Air Lift Kit on a F53 Chassis

[corvettec3]

I was just wondering if anyone has installed an air-lift kit. I have a '99 Chieftain 35U and I have a rather steep driveway. An extra two or three inches rear bumper height would sure be helpful. Air-Lift tell me that their 57410 kit should give me the extra height I need. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has 'been there, done that'. Also, this is my first post on the forum and I look forward to participating and meeting other Winnebago owners. This is my first Class A. Cheers

 

[John Hilley]

I put them on a 99 Brave 35U with the F-53 chassis. I believe they would do the job, but they would be maxed out at 90# air pressure.

 

[Wanabee FTer]

Remember that 2" lift at the rear wheels will translate to much more at the rear bumper due to the geometry of the wheel base and amount of rear overhang.
The rear air bag install on my f53 solved all my tail dragging concerns. Here is a link to my air bag blog install

If I remember correctly, you may not need to drill the frame rails on '99 and up f53 chassis.

 

[corvettec3]

Remember that 2" lift at the rear wheels will translate to much more at the rear bumper due to the geometry of the wheel base and amount of rear overhang.
The rear air bag install on my f53 solved all my tail dragging concerns. Here is a link to my air bag blog install

If I remember correctly, you may not need to drill the frame rails on '99 and up f53 chassis.

Thanks John for the link. That kit looks very similar to the kit by Air Lift. How much air do you leave in them for highway travel?

 

[corvettec3]

I put them on a 99 Brave 35U with the F-53 chassis. I believe they would do the job, but they would be maxed out at 90# air pressure.

Thanks John, what air pressure did you keep yours at when cruising?

 

[Wanabee FTer]

I installed the rear bags so that I can adjust each side independently. The trick I learned is to avoid over inflating the rear bags. This will cause ill handling effects. I got the best ride when I adjusted the bags for the motorhome to ride level (front to rear and side to side). For me that's 60 psi in the right rear and 40 psi in left rear, but all rigs will require different air pressure adjustments to ride properly.

 

[AirLift]

As previously mentioned, adding air bags should definitely help bring the rear up the amount you need. Not sure if you have seen it yet or not but here is a link to the install manual for the 574100 kit.

The two holes on the lower portion of the bracket utilize factory holes, but you will have to drill two holes for the upper section of the bracket.

Air bag pressures will vary between users and weights of your contents. This is one major benefit of having the bags ran on individual lines, as you can then level the RV side to side based on how much weight might be on the passenger side versus the drivers side. The max pressure for this kit is 100 psi, but as another poster mentioned, you might not get much height difference after 90 psi. Again this really depends on how your vehicle is loaded.

Please let me know if you have any questions I may be able to help with.

 

[corvettec3]

As previously mentioned, adding air bags should definitely help bring the rear up the amount you need. Not sure if you have seen it yet or not but here is a link to the install manual for the 574100 kit.

The two holes on the lower portion of the bracket utilize factory holes, but you will have to drill two holes for the upper section of the bracket.

Air bag pressures will vary between users and weights of your contents. This is one major benefit of having the bags ran on individual lines, as you can then level the RV side to side based on how much weight might be on the passenger side versus the drivers side. The max pressure for this kit is 100 psi, but as another poster mentioned, you might not get much height difference after 90 psi. Again this really depends on how your vehicle is loaded.

Please let me know if you have any questions I may be able to help with.

Thanks very much. I ordered the kit including the onboard compressor with remote control from Jegs. I just got under the wire for the $100 rebate Looking forward to getting it installed. If it gives me a couple more inches of clearance for backing up my driveway, it sure is more economical than having my driveway rebuilt

I love it when the actual manufacturer chimes in on a post. It certainly gives credibility to the product. Thanks Mike, much appreciated.

 

[AirLift]

No problem, let me know if you having any troubles or questions during the install.

Glad I could help, even though I was a little late on the response.

 

[corvettec3]

No problem, let me know if you having any troubles or questions during the install.

Glad I could help, even though I was a little late on the response.

Just a quick question Mike...Does the air compressor have to be mounted in a dry compartment area or can it be mounted somewhere on the undercarriage?

Thanks.

 

[AirLift]

It can be mounted on the frame. Ideally not right behind the rear wheels, but they are designed to be used outside of the living quarters or cab.

 

[corvettec3]

I just completed the install of my air-lift kit and I will attach some pictures soon. I purchased this kit, not for the intended purpose of ride enhancement, but to give my coach extra clearance when climbing my steep driveway. At 90 psi the bags raise the rear bumper just shy of 4". This kit is amazing and it has undoubtedly saved me thousands of dollars in that I now do not have to rebuild my driveway. A big thank you to the guys at Air-Lift for a super product.

 

[sixmilefishing]

I also am looking at installing air bags on my 1999 Itaska Suncruiser. My unit is a diesel pusher on a Freightliner chassis. The ride is very hard on rough roads, more so on the front end. My leaf springs in the front are straight with no "bow" or arch. I do not know if this is normal. I bought the unit last year. It has Bilstien shocks.
What if anything can I do to improve the ride? Is air bags the answer?

 

[Wanabee FTer]

Hello kirkpal1,

Since this thread is titled Air lift on F53 (Ford Chassis), I doubt you are going to get many responses for your concern.

Try starting a new thread on the Freightliner Motorhome Chassis sub-forum.