Moon Landing's Mods

Okay, they're at 38 and fortunately both my tire gages, the one from my kit, and the garage kept gage agree with TPMS readings. Win!

Okay, Question. With 7" rims & an E rated tire what's your typical air down pressure for dampening rough terrain?

Sand and nothing but?

And anything else you'd care to expound on

Thanks.........I'm being lazy

 

That's correct. Tho it required lengthening the back leg of both clam shell brackets that hold the one pesky line that's in the way(that moved the line up less than a half inch). After lengthening it, and for good measure, I split a section of hose and tie wrapped it around the line too.

 

Great thread. Looking forward to seeing your adventure pics!

 

Have a great trip and please post lots of pictures!!

 

Love this build!! Can’t wait to see more pics of your trip

 

Well as you probably already know the sand can change texture very quickly, some of it is the consistency of baby powder, and that stuff will suck you right in. Then the more grainy type you can ride on pretty well, i find 18 psi pretty comfy for most of it. Also, you know those scrub brush folks have been beating down? Well watch out for the stubs sticking up, they make great pungy stakes for your tires. I know you have probably been out there enough to be aware of this stuff, but anywho have fun.

 

All welcome pointers, thanks my friend. Had just set the Staun's for airing down the Grapplers no biggie.

 

Soon, I hope. My game plan from day one was to NOT go off half cocked. There'll be challenges enough without that. There'll be pictures a plenty And thanks!

 

With the 285's I usually started at 25 for gravel and washboards, and would drop to maybe 18-ish for rocks and deep sand. Somewhere between 15-20 seems to be the sweet spot for good flotation without popping a bead. Then, you can always go a bit lower if you need more traction.

 

I run my E rated 285's at 20psi for my rocky off road adventures.

Now Moon Landing, you need to take a road trip out here to Missouri and hit some trails with me.
If you wait till early next year my guest / lake house will be up and running. Or you can car camp, I mean overland, anywhere in the Mark Twain National Forest.

 

I think you should set up a group trip out there! I would be interested.

 

I can do that.

 

@Thatbassguy got it. Thanks for the wisdom


@DRobs count me in. Say when. Honestly

 

I'm not terribly far from Mark twain, are there good off road trails there? I didn't realize it if so.

 

I am down to meet as well. That sounds like a fun trip

 

There's lots of them that are decent.

This link goes to the Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) for Missouri:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mtnf/maps-pubs

I mostly hit the Ava Unit but am planning to hit trails all throughout MO.

 

Nice. Will have to check them out. The wife and I are going to Ozark National Forest in AR the weekend after Thanksgiving. Maybe can swing thru MT.

Think the last time I went there was squirrel hunting in the 80s lol.

 

There are some wild trails in Arkansas / Ozark National Forest. We were down there 2 weekends ago stacking rocks, using traction boards, chainsaws, and winches.

 

That sounds like some fun

 

Firestone Ride-Rite's installed yesterday. Jounce bumper cut(per instructions). That, plus the bags height helped return .50 inch of lift lost to spring compression. The rear now sets at 23"(center axle to wheel well). Fronts 22 inches. Bags are inflated to 10psi. Of note. Each corner of this 4R is supporting around 1,400 pounds.

https://www.firestoneip.com/ride-rite/coil-rite/products/4135-coil-rite-air-springs/

https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/instructions/firestone/4135.pdf

 

I see that they are rated for 1000lbs. But if each corner has 1400lbs am I missing something?

 

1,400 pounds is total vehicle weight per corner - not sprung weight. I made that confusing. Sorry

Runner Specs
GVWR: 6,300 LBS / CURB: 4,750 LBS
GVWR Divided by 4 = 1,575 per tire(OEM).
GAWR: FRT 3,000 LBS
GAWR: RR 3,450 LBS
The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 880 LBS.
CURB WEIGHT/*WET 4,750 + 880 COMBINED WEIGHT = *5,630 MAX LOAD
* Minus 79 LBS as noted YELLOW sticker located drivers door jamb.
MAX LOAD 5,551 pounds.

 

Have you noticed any difference in ride quality?

I wonder if this is just because they're supplemental? Maybe they're rated to hold up to 1000 lbs of cargo without sagging?

 

Correct sir

 

Oh so you still have your springs on the truck with the airbags? So they didn’t replace the springs but instead sit inside the springs? I watched the video and it looks like they replace the springs on the truck.

 

The bags set inside the OEM rear coils.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gsuothmAxo&t=173s
.

 

Night and day in a good way?

I really considered bags as I love the idea of being able to fine tune spring rates to your load. Even though most of the weight I haul is constant, it would be nice to be able to soften it up when the truck is empty, and bump it up when towing or loaded heavy.

How was the install?

 

Dealer did the install so no first hand experience but based on all the videos I've viewed it's fairly simple and very straight forward. The majority of my roughly 7 to 800 pound load will be constant. Because it's to damn much work to load and unload. Once the bags are deflated to the minimum required 5psi you won't know they are there. But you'll absolutely love what they do when the truck is loaded. I recommend going with single inflation, in place of Firestones kit which calls for inflating each bag independently. Personal choice for varied reasons.

 

Haha! I leave most of my stuff in the 4Runner 24/7 as well. When you skip town every other weekend, it just makes sense.

I could see a use for independent inflation if you're loaded much heavier on one side. But, I try my best to balance my load.

I might go this route eventually. I do have heavy load springs, so sag isn't really an issue. My main benefit would be to soften it up a bit on the rare occasion that I travel light.

Although, part of me thinks that beefier rear shocks might be what I really need. I should probably talk to an expert before I change anything. But, it's not in the budget for a year or 2 anyway. So, I'm just interested in learning about my options in the meantime.

I look forward to hearing your comments as you get more miles on them!

 

Good points, all. Long term review? That'll be the proof in the pudding. In an effort to not have to replace the OEM FOX system I've spent $500.00 for parts. Just under $400.00 for Westcott's body lift, and $100.00 on the bags versus 3 to 5K to replace the FOX system with OME or Dobinsons. Was it the right thing to do? Who knows, but it's done