Off road with air ride

[Beendare]

If i was a guy doing serious offroading.... i cant recommend the air suspension.

We had a situation in Arizona last week on the late archery hunt where they got a lot of rain the week before. Sections just off the road we’re like quicksand. My buddy in the big Dodge ram pulling the trailer got stuck. So we sent the lifted forward with 35 inch Toryos to go pull him out he got stuck, then I went over in my ram 1500 and got stuck, then the Rancher came over in his three-quarter ton Dodge with a winch to pull us out and he got stuck.

My point is with the air suspension is it actually works against you in the situations. The truck lowers itself down into the mud when you get out.

The other issue with these trucks is the electronics. You have to turn all those electronics off just to get your wheels to turn if you’re buried

I love my air suspension in this truck has the 2 inch spacer with the revel links.

This truck is fantastic on solid ground but I’ve had a lot better four-wheel-drive rigs

 

[Beendare]

Pics didnt post

 

[Beendare]

Another

These pics are After we did some serious digging

 

[Gusman4]

In that clay like mud pretty much anything would’ve gotten stuck. Even with MT tires looks like you would of been stuck. Bigger MT tires and more lift so you didn’t bottom out might of done it. There are a few places around me where if it’s really wet your getting stuck not matter what.

 

[go-ram]

If i was a guy doing serious offroading.... i cant recommend the air suspension.
We had a situation in Arizona last week on the late archery hunt where they got a lot of rain the week before. Sections just off the road we’re like quicksand. My buddy in the big Dodge ram pulling the trailer got stuck. So we sent the lifted forward with 35 inch Toryos to go pull him out he got stuck, then I went over in my ram 1500 and got stuck, then the Rancher came over in his three-quarter ton Dodge with a winch to pull us out and he got stuck.
My point is with the air suspension is it actually works against you in the situations. The truck lowers itself down into the mud when you get out.
The other issue with these trucks is the electronics. You have to turn all those electronics off just to get your wheels to turn if you’re buried
I love my air suspension in this truck has the 2 inch spacer with the revel links.
This truck is fantastic on solid ground but I’ve had a lot better four-wheel-drive rigs

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It seems like you're trying to say that the air suspension is a liability only if you've gotten the truck stuck in soft stuff up to the axles, because it lowers the body a few more inches, right?
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Given that all of the other trucks got stuck, and they didn't have air suspension, it wasn't that your Ram with air suspension is any worse off-road, with the specific exception that the body lowers itself further, making it harder to pull the vehicle out of the soft stuff because the body is then touching the mud/sand, which adds to the force required to pull the vehicle free.
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And in terms of the electronics, isn't that pretty much the same for all modern trucks? They all have tons of nanny-gear that detects wheelspin, modulates the brakes, etc. to provide supposedly better traction. Computers on wheels - not necessarily an improvement over the trucks of yesteryear.
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Just trying to understand more clearly and simply the message you're trying to get across.
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Thanks for the heads-up on the potential extra pitfalls of the air-suspension offroad.

 

[Zeronet]

Never thought that the air suspension would try to lower once the truck is pretty buried but it makes sense that it would. Guess I’d put it in Jack Mode (so the air suspension wont adjust) if I anticipate a similar situation.

 

[d_THRILL]

Are you saying the air suspension is self lowering itself because it’s stuck? So you can’t raise it to OR1 or OR2 from Normal?

 

[Zeronet]

Don’t know if your question was for me but I could see if you were in OR2 and you start bottoming the truck in a couple of spots and the wheels are spinning, digging the wheels in deeper. The sensors would sense that the ride height is too high and try to lower.

 

[Beendare]

I wouldnt say ajr suspension is a huge liability- just not preferable for hard core 4 wheeling. I had it on the highest setting. At one point when it was stuck the dash read air suspension not available.

i did not have addl skid plates. The cross members and that tubular support Just dug in.

Yep anything was going to get stuck except a quad or a Ranger.

the ride at the highest setting was very stiff, nothing like the coil overs on my last truck. Driving this truck on the road in the #2 normal setting it is by far the best riding truck I’ve ever owned.

The one white Ford is as trcked out as jt gets: 6” lift, 35” toyos, locking rear axle, It was the first truck we got out when the ground froze.

 

[Beendare]

Heres a question for ya.....

Why do truck manufacturers use a channel type beam under a truck that can hold mud and stuff? Wouldn't it be smarter to use Steel square stock or box beam construction? Inquiring minds....

 

[Beendare]

Heres Another question

I wonder if there’s a way to use the air ride to get you out? In my case I was stuck to the frame but I’m wondering if a guy could somehow jack the truck into the highest setting with some stuff under the frame and then lower it down or put it in jack mode to get something under the wheels?

 

[go-ram]

Heres a question for ya.....

Why do truck manufacturers use a channel type beam under a truck that can hold mud and stuff? Wouldn't it be smarter to use Steel square stock or box beam construction? Inquiring minds....

***************************************
Heres Another question

I wonder if there’s a way to use the air ride to get you out? In my case I was stuck to the frame but I’m wondering if a guy could somehow jack the truck into the highest setting with some stuff under the frame and then lower it down or put it in jack mode to get something under the wheels?

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That's a good question WRT using the air-suspension to possibly set boards under the frame with it at max lift height, then "lower the suspension", in effect pulling the wheels a couple of inches upward so you can stuff boards or whatever under the tires. Assuming the air system is fully at your command, it seems like you could possibly do that. But then again, maybe they have enough sensors in the system to know it's buried in mud/sand, and they restrict the functionality of the air lift system. I dunno, but it's a great question.
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Regarding a channel type cross member instead of a box-beam, they spend thousands of engineering hours to optimize strength, stiffness and weight of the frames, and I'm guessing that a box-beam is not really necessary for the cross-members. The lengthwise frame members are box-beams, because they are carrying the entire load. But crossmembers typically only hold up transmissions and/or space the lengthwise main frame rails apart, so if they don't need the extra strength of a box-beam crossmember for structural reasons, they will use an open channel in order to save weight.
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[CaptainCJ35]

Heres Another question

I wonder if there’s a way to use the air ride to get you out? In my case I was stuck to the frame but I’m wondering if a guy could somehow jack the truck into the highest setting with some stuff under the frame and then lower it down or put it in jack mode to get something under the wheels?

I think gravity would just pull down the wheels like a regular spring.

 

[kliffy77]

I avoid air suspension at all cost i know youl find what I’ll say strange but I’m welling to pay extra just not to get it!

 

[AnthonyD1978]

the ride at the highest setting was very stiff, nothing like the coil overs on my last truck. Driving this truck on the road in the #2 normal setting it is by far the best riding truck I’ve ever owned.

That's because you've maxed out the suspension travel on the highest setting. It has no rebound room when used on rough terrain. The same reason trucks don't ride well when cheaping out on big lifts.

 

[TruckDriver]

My point is with the air suspension is it actually works against you in the situations. The truck lowers itself down into the mud when you get out.

Thanks for reporting what happened - I read all the comments and there's some good insights there. Makes sense that the auto-level/height adjustment will compensate for the change in 'ride height'

I wonder if any Mopar Tech's might read these and comment -

If the system is in 4X4 Hi/Lo or with axle lock, would the Air setting stay in place similar to jack mode?

Alternately, is there a fuse that can be pulled to force the system 'off' from auto-leveling / ride height adjustment?

Finally, does the air system use a combination of height sensors + PSI to make adjustments? I'm thinking if the corner sensors are overridden (similar to the revel link 'lift'), would they pressurize and 'lift' the truck off it being high centered?

 

[DesertRebel]

If i was a guy doing serious offroading.... i cant recommend the air suspension.
View attachment 42180
We had a situation in Arizona last week on the late archery hunt where they got a lot of rain the week before. Sections just off the road we’re like quicksand. My buddy in the big Dodge ram pulling the trailer got stuck. So we sent the lifted forward with 35 inch Toryos to go pull him out he got stuck, then I went over in my ram 1500 and got stuck, then the Rancher came over in his three-quarter ton Dodge with a winch to pull us out and he got stuck.

My point is with the air suspension is it actually works against you in the situations. The truck lowers itself down into the mud when you get out.

The other issue with these trucks is the electronics. You have to turn all those electronics off just to get your wheels to turn if you’re buried

I love my air suspension in this truck has the 2 inch spacer with the revel links.

This truck is fantastic on solid ground but I’ve had a lot better four-wheel-drive rigs

Well that's discouraging. you just ruined 2020 for me

 

[TruckDriver]

Well that's discouraging. you just ruined 2020 for me

You could always raise to the desired height and pull the fuse for air adjustment; sure you'll have another light on the dash but it'll clear after a restart/fuse back in.

Not an elegant solution, but if it's stupid and works, it's not (all) stupid heh

 

[jimk hunt]

Heres a question for ya.....

Why do truck manufacturers use a channel type beam under a truck that can hold mud and stuff? Wouldn't it be smarter to use Steel square stock or box beam construction? Inquiring minds....

COST!

 

[derp]

You could always raise to the desired height and pull the fuse for air adjustment; sure you'll have another light on the dash but it'll clear after a restart/fuse back in.

Not an elegant solution, but if it's stupid and works, it's not (all) stupid heh

If that works, you could also move the fuse out to allow for an inline switch. Instead of power -> fuse -> air ride , you could have Power -> switch -> fuse -> air ride.
Definitely don't ditch the fuse entirely. but the circuit loop being extended to include a toggle would be more convenient long term than pulling and re-seating fuses.

*I don't have air ride. I can't test this to see if it would actually produce the desired results. I am only speculating on a comfortable way of getting this if TruckDriver's post holds true.*