Pacbrake Alpha HD Air Bag Suspension Kit - Rear Axle - 5,000 lbs
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2017 Ford Explorer
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2017 Ford Explorer
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5,000-lb Capacity. When the load gets heavy, your truck shouldn't feel like it's fighting you. These air bags help you stay level and in control so you can tow with confidence and handle heavy loads without second-guessing your suspension.
When the load gets heavy, your truck needs more than just rear springs hanging on for dear life. Alpha HD air springs add up to 5,000 lbs of rear axle support, keeping your truck steady even when the trailer is loaded, the bed is packed, and the miles are long. No more rear-end sag throwing off your braking and steering, or headlights pointing into the sky. With air bag support underneath, you keep control of your ride even when you're towing a travel trailer or moving a serious payload.
Every load is different, and this system adjusts to match. Alpha HD air springs let you fine-tune ride height and firmness with air pressure from 5 to 100 psi. When carrying heavy weight, add air to level your suspension and maintain steady handling. Running without a load? Drop to the minimum pressure for a smoother, more compliant ride without stiffness or bounce. Manual inflation valves are included, so tuning your setup for each trip is straightforward and dependable.
Air bags are only as strong as their weakest link. That's why Alpha HD bags are reinforced from end to end with heavy-duty end caps, 20 internal support wires, and powder-coated steel brackets. Add corrosion-resistant hardware and thick roll plates, and you've got gear that holds up to real-world hauling through heat, cold, salt, and slop.
Adding serious load support shouldn't mean losing a whole weekend. The precision laser-cut brackets are designed to bolt cleanly to your truck's existing mounting points with minimal drilling. Just smart engineering that fits the way it should, which is perfect for the DIYer. Manual valves mount through license plate fastener holes or a location of your choosing (which may require drilling). With high-quality fittings, pre-bent brackets, and mounting hardware included, you'll be back on the road in just a few hours without a trip to the fab shop.
This kit is designed to work with your setup today and grow with your upgrades tomorrow. You can inflate manually through the included air valves right out of the box, no extra parts needed. Already have an onboard compressor? The Alpha HD system connects easily to most existing setups.
Want to step up to an all-in-one kit with air bags, compressor, and wireless controller in one package? We've got you covered with Pacbrake's On Demand Kit (PB56YV).
Looking for a complete system with onboard air storage too? Upgrade to one of the "Ultimate" Kits (PB54SV) or (PB34SV) with air bags, compressor, wireless controller, and a 1/2-gallon or 2-1/2-gallon tank for added versatility.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi everybody. Andy here with etrailer.com. Let's take a real quick look at this Pacbrake Alpha HD rear axle double convoluted airbag suspension kit. Now this kit has been designed to fit your 2011 to 2016 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duties with the two and four wheel drive models, then your 2011 to 2014 F-450 Super Duty with the four wheel drive model. Now in custom fit parts such as this kit, I do recommend taking advantage of our vehicle fit guide here at etrailer.com, and put the year, make and model of your vehicle, and our fit guide will confirm if this kit will work for you, or if we have something comparable that will work for you. As you know, heavy trailers, full beds, and gear piled high, that all changes how your truck handles.
So without the right support, you're gonna feel it immediately, such as sagging in the rear, poor handling, and a ride that gets unpredictable very fast. This airbag system puts you back in control with up to 5,000 pounds of load leveling support. It's gonna help reduce squat, it's gonna help improve steering response, and keep your truck stable when the weight stacks up. But as you know, every haul is different. That's why these springs are gonna give you full control over ride height and firmness with adjustable pressure from five to 100 PSI.
So if you're hauling a fifth wheel or a full bed of gravel, you can crank that pressure up, and then when you're unloaded and heading home, you can drop that pressure back down for a softer ride. So with the manual inflation valves included, tuning your suspension is gonna be very simple. Now these bags are reinforced with heavy duty end caps, and you can't see those end caps because of the, I just have them kind of loosely put together here to give you an idea of what the installed product's gonna look like. But the bags are also reinforced with 20 internal support wires, and we do have just premium materials all throughout. We have heavy duty roll plates on the top and the bottom.
They're gonna protect the bags from chafing, help extend their life. And then we have these powder coated, precision cut, laser cut custom fit brackets that are going to help installation go easier. So you're not gonna have to worry about doing a bunch of drilling or anything like that with the included hardware that you see there on your screen. You're gonna have everything that you need to get this installed into place. So this kit and the components with this kit are designed for those rough road conditions, and basically for any season of weather that you find yourself going through.
Now, this kit is designed to work with your setup today, and wherever your upgrades may take you down the road, again, you're gonna be able to inflate manually with the standard air valves right out of the box. No extra parts needed. But if you already have an onboard compressor, that's great, because these are gonna connect easily to most existing setups. And then maybe you're planning for something like an in-cab wireless controller down the road. That's not gonna be an issue either, because with this system, you're laying the foundation that's going to work with most of your upgrades going down the road. So you're not gonna be limited with just this out of the box. As I had mentioned, this is gonna give you up to 5,000 pounds of load leveling support, but I do wanna make you aware of the fact that this does not actually increase your truck's weight carrying capacity. So you do wanna make sure that you're not exceeding your manufacturer's recommended weight limit. If you do have any other additional questions, don't hesitate to reach back out to us. We wanna make sure that you're getting exactly what you want and need. And when you get these installed, we wanna hear about how the installation went for you and how the operations going as well, so you can share your experiences with us by dropping a comment or leaving a review on this product page. Well, I think that's gonna wrap up our look today. I do hope that it was helpful for you. Again, my name is Andy. Thank you for joining me.
Ratings & Reviews
Look good so far. not hard to install.
Overall the installation isn’t bad, couple bolts/nuts difficult to access but doable. Took little over an hour to install both heavy duty bags.
They do roughen the ride on the 2021 RAM 1500 hemi/etorque 4x4 with coil springs. I’ve brought the air pressure down to 2 lbs and still notice that without weight in bed or trailer attached it still is stiffer.
I would recommend using these Pacbrake heavy duty air bags.
Great kit. Great quality. Easy assembly. Would’ve given 5 stars except for the J-Hooks. Having the end user cut them off creates an opportunity for someone to mess up. They could easily be made the correct length without causing install issues.
Easy instal and has worked perfectly.
nick was very helpful everything was as expected
The product is a great product. After installation was completed and the air added to the air suspension, it raised the rear end of the van about 2-3 inches.A very nice improvement.
Installation instructions definitely need better quality diagrams.
Easy to install and work just as I had expected. Great finish on brackets and quality hardware. Easy to follow instructions. Highly recommend these airbags!
The 2" spacers are definitely not needed for a Trail Boss. I could barely get them in, and now the ride is super stiff. Now I have to get back under the truck and remove the spacers. Not looking forward to that. It was very difficult installation, for no reason.
Looks great. Thanks
Very well built brackets, installation was as explained in the instruction. Happy Camper!
I put them to use today and was very happy with the ride and stability while towing my camper.
Love the product
The directions could’ve been a little more detailed
Put about 1800 miles on these last weekend. Was picking up a car that's heavier than my normal race car on the ramp truck, so I wanted to give the truck a bit of help. Good news, it worked well. Truck rode beautifully, loaded or unloaded.
The instructions could be a bit more clear, in regards to the clinch stud. I had that on backwards at first because of how things appeared in the picture. Also, I know most things are DIY but installation was about 80% assembly, 20% actual install. If these came already assembled, it would have saved a lot of time!
These fit absolutely perfect. Easy install help keep my truck level when connected to my fifth wheel.
Simple to install, did it without pulling the tires and wheels I seen no need for that, It took me a total of 3 hrs. to install in my driveway.
What a difference the air bags make when towing a camper. Installation was easy, instructions were well written.
The air bags were very simple to install but the u bolts for my gooseneck mount interfered with the air bag mounting
Good quality product. For my 2018 1500 Silverado it was a little difficult to get the U bolt over the frame but under the hard lines running on top of the frame in that area.
Aluminum ends, brackets, and even packaging was all exceptional and part of the reason I choose these. Haven't trailered anything yet but upon initial install no noticeable difference ride difference running 10 psi on a F250.
Worked well when pulling trailer. Kept vehicle and trailer level. Without trailer seems to creak and groan more than I thought it would.
Both of the fitting leak where they swivel. Had to take everything back off. Not my first time installing bags but First time with this brand and will be the last. Etrailer won’t make it right and having me go though pacbrake. Waiting on email to get process started. They Don’t seem to be in any hurry. Will try and source fitting local so I can get this back together. Shane on you etrailer. I ordered from you and shipping was slow not knowing it was directly coming from manufacturer.
Went in easy enough, better than I thought. Ride without trailer attached is good. Have not hooked up trailer yet
Easy to install with the rear tires off, did one side at the time with a single jack and two jack stands. The towing of our fifth wheel is much better, much less chucking and more directional stable.
I decided on the pack break airbag due to my truck stock height. With a limited amount of room, there is between the axle and the frame they fit perfectly. They almost work with no air in them at all. I figure with a little bit of pressure. It’ll hold all the weight and still ride well I had them on the truck completely functional in an hour and a half, and that’s even with one bag, assembled incorrectly and reassembled correctly and installed so even with that little mistake it was still an hour and a half installed with the wheels off highly recommend this kit looks good. Seems to work well and fits in the tight space stock truck Cuz.
I like these bags. This is my 3rd set of air bags but my 1st set of PACBRAKE I have owned and they are the best. Metal where others are plastic. Powder coated instead of paint that rusts off. nice hardware instead of crummy allan bolts that can't easily be removed. The bracing is much better too. They are by far higher quality than the firestone. Installation is about the same but they use stainless air fittings instead of plastic like the other guys. The ends of the PACBRAKE are machined aluminum. My Airlifts brand were plastic with inserts that broke out.(see pic) I havent had the chance to use the new PACBRAKE under tough conditions but the hardware and Materials they are made of are superior to the other brands.
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