Gross vehicle weight, axle weight, tongue weight measurements. Air springs for a level ride

jimcenname

I recently installed airbags on my Nissan Frontier to help to help lift the rear end up of my truck when towing my T@B400 . Afterwards I took my fully loaded ruck and trailer to a scale to see if all weights are acceptable. The diagram nearby shows what I measured and then calculated axle weights and tongue weight. All weights are less that the gross weight on the truck manufacturer's label. I calculate my loaded T@B weighs 3460 pounds including the 400 pound tongue weight. My T@B's GVWR is 3700 pounds per the manufacturer's label. The tongue weight is 11.7% of the trailer weight. I understand it should be between 10% and 15% of trailer weight for good handling and it is. The airbags only help the truck ride level, they do nothing for sway or towing capacity, they do not increase the capacity of the truck. My truck does not sway and I think the appropriate tongue weight contributes to that lack of sway.

TNOutback

@jimcenname How do you think the air bags have impacted the ride quality?  I tow our 2020 400 with an F-150 with the FX4 package, and the springs are rather soft.  The truck has an amazingly smooth ride, but hooked to the loaded camper and all our stuff in the bed of the truck, it squats the back 1” - 1.5”.  I noticed last week while towing home in the dark that the truck headlights were not hitting the road in front of the vehicle as usual.  I don’t need weight distribution, but air bags, like you said, might be useful in leveling up the truck.

jimcenname

The ride feels different with the airbags. Not sure if it's better, just different. Bouncy at times with no load on the truck. Like your Ford, my frontier drops about 1.5" with my T@B attached (400 lb. tongue weight). The airbags will take it to any height I want. 12 psi brings it back to normal. You can inflate the bags up to 100psi. Note, the manufacturer, Firestone, recommends against using the truck frame to lift the truck because it may stretch the bags too far. Hmmm, how do you change a flat? I'm still glad I have them. 

JeffroNC

@TNOutback if you go for airbags, don't go for the heavy duty ones that replace the rebound bumpers. An upfitter recommended mine which are the lighter Airlift model. I keep 5psi in them when empty and the ride is fine.

jimcenname

Airlift doesn't make an airbag for Frontiers. I agree on 5 psi, tried that today and it worked well.