06 TUNDRA - ADD A LEAF OR AIR SHOCKS?

I have had these installed for several years on my Tundra and have been happy with them. They are easy to install, too.

INDIVIDUAL sez:

Air bags:

The on-board compressors are expensive overkill, I just carry a 3 gal. air tank that I fill at the house with the main compressor and use it pressure up when needed. I installed the air nipples in an existing hole in the splash guard behind the rear wheels. Easy to get to but out of sight so the curious or malicious don't dork with them.

Good wrenchin' to ya, VLJ

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I'd recommend Tom in Macon or vlj's solutions before adding leaf springs because they are designed to correct ride height. Additional leaf springs will make the ride very harsh.

I've also been looking at an air bag setup for my '06 to be used with a lightweight camper (

The load sensing proportioning valve ("LSPV") is not a sensor; it is a valve. Yes, it would be a pain to have to adjust the LSPV every time you need to pump up the bags but fortunately, you do not have to. Basically, the LSPV is attached to the frame and has an linkage attached to the axle. When the bed is lightly loaded, it will tend to rise under heavy braking, which decreases the load on the rear tires, which tends to make the rear wheels lock up. With the LSPV, when the bed rises, the linkage attached to the axle restricts the flow of brake fluid to the rear brakes, reducing the tendency for the rear wheels to lock up. Basically, the LSPV functions as a rudimentary anti-lock brake system.

If the bed is heavily laden, the it will have less tendency for it to rise during hard braking so the LSPV wouldn't be activated. On the other hand, if you raise the truck bed so it is higher than normal, then you will have reduced braking to the rear wheels.

And if you only use the airbags to get back to normal ride height, the LSPV will not trigger and will allow normal rear braking - the front disc brakes do most of the work anyway. If the truck is empty and the airbags not deflated, the bed goes WAY up and the LSPV will restrict the rear brakes.

Remember that most airbags have a minimum operating pressure as well as a maximum, it should be spelled out in the instructions. Usually

If you plan to change the load a lot day to day, get the on-board inflation kit with the little compressor and the under-dash controls. That way you'll be able to adjust them as needed when needed by pushing a switch, without running to a gas station each time.

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If the rear end sags, you need more spring.

Not all add-a-leafs are the same, it depends on how much extra weight you want to handle.

Check a local spring shop if you have one.

Thanks Ray and Bruce for the education. Guess I'll have to take some measurements prior to the air bag install to ensure that I'm not inflating them beyond my normal ride height.

Or just walk back ten paces and look after you've changed the load substantially - if it's nose high or tail high, most people with a good eye can spot it easily. That's where the built-in pump system works like a charm, just add or remove 10 PSI and drive away.

Bootleggers would have loved a system like that - the car rides level no matter what the load, without touching a wrench.

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You're welcome! Come to think of it, I'm not really sure if a truck equipped with ABS even has a load sensing proportioning valve (LSPV), although our Previa has both ABS and an LSPV. You can check easily enough by crawling under the back end of the truck and following the brake lines from the rear wheels. If it has an LSPV, you will see the left and right lines pass through a device mounted on a crossmember above the rear differential that has a thin metal rod angling down and attached to a linkage on the rear axle. If the brake lines just snake up to the front of the truck, then there is no LSPV.

Enjoy your new truck!