air bags

[fathead]

we have newer f250 standard cab long beds w/ mobile darkrooms on the back, ( basically they are like the sixpak campers without windows) I think they weigh about 1500 lbs?
how much air should we be running in the air bags. The trucks drive real top heavy. should we just run enough air to keep them level in the rear?
Thanks
by the way, we do non-destructive testing, mag particle, dye penetrant, x-ray, etc. Let me know if you guys have any questions about testing parts for race cars.
Jamie jamie@davislabs.com

[FABRICATOR]

Jaime,
The actual air pressure required varies with the size of the air bags and your spring setup. All you need is enough to keep it level. Air bags are pretty progressive so you should not need extra air for the bumps, etc. Adding more pressure than necessary will only add to the top heaviness. One thing that can be very helpful is having the bags plumbed separately. This keeps the air from shifting from side to side and acts a little bit like an anti-sway bar. I carry all kinds of junk in my ¾ ton. A 1500 pound load takes about 60 pounds of air pressure in my setup.

[Dave_G]

Jamie,
The key thing to remember with air bags is that air pressure should be used for setting ride height and closing down the volume by adding fluid to the bag changes the spring rate.

Dave