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5,000-lb Capacity. LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate air springs have internal bumpers, so you get the adjustable load support of air springs and the comfort and reliability of jounce springs. Jounces also work as a fail-safe if air springs lose pressure.
Features:
Specs:
The air springs and jounce springs in this system work together to give you the best ride whether your truck is loaded or unloaded. Air Lift's LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate air springs have internal urethane foam jounces that protect the air springs and provide added ride comfort when your air pressure is low. The jounces also allow you to temporarily carry a load if the air springs lose air pressure. This gives your 3/4- or 1-ton pickup, motor home, or commercial truck air springs that are easier to maintain.
Carrying heavy cargo in your truck bed or trailer puts extra stress on your truck. Your brakes erode faster, your tires wear unevenly, and handling suffers severely. When towing, you might also experience excessive sway, bottoming out, and even inaccurate and unsafe headlight aim.
By pairing your existing suspension with LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate air springs, you can seriously beef up your suspension, ensure equal load distribution, and get the support you need. The springs provide up to 5,000 lbs of load-leveling capacity (depending on the weight-carrying capacity of your vehicle) and distribute the weight of your payload to all 4 wheels. As a result, the stress on your factory suspension is significantly reduced. LoadLifter's air bags are adjustable from 5 to 100 psi for precise support, and they can be inflated equally for front-to-back leveling or independently of one another for side-to-side leveling.
The air springs are made of high-quality, 2-ply, fabric-reinforced rubber. Most air bags lose air at the ends where the bag is enclosed with steel caps. These caps can rust and corrode over time, creating small holes. But the endcaps on Air Lift air bags are fashioned from corrosion-proof Zytel nylon, a material that is both stronger and lighter than steel, ensuring that the air bags won't lose air.
The air bags also have Air Lift's exclusive roll plates, which protect the air springs and beef up their load capacity. These sturdy plates help guard the springs from moving parts under your vehicle that might puncture the air bags. The plates also provide a larger surface area for each spring to roll on. The extra surface area gives you a higher spring rate at a lower air pressure, resulting in a better ride.
The closed-cell urethane jounce spring inside each air spring gives you a more stable, comfortable ride. Each jounce acts as an overload spring and engages when your current air pressure level isn't enough to support your load. So on a rough road, the springs will kick in if needed to absorb bumps and shocks and help you to avoid bottoming out. When the jounces support a load, they adjust progressively - the more weight you pile on, the stiffer they become. The urethane material engages more smoothly than rubber jounces so you get a less jerky ride.
Because these jounces are taller than your factory jounce bumpers, they engage sooner than your factory jounces would to provide better support. And if the LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate air springs have insufficient or zero air pressure, the internal jounces will help to temporarily support your suspension and protect it from damage until you can repair or adjust the air spring system.
This system installs with the included brackets and hardware. Just mount the springs, inflate them, and ride. To inflate the LoadLifter springs, you just have to pump in air through the inflation valves. A line kit is included with the springs so that you can install the manual inflation valves (1 for each spring). These are typically mounted on the bumper but can be installed anywhere that is easily accessible. If you want to make the springs even easier to use, you can get a compressor and gauge system (sold separately) that allows you to monitor and adjust the springs from the cab of your truck.
Along with a lifetime warranty that has no mileage restrictions, Air Lift offers a 60-day satisfaction guarantee. Just install and use LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate springs for 60 days, and if you are not satisfied at the end of this time, you can remove and return them for a full refund.
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Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (500 Customer Reviews)
5,000-lb Capacity. LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate air springs have internal bumpers, so you get the adjustable load support of air springs and the comfort and reliability of jounce springs. Jounces also work as a fail-safe if air springs lose pressure.2020 GMC 2500. Did LoadLifter 5000 and EZ compressor set up.
The exhaust runs down the passenger side and the fuse box with switched power signal is on the driver side so for multiple reasons I wanted to mount the compressor on the driver side. I couldn’t do inside the rail as I would have preferred given all the DEF and fuel tanks. Above the frame rail running down most of the truck are 2 solid brake lines that would interfere with the U bolt to mount the EZ compressor assembly vertically as I originally intended. I did find a space I could fit it in without interference with those lines but it hung low and was more visible and exposed that I preferred. I did find though 2 existing holes in the frame that the U bolt fit in perfectly for a horizontal mount without interference and much higher and better tucked up under the truck for a super clean mount. The U bolt threads didn’t run deep enough for a single frame wall mount so for $3, I bought steel spacers and after painting them inside and out for corrosion resistance, I mounted very easily for a “customized” no drill $3 option. There is also a large wire harness that runs from that spot all the way to the battery so it was easy to run my wires along side and attach to that all the way up. Very happy with that location as air lines were easy to run and plenty long from there as well and put in 2 service loops just in case.
I ended up running the pink wire to the fuse box and bought some fuse splicer wires Iike in the etrailer video. Hesitated to trim the fuse box on my brand new truck so the lid would close and like to keep mods as unnoticeable as possible so wanted to see how well it performed just based on motion and waking with the remote or app. I’ll wire it later if needed but just left it tucked for now.
I also picked up some Daystar airbag cradles and mounted those to bottom bracket using the existing center hole in the bracket. Just picked up longer SS countersink bolts and hex nuts. No drill but I did have to trim the bolts off for a perfect length. Now the stretch of the airbag doesn’t limit suspension travel down and I don’t have to worry about bag damage when on a service lift down the road. Obviously when under its own weight or loaded the bags fit snugly and are well supported by the cradles. Outside of the time to buy the additional hardware that took zero additional time and is much preferred as now I can take it to the shop without worry. The only draw back is they are 6” cradles and I would have preferred the 7500# air bags for extra duty but they are 7”. I run the same setup on my 2002 Excursion and knew for sure I wanted the cradles so stayed with 5000# bags. I’m not loading a skid steer in the bed so really that should be plenty.
Love the AirLift system and have ran them for years. Glad to have them installed on my new truck and look forward to the next load.
Put pics of bags with suspension full droop, and then under normal weight. Also pics of the mounting location and final mounted compressor set up and look from side of truck.
Would recommend this set up for anyone who uses their truck like a truck and would recommend these minor mods on the install.
Excellent service. Easy to orde, free shipping and quick delivery.
Haven’t installed yet but shipping was fast and arrived earlier than expected. Look forward to installing the air bags and air compressor. Keep up the good work etrailer
Great product. East to install, east to use.
Installed on a 2021 GMC 3500 HD. Worked great after figuring out the placement of the Airbags. A install video on a newer truck would be helpful.Thanks again E-Trailer 6 stars on their customer service !
Pretty straight forward install, if you get the chassis lifted up enough. You really need more of the heat shield covering for the air lines, than what is included. That’s probably my only complaint so far.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
They were easy for any handy guy to install . It took about 2 hrs. They lifted my 2500 ram to sit level with my 37ft. 5th wheel. I even leave them as is, when I'm not hooked up, and don't notice a difference. I ran two separate lines to near my rear license plate, no compressor. I'm glad I didn't spend that extra money. You rarely change the pressure, and it's so easy to do.
JIM S - 03/04/2022Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
This was installed on a 2021 Chevy Express 2500 van conversion by Explorer Conversion Vans. Explorer installed an Eaton rear suspension and it was not up to the task of a heavy conversion van. I think the air bags help but I will need to upgrade the shock absorbers to eliminate some of the bounce from the air bags. There were three primary issues with the installation:
1) The parking brake cable bracket is in the way and has to be cut off the axle. I attached the parking brake cable clamp to one of the Air Lift bolts using a nut. This is not something every at-home installer can do.
2) The air hose is barely long enough. I specifically asked how long the hose is because I wanted to route it where the future compressor will go and was told there is enough to go around the entire vehicle. That is incorrect. I will have to replace the hoses at my cost when I upgrade to the onboard compressor system.
3) The etrailer video says to drill the mounting holes to 5/16" diameter. The 3/8"-16 bolts immediately stripped out. I should have drilled the holes to 9/32" diameter.
I have bought a lot from etrailer and I will purchase from them again. Most of my issues stem from the poor design and instructions of the Air Lift product. For example, it doesn’t say anywhere on the box or product literature how much air hose is provided.
Jenny N - 11/03/2021Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
The air bags do their job well and would be great for someone who caries the same load all the time or doesn't carry a load often these would be great. I have different loads on my trailer or I'm empty multiple times per day, I definitely recommend buying the setup with an air compressor and remote.
James - 02/13/2022Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
This 88205 kit was installed into a 2010 Roadtrek 210P (Chevy express 3500 chassis). If you own one, you know these vans run overloaded even on a good day. This kit was installed to increase stability and to reduce the "crash" as the van goes over bumps. These vans ride on the overload spring and there is no real progression to the rear suspension. The airbags will help absorb some of the impact from bumps in a progressive manner. I will also be installing new front coil springs to bring the ride height back to factory spec. The rear height has come up about an inch (25 psi in the bags) - as you can see in the van picture, there's a rake to the van. This will be resolved when the new coil springs are installed to raise the front height by a couple of inches. I will leave the front Sumo Springs jounce bumpers (black=medium) in place with the new coils. I mention all this in particular for 210 owners - you need to address both front and rear suspension issues.
First, the results. I was anticipating an improvement in driveability but I was very surprised at the huge improvement. Test drive was with 25 psi in the bags - I'll test other pressures to see what they result in. There is much less lean on turns and the rear suspension feels resistant to making every bump a big event. The bags absorb the initial shock and improve ride quality significantly, a lot of the cringe factor is now gone. Much more pleasurable to drive.
The internal jounce bumpers are worth the extra cost - not only do they help reduce the shock of bumps, but they supplement the response of the rear suspension. By this I mean that the airbag will initially take the impact, then for larger bumps, the internal jounce bumpers will progressively absorb more impact. At the same time the rear springs are able to work better since they are not completely dependent on the thick overload spring. Additionally, if an airbag loses air completely, the vehicle can still ride on the internal jounce bumper until repairs can be made.
I installed the fill valves below the rear bumper lip (they point downwards). A bit clunky to get to, but I plan a later install of an on-board compressor. The amount of air line was just enough to run to the back bumper, you need to plan carefully on routing to ensure you have enough line. I did not combine the lines, each bag is filled individually. In my case, due to location of spare tire, water/sewer tanks, fuel tank and coach storage I wanted to be able to tweak each side to get to level ground to fender lip measurement on each side. Gives me a level vehicle even with varied load locations.
I think this is a better kit for our application than the Firestone air bag kit as this kit places the airbag right between the frame and the axle, the best place for load bearing. The Firestone kit places the top bag mount on a bracket mounted to the side of the frame. This can weaken over time with the bracket always trying to resist being pushed off the frame. The Air Lift kit doesn't need any connection to the leaf spring u-bolts and I like that too.
The kit included everything I needed. One of the few times I've not had to change something in order to do a complete thorough installation. Instructions were fine and I liked the torque numbers given - sure you can get the bolts "tight enough" but it's good when a mfg provides complete data. I used the heat sleeve and shield too, the shield is a good idea.
Before final install of the airbag assembly, check the angle of the horizontal bar that extends to the rear from the top bag mount bracket. It's a bit off from the bend in the frame, just needs a check and possible tweaking of the bar. Easy to do, and this will let the top bag mount bracket bear directly on the frame as it's designed to do. The lower bag mount bracket installs easily, and I used the relocating bolt/spacer for the passenger side hand brake cable. Nice to have that detail covered.
On 210's you may have a 1.5 in spacer under the leaf spring - installed by Roadtrek. It will probably have a ledge extension for the frame bumper. You'll be removing the frame bumper anyway, and the ledge extension needs to be cut off to provide space for the airbag. I removed the spacer, cut off the extension and re-installed the spacer. I replaced the original crusty u-bolts at the same time - you should not re-use u-bolts, especially these high torque bolts. U-bolts stretch and also distort at the threads. Get new u-bolts and check them for a few hundred miles after they are installed as they may stretch a bit more. U-bolts are square bend, 2 9/16in. inside dimension to get over 2 1/2in. spring width. Originals were about 11 3/4in long but you can knock an inch off the length. I used oem length and you can see they are a bit long.
I like cost-effective results - this kit provided those results in our case. You always hope for the best and I think that it's of particular benefit to our tubby 210s with that substantial rear weight and overhang. Took me a couple of days to get everything done, but it's well worth the time and cost. Highly recommended.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
Good product. A slight change from the Firestone double convoluted airbags that originally came with my Chevy p30 Itasca motorhome. But after a few hours of getting them into position properly, the ride is extra smooth. I run these at 100psi and they may only have a slow drop to 98 or 97 psi after a few days. Instructions for the 90 degree elbow say hand tight and then 1 and half more turns, but my passenger side bag, leaked immediately. Pulled the bag back out and reset the elbow with teflon tape and gave it a few more turns. Checked with soapy water, and everything worked perfectly. Depending on the position of your axle, you may have to set the bag a few times adjusting the mounting plate for best fit. The printed template unfortunately didn't help in this 3d space. Best to get as close to upright as you can when you find the correct mounting position.
etrailer was able to deliver these in 2-3 days and had them shipped the day of order.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
I bought this setup for my 3/4 ton F-250 and 5th wheel. I was tired of oncoming traffic flashing their high beams at me when driving at night. This was due to the 5th wheel being heavy enough that when hooked up, the rear of the truck dropped about 2-3 inches and angled my headlights into the eyes of oncoming traffic.
After researching air bag/helper springs and compressors, I decided this was the system that would fit my needs. The Air lift Load lifter 5000 air springs along with the Air Lift Wireless One compressor were perfect to level the truck out when the 5th wheel is hooked up. This setup is great and gets the job done. I did measurements on the truck rear end before and after the 5th wheel was hooked up to determine ride height. This let me dial in the right pressure for the compressor and air springs to maintain and keep my rig leveled out. No more oncoming traffic flashing me because my headlights are in their eyes.
Installation was simple and the directions pretty clear. Since this isn't my daily driver, I took it slow and installed the air springs over a couple of evenings after work. I didn't like the idea of mounting the compressor under the truck on a frame rail, so I mounted it inside the bed on the driver side front corner with a protective cover. This way, it is also protected by my bed cover and if necessary easy to access if it needs attention.
I give the compressor and air springs system 5 stars. But, I do have a complaint. The compressor will not let you go below 5 lbs of air in the springs. This causes the rear end and subsequently the ride to become much stiffer if there isn't any weight in the bed of the truck. Not sure if that is the fault of the compressor or the air springs. To compensate for this, I usually have some weight in the bed to help even the ride out. If I had it to do over again, I would still go with this system.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
Very easy to install on my 2021 Ford Transit! All hardware is provided and the instructions were spot on. I definitely recommend these when running at or near capacity. Makes a huge difference in handling and ride.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
The air bags work great, I have a 2017 F-350 and I add 40psi of air to the bags and truck is back to level . Ride is smooth and no bounce ,5th wheel hitch weight is 3900 lbs and trailer weighs 16,500lbs unloaded. Even with a 1ton truck the bags save the suspension. Had them on my 1st truck and this one , will do it on my next truck if I keep camping.
Mike - 07/16/2022Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
PACKAGE ARRIVED IN A TIMELY FASHION AND WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. ALL PARTS WERE THERE. PROCEEDED WITH INSTALL OF REAR AIR BAGS ON 2019 WINNEBAGO VISTA LX 27", 18,000 GVW..WENT ALONG WELL ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS...DID FIND OUT IN THE END I DID NOT HAVE TO REMOVE CURRENT JOUNCES OR EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE BRACKETS AS INSTRUCTIONS INDICATE. ALSO HAVE HARNESSES ON EACH SIDE OF FRAME THAT GET IN THE WAY OF UPPER BRACKETS. I HAD TO REMOVE SOME WIRING CLAMPS AND RELOCATE HARNESSES SO UPPER BRACKETS WOULD BOLT UP. MAY WANT TO UPDATE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS ON THESE LATER MODELS TO TALK ABOUT RELOCATING HARNESSES.
INSTALL WENT WELL FROM THERE AND THEY DO AS ADVERTISED, LEVEL FROM SIDE TO SIDE AS WELL AS FRONT TO REAR. I TAKE A TRIP IN A WEEK AND ALSO HOPING THEY TAKE SOME HARSHNESS OUT OF SOME ROAD BUMPS!
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
Installed in my garage and install went smooth. Look at instructions as slight adjustment based on what suspension you have (sway bar) all went together in one evening
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
Great setup. Everything fit well and was moderately easy to install. The airbags at only 5 psi tightened up the handling of my truck noticeably.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
Easy install, they smoothed out the ride on our F350 dually dramatically and eliminated the squat on the truck with the 5th wheel attached. Still want to install the compressor, then it will be complete.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
Exactly the parts I was looking for to the model of vehicle chassis I have. Easy to find on the website and everything there to help you install it as the RV owner. Thanks to Etrailer.com again for having exactly what I needed to accomplish my latest task with our motorhome.
Lawrence - 07/09/2022Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
Instructions were very clear. I made photo copies of the two pages with the overall drawing and the material list so I did not have to page back and forth. I have a fifth wheel plate in my truck which required the drilling method of attachment for the upper bracket. It would be nice to have some suggestions to make that process simpler.
Review from a similar LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate in Vehicle Suspension
The air bags fit the front of my class a motorhome just fine. I plan on using the air bags to level the motorhome as the suspension is sagging a little.
Great product.
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Instructions for AL88205
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