Toyota Tundra Forum

I've been thinking about adding these for a while. Needed to lift the rear a little and decided it was the best time to do it. Found a good price a couple months ago when they were on sale for $220 shipped. Couldn't find the same price now. Bought them from and eBay seller for a good price with full warranty. Seller's name is radauto and she provided really good communication unlike some of the others.

The install instructions provided are alright, but not great. It's a pretty straight forward install. There are some places online that have Tundra instructions:
Truck Test Digest How To: Ride Rite Air Helper Springs

If you have a lift already, then you will need a different bottom plate for the bags. Don't know where you get that but in the above link, they have a taller one that will reach the axle.

Install took around 2.5-3 hours. Not very hard to do.



Here's one of them prepared to go in.



Their instructions tell you to cut off the top of the bump stops. I decided to just loosen the rear u-bolts and remove the bump stop. Sorry, no picture of that part. You need a 19 mm socket for the u-bolts.

It's a little confusing which way the top plates go in. Driver's side is numbers down, passenger side is numbers up. Both plates are identical and have numbers on them.

Jack the truck up by the frame about an inch. Put the plate in place, squeeze the bag into place, then use the washer and bolt in the top to hold it in place.



Then attach the bottom brackets to the leaf springs.




You might need to loosen the bracket for the brake line to get the air bag lower bracket in place.



Then put in the air line attachment.




On the diver's side, you need to remove two bolt that hold the fuel controller in place on the frame. Here's the bolts you need to remove. This is in the wheel well.



After that is loose, just move it out of the way and then install the air line attachment. You can then reinstall the fuel controller in place.

I didn't like the air valves being installed in the bumper. Didn't seem like a good place to put them. McColl had the good idea to install them into existing holes in the bed. Seemed like a pretty good idea, but I was worried about damage to the stems.
http://www.toyotatundraforum.com/gen...installed.html

I had read somewhere where someone suggested to install them behind the gas cover. Made them hidden, easy to get to and protected. If you use an air pump that plugs into a cigarette lighter, it's within reach. So that is where I decided to put mine.

When picking where to put them behind the cover, be sure to put them where an angled air gauge or angled air hose nozzle can get to them. I pulled the cover out to work on it. Went ahead and opened up the wheel well cover to get a little more access to the area. Also covered all the lines with split loom all the way to the bags to protect them a little more.

Drilled two 5/16" holes after a couple of measurements and was good to go. Took some extra pictures so you could see exactly where they are.









Ran the lines up to the fuel cover.


Attached the lines and reassembled everything.




And here's a picture of the bag with the minimum 5 pounds in them.


I think I might get a couple of small levels and install them out of view on each side of the truck. Should make it easy to level the truck quickly with a load in the bed.

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2007 SR5 Crewmax 5.7L 4x4
Mods: nerf bars, Truxedo tonneau, radar detector power, 3M clear bra, fog lights, black billet grille, rear differential breather, parking sensors, Line-X, power tailgate lock, hood safety latch mod, one off driving lights behind grille, Pioneer NAV w/ OEM camera, Flowmaster 50 SUV dual/dual, blue LED dash lights, Volant CAI, Llumar tint, CompuStar Pro alarm, ProComp 6066 20" wheels, Cooper Zeon LTZ 275/60/20 tires, OME HD coilover lift, Firestone helper air bags, stereo cable lock, Tekonsha P3 brake controller
All mod descriptions and pictures © 2007-2009 by Toxarch. They may be copied only for personal use and the mods may be done for non-profit only.

Looks good Tox. I like the valves in the gas door area.

Most small compressors have a 90 degree air chuck. Is there enough room to get on your valve?


Or will you use a straight on chuck?

Attached Thumbnails

   

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2008 SILVER CREWMAX

• 5.7 LITER
• PIAA 540 X-treme White Driving Lighting System

Tox, good write up. Do they not offer the compressor with the gauges in the cab, or the automatic self leveling kit? I've had the gauge set up before and that is what I would recommend. You can change the height of the load as you drive. My friend has the automatic style and it is kinda annoying. You go around a corner and the compressor kicks on, it senses a change in and trys to level the truck out. I've also heard and read that you lose some offroad travel with airbags.

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2008 Tundra CrewMax 5.7 4X4
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Mods- Homelink Mirror, Expedition One front and rear winch bumpers, Backup Camera, Lund Interceptor Bug Shield, Truxxx 3/1 leveling kit, 20% front window tint, 18x9 XD Monsters +18 offset, 325/60 R18 Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ's, DiamondDeluxe 3Hole Dogbox, Bushwacker Fender Flares, Custom Front Emblem, Weathertech front and rear liners, Husky center hump liner, N-Fab textured step bars

I use an angled double chuck similar to this one:


But any of the three will work. I tried out my small portable compressor and it fits on both of the valves. If the hose were a stiff hose, then it probably would not work.

They do offer it but it costs extra. The compressor and single gauge setup costs about the same as the airbags did. I don't need the on-board compressor that much. But it would be nice to have a dual gauge setup and an on-board air tank. A friend had a bagged Yukon with an on-board compressor. He pulled it off and went back to stock. So I am trying to see what he did with that system and if he will sell it to me for a good price.

I've heard that as long as you are at the minimum 5 lbs of pressure, then the bags should have almost no effect on the suspension offroad. The 5 lbs are just to make sure the bags don't fold and pinch, which could create a leak in the bag. It's not like I go buck wild offroading in my truck.

Tox your awesome! I love your write-ups, and quality of workmanship!!! I install about 1 of these a week, and you did it exactly how I do mine everytime! The red airline is quite thick and im sure it could wear thru so I too put split loom over the entire lines. (I also do it because I dont like seeing red anywhere underneath the truck. It doesnt belong.) I too always install them in the gas door, for a few reasons, looks, easy checking and filling, and the cheap 12v compressor. But the wont go in the gas door in a 2000 and up Dodge 1ton van if anyone cares. I try to always direct ppl to try the bags out first without the compressor and really see how often you need to change the pressure, and then gauge whether the compressor would be worth while. For most its not. Im not sure what you carry with your truck, but half of the compressor kits fill both bags equally. The other half keep them separate. I prefer to keep the bags separate, if you cary any weight in your p/u box and your center of gravity is higher you want to have them separate. A few other things, the bags need a minimium of 5 psi at all times and a max of 100psi, but thats insane! If the truck will ever be going onto a 2 post hoist, you will need to chain the axle up so that the axle is suspending from the bags, and tear them off. Thats about all I can add, beautiful install, great write-up, I love reading your posts!

Allhitch

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Mods So Far...
285/70/20" BFG AT
Flowmaster Dual Exhaust
Go Rhino Dominator II Black Steps
Carriage Works Billet Grille
6" KC LongRange Driving lights behind the grille
Auto Open and Unlock/Lock Tailgate
Anytime Foglight Mod
2.5" Leveling kit for the front
1.5" for the Rear
Soft Tonneau Cover
White Knight Back-up lights
Color matched 2 of the pieces on the front of the truck
Color matched door handles
LED Interior, Cargo, License, and Marker lights

Nice write-up Tox.
Do they have a negative effect on the ride when the truck is unloaded?

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-wleeb

That's high praise coming from a professional. Thanks for the compliments. It's my truck so I try to do my best work it. I should buy stock in split loom. I use it on everything. It's not that expensive, easy to install and it's added insurance against future problems. Looks better too.

I doubt I will need the compressor. I only need the bags maybe once or twice a month. And that is mostly to prevent sag in the rear now. The front coil overs ended up higher than advertised. With the stock ride in the rear, any decent load in the back would create a sag in the rear.

If I do install a compressor, it will be where the lines are separate. To me it just seems obvious that if the pressure lines were connected, it would promote roll in a turn. Weight would force air from the outside bag to the inside bag and cause more roll. Bad way to install it.

Thanks for the info on lifting the truck. The instructions say to air down the bags to zero pressure before lifting by the frame. I'll follow your instructions and chain the axle to the frame before lifting from the frame.

Supposedly no if you air them down to 5 lbs when unloaded. I put in 20 pounds overnight to pressure test it an make sure it holds through tomorrow. Haven't driven it since the install earlier today.

Air Lift makes a dual path compressor kit for about $550.
They used to have one that didn't use a tank, but they've gone ghetto.

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5.7L RC Longbox, 4X4 SR5
I-GUIDE (Covers most common general questions)

This is one of the main reasons I did the valve placement where I did, I wanted to be able to quickly level loads, and I carry a air compressor 75% of the time in the bed of my truck (I have a bicycle manual pump as well under the seat just incase). I just eye it, but levels would be nice for sure. I looked at the gas cap area to mount but I had no idea it was that easy when I was under the truck looking up at it didn’t look like to much room up there, and from the out side didn’t look like a lot of room for gauges and air hoses. . I guess I didn’t look to hard at the gas tank cover looks simple to pull off in you pictures that defiantly would have been helpful info to have.
I was original very worried about my valve placement since it was open to shifting cargo ect. I have since put on a hard cap so I know longer carry trash / rubbish in the bed of my truck ever day so that helps. I still carry lots of gear back there and trash on occasion, it shifts around some to but so far not even 1 ding on the valves.

I’m stilling looking into doing a 2.5 inch lift up front either the 5100 adjustable or ome like yours and had a favor to ask ya. I like a little rake to the truck still, at 5 psi are you level? I feel that even at 5 psi the back is a little higher then stock I usually have about 10 in the back since I have tools / heavy top and I keep it at 10 even unloaded since I’m lazy. I don’t notice any negative effects even at 10 psi empty (bounce others talk about) but my rear is definitely a little higher. I was hoping you would air up to 10 psi and see if you have a slight rake still, I'm wondering if I need to consider a 1 inch block for the back after lift in order to keep a slight rake and lower psi when empty.

edit: p.s. nice write up as well