Towing
Air Bags & Leveling Kits in Terrell, TX
Level under load. Steady on the road. Sitting right again.
A truck that squats under a load has its headlights in the trees and not much weight on the front wheels. Air helper springs put the back end where it belongs when you are loaded. A leveling kit sorts out the nose-down stance when you are not.
Air helper springs
Air bags are exactly what they sound like: rubber bladders that sit between the frame and rear axle and take load off the leaf springs. Empty, they do not do much. Loaded, you add air until the truck sits level again. The suspension goes back to working through its proper travel instead of being pressed flat against the bump stops.
The difference is most obvious with a gooseneck, a slide-in camper or a bed full of something dense. A squatting truck steers light, aims its headlights at oncoming traffic, and wears the back of the rear tires. Bringing it level fixes all three at once.
We fit Air Lift. Two setups are worth knowing about, and the choice comes down to how often you load and unload.
Manual or wireless compressor
A manual system puts a Schrader valve on each side of the truck, usually near the bumper. You add or release air with a gauge. It is simple, there is very little to go wrong, and it is the cheaper way in. If the truck carries roughly the same load most days, it is all you need.
The wireless compressor is the Air Lift WirelessOne. A 12-volt pump mounts on the truck and plumbs into the bags. You set the pressure from a handheld remote with a screen, or from the free app on your phone. It works anywhere between 5 and 100 PSI, with three presets you can save for the loads you actually carry. Hitching up becomes a button instead of a gauge and a walk round the truck.
It fills and dumps both bags together rather than one side at a time, which is what you want for a load that sits square in the bed or on the ball. It is the answer for a truck that is loaded and unloaded constantly. Because it will go on air springs that are already fitted, it is not a decision you have to make on day one.
Leveling kits
Almost every pickup leaves the factory sitting nose-down, so there is room for the rear to settle under a load. Plenty of people would rather it sat flat. A leveling kit raises the front an inch or two to match the back. It is a stance change, not a lift, and usually leaves enough room for a slightly taller tire.
It changes alignment, so that gets set afterwards. It is worth asking your dealer where you stand on warranty for related components before you commit, particularly on a newer truck. We will tell you plainly what is involved rather than talk you into it.
What goes with it
Air bags usually turn up on the same trucks as gooseneck and Fifth Wheel hitches. They are two halves of the same problem. If you are towing at that weight, you will also want a brake controller.
Common questions
What do air bags actually do?
They sit between the frame and the axle and let you add air when the truck is loaded. Put a gooseneck or a slide-in camper on the back and the rear end squats; air bags push it back to level so the headlights point at the road and the steering stays where it should be.
Should I choose manual air bags or a wireless compressor?
Manual bags have a valve on each side, and you add air with a gauge the way you would a tire. The wireless compressor is the Air Lift WirelessOne: a 12-volt pump on the truck that you set from a handheld remote or the app on your phone. The pressure changes without you getting out. If you hitch and unhitch every day, that pays for itself in convenience.
Will air bags make my truck sit higher?
Not when it is empty. They are helper springs, not a lift. They stop a loaded truck from sagging. If you want the truck to sit higher unloaded, that is a leveling kit, and the two are often done together.
What does a leveling kit do?
Most trucks leave the factory nose-down so the rear has room to squat under load. A leveling kit lifts the front an inch or two so the truck sits flat, which also makes room for a slightly larger tire. It is a leveling change, not a lift kit.
What do you need to know to quote air bags?
Year, make, model and what the truck carries. A gooseneck pin weight, a slide-in camper and a loaded flatbed are three different answers. Tell us whether you want the manual kit you top up with an air line or the version with the wireless compressor. Or say you are not sure, and we will talk it through.
Will a leveling kit affect my ride or my warranty?
A modest leveling kit rides close to stock. Larger changes affect alignment and can affect a manufacturer warranty on related components, which is worth asking your dealer about before you commit. Tell us what you are trying to achieve and we will say plainly what is involved.