Recommended Air Lift Air Spring Kit For A 2013 Ford E-350 Super Duty Shuttle Bus

Updated 10/03/2024 | Published 09/28/2024

Question:

Hello, can you tell me what is the recommended air lift kit for a 2013 ford e350 super duty shuttle bus dually rear wheel drive?

asked by: Hector O

Shuttle
(click to enlarge)

Bus
(click to enlarge)

Expert Reply:

Hi Hector,

According to Air Lift's fitment guide the Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Helper Springs with Internal Jounce Bumpers # AL88138 would be the correct kit for your 2013 Ford E-350 Super Duty shuttle bus. These springs have jounce bumpers built into them as extra protection for when you're air springs aren't aired up. These bumpers can be a bit stiff so if you feel like you're hitting them too often then you should air up the springs just a bit more to compensate.

expert reply by: Kevin C

Hector

10/1/2024

Hi Kevin, Thank you for the detailed information. By chance is there an Air Lift kit for the front of the shuttle bus that would be needed to make it a smoother ride? Or is it not necessary to have one in the front of the bus? I’m just looking for the smoother ride possible on my shuttle bus.

Kevin C.

10/2/2024

@Hector Air springs are great for eliminating sag but they aren't really known for giving a great unloaded ride quality. You'd be better off going with jounce springs in both the front and back to help cushion the suspension, prevent sag as passengers are loaded, and help prevent side-to-side sway as well. For your chassis you would need the SumoSprings Maxim Custom Helper Springs # SSR-106-40-1 for the rear and the SumoSprings Solo Custom Helper Springs # SSF-106-40 for front.

Helpful Links

tv-install-sumosprings-solo-custom-helper-springs-2017-ford-e-series-cutaway-ssf-106-40.aspx

Hector

10/2/2024

@KevinC thanks for the info. Let me give you some more information on my bus. My shuttle bus is completely gutted, I removed everything inside including the lift that it came with. I remodeled the inside for work and travel. Therefore the actual weight of my bus is actually much less than the weight you probably saw on the description when you looked it up. Now that you know this, I’m not sure if the recommendations you gave me will change. Kevin, what I’m looking for and what’s most important is that when I drive over bumps, I want my shuttle bus to have that “bouncy” feel. I want it to take the bumps with smooth “up and down “ movements; kinda like Traveling Coach Buses have. That’s my main concern. I hope how I’m explaining it here makes sense. I’m not going go have loads of weight in the bus just a smooth ride that takes bumps and vibrations well is what I’m after. Let me know if you need more information. Also let me know if I should still go with the Jounce Bumpers or if now I will be needing something different. Thank you for your time and I appreciate your help! Hector

Kevin C.

10/3/2024

@Hector Jounce springs like the SumoSprings I recommended would actually be the better choice for what you're wanting over air springs. They have a softer progression so that when the suspension compresses it's not going to feel like you're hitting a hard wall and will give you a smoother ride quality. Since you were already talking about the goal being ride quality I looked up the payload capacity for your vehicle and recommended lower rated springs that are right at that capacity or just below it depending on your specific model. I still stand behind my recommendation of the # SSR-106-40-1 and # SSF-106-40 for your setup.