I needed to be able to level my '04 1500 Silverado work truck when pulling my construction trailer. The truck just sat a bit too low with the trailer on the ball. Worse if I had any crap in the bed. After much reading/research I settled on the Hellwig Air Helper springs. http://www.truckspring.com/air-springs_1061.html I looked closely at the Firestone and Airlift products but the Hellwig had two major advantages. The Hellwig actually mounts between the frame and the axle, replacing the factory bump stop. The Hellwig is a complete bolt on, NO drilling required, so it can be removed easily if needed. The only negative is the price, about $100 more than Firestone/Airlift. The system is overkill for my needs. The minimum pressure is 10psi with a max of 50psi. Actually I got the results I needed with only 11psi. There was no change in ride quality either. I closely considered regular steel helper springs but I was unwilling to give up the nice ride of the Silverado as most of the time it is unloaded. Thumbs up to a decent product. RT

 

I completely agree with you. I just don't understand what the question is though!

Good choice on the product, did you get the on board air system with it? I would have saved the money and gotten the on board air compressor. Then you have air on your rig for tires or small air tools.

 

There was no question, simply a post giving the product a thumbs up. I've seen the air bag vs helper spring topic debated in the past so I posted my results for all to see. No on-board compressor yet..... Planning on adding that in a few months. RT

 

Cool man, thanks for the info though! Hope it all holds up like it is designed and promised.

 

Yeah, we see that a lot with our customers here in the shop. The hellwig 6012 is a great solution for the half ton GM truck that needs an extra boost with the 5,000 lbs kit. I think the reason Firestone 2320 kit and Air Lift 59501 are only 2,000-3,000 lbs kits is because a lot of half ton drivers only need that much support. Always nice to have options though.

 

Wow, this came back from the dead! FWIW, the Hellwig setup is still going strong, doing exactly what it was designed for. I'm actually hauling more than expected, I installed a pellet stove in my house and now I haul a ton of pellets at a time. Air up the rear tires to max, air up the Hellwig bags to max and the Silverado rides nice and level, smooth too. Not advocating overloading your truck, but it does allow me to haul 2-3 one ton loads a year and not have to commit to a 3/4ton gas sucking pickup full-time. I never did add the on-board compressor. Airing up when I need to is easy, the bags lose 2psi or so over 2-3 months so I have to add a bit of air from time to time. Not a big deal. RT