lone_star_dsl
Full Access Member
Alright fellas, as of a few days ago, I was the proud owner of a 29' travel trailer. I sold it for one reason, it pulled like crap. Unfortunately, it wasn't really the trailers fault.
The trailer had just enough tongue weight to lightly set my truck on the helper springs. When I hit a bump, the trailer would compress the springs further then they would rebound and launch the rear of the truck upwards. In doing so, a domino effect was started and it took a few up these up and down jolts before things would settle back down.
I bought a Thor fifth wheel the other day which should have a tongue weight that closely matches that of my gooseneck flatbed (which tows great) just so that I could have a peaceful towing experience.
Anyway, I have been contemplating installing air bags for a while now and I think I may pull the trigger soon. While I was under the truck, I began wondering if I could remove some of the leaf springs and use the air bags to take up the lost capacity.
For starters, I could pull some air out of the bags and have a softer ride when empty. Second, the airbags should offer more stability while towing or hauling a payload. Thirdly, there have been many times when it would have been extremely convenient to have the back of the truck sitting lower that it does on the springs. I'm not talking about scraping the frame while going down the road but for loading and unloading tools, my back would really thank me.
The only problem that I see is axle wrap. How many leaves could I realistically remove before I need to add ladder bars or a four link setup?
Has anyone pulled any leaves out and had a successful outcome or should I just leave things alone (no pun intended)?
Thanks
The trailer had just enough tongue weight to lightly set my truck on the helper springs. When I hit a bump, the trailer would compress the springs further then they would rebound and launch the rear of the truck upwards. In doing so, a domino effect was started and it took a few up these up and down jolts before things would settle back down.
I bought a Thor fifth wheel the other day which should have a tongue weight that closely matches that of my gooseneck flatbed (which tows great) just so that I could have a peaceful towing experience.
Anyway, I have been contemplating installing air bags for a while now and I think I may pull the trigger soon. While I was under the truck, I began wondering if I could remove some of the leaf springs and use the air bags to take up the lost capacity.
For starters, I could pull some air out of the bags and have a softer ride when empty. Second, the airbags should offer more stability while towing or hauling a payload. Thirdly, there have been many times when it would have been extremely convenient to have the back of the truck sitting lower that it does on the springs. I'm not talking about scraping the frame while going down the road but for loading and unloading tools, my back would really thank me.
The only problem that I see is axle wrap. How many leaves could I realistically remove before I need to add ladder bars or a four link setup?
Has anyone pulled any leaves out and had a successful outcome or should I just leave things alone (no pun intended)?
Thanks
