Air Lift 88275 LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Suspension Kit for Trucks & SUVs - Heavy Duty Load Support & Smooth Ride - Perfect for Towing, Off-Roading & Commercial Use

Of course I had these air bags installed by my best diesel mechanic, Lancaster Auto of Reno, and Chip did a fabulous job installing (not his first) & instructing on their usability.As added insurance, he welded the braces to the axle so as not to slide under load or pressure. I made 3 trips from Reno, Nevada to Conway, South Carolina at roughly 9000 miles without a hitch towing my 25 ft. Utility Trailer, empty and then my 49 ft. 5th wheel. Everything was level, no swaying or bobbing of any kind. Highly recommend them over the Firestine Air Bags.This is a great product from a well known manufacturer. My endorsement isn’t needed, however as most anyone will tell you, this product is super simple installation and the benefits are well worth the cost. I moved a fifth wheel a short distance, with the nominal air pressure and it barely squatted my pickup.Didnt just bolt in...Some of the best, printed in color with great pictures, instructions I’ve ever seen or used, the only way the instructions would have been better is if they didn’t use such a rusty truck for the pictures.I really only have three complaints, and that’s only if I wanted to really try to figure out something to complain about...1) They tell you to screw on the air fitting first, then the next step you flip it over and screw the bottom bracket on. The air fitting just gets in your way and you risk breaking it if you pit it on first. I caught this before doing it and questioned why they have you put it on first, there is no reason, don’t thread the air fitting onto it until AFTER you bolt the bottom bracket on.2) This was all going smooth and easy right up to one of the final steps, then they made me cuss. Putting the two bolts through the mounted top bracket slotted holes and trying to line up the top plate and the threaded holes in the actual air bags all at the same time to get the threads started. Are you ****ing kidding me?!!!!Why did they have to send the “roll plates” as 4?separate parts any how? They should have just manufactured these as part of the air bag top and bottom at the factory.Here’s a tip for anyone getting ready to install these:I would have done this but figured there must be some reason why they leave the top and bottom roll plates as separate parts, there isn’t! The night before you plan to install this line up the holes for the top roll plate with the holes in the top of the air bag and glue it on with silicone or construction adhesive. It will make your life a whole lot easier when it comes time to get the threads started as you’re bolting it all onto the top bracket.3) I have a 3” lift on my Silverado dually. I called Air Lift tech support, waited on hold 45 minutes to talk to someone about if I needed the 2” spacers or the 4” spacers since they don’t make a 3” spacer. Their web site unclearly implies I want more stretch than crush leading me to think I should ise the 2” spacers. Their tech support guy told me the exact opposite, I want more crush than stretch and should use the 4” spacers for a 3” lift so that’s the way I went. I probably didn’t need any spacers what so ever, but if anything should have only went with the 2”. When the spring was fully assembled, without the buy extra spacer, it measured out to be exactly the same distance as the space it was going to fill on my truck that has 3” spacer lift blocks under my leaf springs.If you have a 3” lift consider no spacers at all, at the very most just go with the 2” spacers. With the 4” spacers on my 3” lift even when I just put the minimum 5psi into the bags it lifts the rear of my truck 1” higher than the front with no load on my truck. Even with no air in the bags after first installing it has the rear of my truck sitting noticeably higher than the front because I used the 4” spacers they told me over the phone to go with.I’m impressed with these helper air springs. I installed these 7500s on a 2006 Chevy 2500hd. The brackets are thick. The upper bracket is designed very well to support the frame. My truck has always ride rough. I deleted the over load springs and with the air bags at 10-20psi (unloaded) to 40-60psi (loaded) it rides so much better. And they don’t leak down. I’ve got about 3500 load miles on these and so far so good.They work perfectly, will definitely buy again for my other trucksInstalled on a 2010 GMC 2500HD. Installed full kit along with Air Lift on board compressor and gauges.To start of with this seems to be a great product. Just installed it today. This is a long review but hopefully it will help the next person. Do not try to install this if you are a beginner DIY mechanic. I am by no means a professional but I have installed 100's of snow plows, spreaders, and de-icer systems so I do have plenty of experience with after market accessories. I would try this unless you're at least an intermediate mechanic, even if just for the necessary tools. All in all I probably had about 7 hours in the install (alone) but a good 1.5hr was just figuring out where I wanted to mount the compressor, gauges, and solenoid. I did the full kit with on board compressor.The kit came very well packaged in manufacturers boxing, all the hoses, hardware, pieces where there and packaged separately. I strongly suggest reading the instructions thoroughly a couple times before starting. They skip around a bit and have important notes but are not in order. Some of the instructions say to use a torque wrench which first of all most DIY guys dont even have. Unless it's just this kit, you will not be able to get a torque wrench on the upper bolts as it says to. Take your time and plan your install.You will need jack stands and a good jack. The instructions say to support the axel with jack stands which is incorrect. You'll want to support the frame with jack stands so you can use the jack to move the rear end up and down to accommodate installation.With the airlines, btw not 1 leak after installed, take your time with your cuts. Make sure they are very cleanly cut and not beveled edges. I made sure my cuts were perfect and left plenty of slack not only for movement but incase I had to re-cut. I used a sharp razor. When you push them into the fitting you'll feel a slight pop, you need to push them in farther to seat the airline. This is probably where most people have air issues. They will slightly pop and then slide in an additional 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Practice before you try under the truck, the are easy to remove my pushing the pressure fitting in and pulling the hose back out.The compressor works great up to about 50lbs then it does slow down a bit but what would you expect from a tankless system under $200. Pumped up to 90lbs for test in about 3 or 4 minutes.When installing the wiring you will want a couple "add a fuse" kits to tie in to the fuse panels. Most parts stores have them for about $7. They are not in the kit.Last but not least I used the extra onions and 1 that I bought to run a single manual line to the rear number just incase the compressor goes out towing or just to keep a safe pressure in them for driving.Hope this helps a little.If you are thinking about adding air bags to your pickup, just do it. Best trailer hauling upgrade you can make. Don’t short yourself either, add in the Air Lift compressor and you won’t be disappointed. I’ve never been happier.I installed a set of the 5000lbs air bags. Right away my drivers side leaked BAD. It was leaking at the threads in the air fitting on the airbags.I would really like AIRLIFT to realize they have a big installation flaw--> You can not test the air bags until they are installed because of the type of push fittings they use.Once I saw my obvious leak, I tried to tighten the fitting a bit to see if that helped. Since they are installed, it was EXTREMLY difficult to get wrenches in there to tighten. I did manage to tighten it, but pretty obvious that the issue wasn't the fitting being tightened enough. I thought about taking the fitting out and going to local store for a new one (no air lift dealer near me), but I'd have to take the air bag out and replace the entire line since they are push fittings. I took a night to sleep on it.The next day I go out and check the other side which had no leaks using soapy water after install and it had gone down very slightly. Not sure if this was due to my tire pressure gauge or air temp change (it did get colder).. So I pumped that side up to 80 psi and let it sit for a couple days.. Yup.. a leak.. I didn't even bother to find it.At this point I said screw it, I am going to reutrn the kit... I was happy the seller sent me a new kit and gave me 30 days to return the old one. This allowed me to still use my truck.New kit came in.. Installed yestersay.. All new compenents on both sides. They passed the soap water spray test.. So I put 55psi in them and did some errands. Checked the air this morning, drivers side looks like its holding for now. Passenger side- 0psi.. Beyond irratated at this point since isntalling both kits did take 5-6 hours..I pumped the passneger to 80psi and sprayed soapy water.. Leaking out the point weear you push the tube into the swivel fitting.. I played with it a bit and wow as soon as you touch it or move it slightly it leaks like a garden hose.. I figured out that in order to not leak, those tubes must come off and push fitting PERFECTLY straight.. I pulled some excess tube out and straightened the tube when it goes into the fitting, but wow.. Those fittings are sensitive..Keep in mind they worked fine until I did some errands..I have some doubts how these things will hold up if all it takes is some bouncing to move the tubes slightly at the fitting to leak..I did try to push the tube in a bit more into the fitting, but it is where it is supposed to be..MAJOR FLAWS-push fittigs mean you can't test the bags until they are installed.. the instalation can be a pain and once they are in, if you take them out you need new fittings and air tubes..*Why not go with non push fittings???-seems like the air fill tubes where they enter the push fittings is a weak point.. Too sensitive to movement which causes leaking for a truck in my opinion.. I don't carrry a compressor on me so I'm not too sure what is going to be the plan if I am driving on the highway with my camper and the tube gets bumped (snow, dirt, wind) and leaks down to 0psi)..I'm going to leave them in for a weark (return the first kit) and make a decision.UPDATE: I wanted to contact the company to ask them about how the air tubes going into the fitting.. I wanted to know if my air bag fittings are bad, or do the air tubes HAVE to be perfectly straight coming out of the fitting or they leak. I wanted a bit of advice to see if I can make these work without leaking. I can not respond to the company through amazon so I googled them and found their website. I search all over, but there is no way to contact the company except a 800 number. I need to use email. I work 8-4 everyday and I don't have the time to cal lthe 800 number to talk to a tech or wait on hold.. I need an email address to correspond with them. No email address exists.. I did find a button on the airbags page that is supposed to take you to a email contact, but when you click it, it directs you to call the 800#.. So I went on facebook and found their page.. I posted a comment asking for a email to contact tech support with a couple quick questions. I explained that I need an email to correspond since I just don't have time to make the phone call with work.. They quickly responded to my post by telling me to call the 800#... I replied to them why I can't call and I just need an email.. They have not responded..Buyer be ware.. I don't have a lot of confidence in the product (read my review) and I have zero faith in their customer service..Changed to 1 star..I installed these bags to a "saggy" 2006 Duramax which otherwise may have needed new leaf springs. The truck was sitting front end high and back end low even before towing. With the purchase of a new 11,000# fifth wheel trailer, I knew something had to be done.I installed these over the course of a couple evenings. The job was not too painful with the truck suspension hanging from jack stands.The installation instructions were good and easy to follow. I watched Youtuve videos for the most part. Some are very good to describe the job.I installed the schrader valves into the bed of the truck so I could use an external air tank. My biggest concern was that the bags would not hold air. Particularly if the bag was set to the minimum 5psi and I left it for a few months (the truck is only really used in the summer).After installation, I left the truck outside in the cold for a couple months, then used it to haul a load to the dump. On checking the bags, they had lost ZERO air pressure. This made me very happy. The ride is also improved, as is the truck's stance. So far a great investment. I will update after I have a chance to tow with it.Seems like a great product, I've never installed anything like this before, it went really well, followed directions, watched a YouTube video, did all the safety checks ✔ . Fairly easy install with no hoist, used floor jack and stands. I like them, improved my ride height. For the money compared to local sources, definitely a great deal.I ordered the 7500lb kit for my 06 Silverado 2500hd diesel.It arrived very well packaged with no damage done during delivery.The instructions were pretty simple and easy to follow. Mine took me 4 hrs, but 5 beer breaks slowed the process down. Simple easy install, with a jack, basic hand tools and a drill. And 5 or so beers.Fit and finish, 100%.Tested and holding air 10hrs later. I'd say they're good.I love the new improved ride quality, Air Lift rocks.Now to find an onboarding compressor system..Thanks Amazon, made me smile again.Works exactly as advertised, bolt on and no drilling necessary. I will have to move the exhaust a small amount as it rubs on the top cover plate. The truck is a 2005 GMC dually.