat on my back, the job is done and I am satisfied with the results.221540

Jim F.

8/26/2016

A year later and all is well. I load the bed of my truck and tow a 7,000 lb trailer. The air lifts keep the truck level. That is the objective.

by: Lucas 12/02/2021

Simple to install and make the fifth wheel ride smooth.1216105

Lucas

12/3/2022

After a year the Firestone rite air helper springs are still going strong. Used them to travel over the west coast for half the year on and off paved 4oads keeping the 5th wheel trailer balanced and less bounce in us in the truck cab.