New Product Spotlight: Air Lift Load Lifter 7500XL
Let’s face it, if you give heavy-duty truck buyer’s an inch, they’ll take a mile. Offer them a truck that can tow 30,000 pounds and they’ll put it to the test — and then some. But just because your pickup is rated to tow an absurd amount of weight on paper doesn’t mean it will enjoy doing it out in the real world. Improper load positioning, excessive tongue weight and an un-level payload can lead to a truck that squats, rides rough and steers, brakes and handles poorly with 15 tons behind it. Luckily, as the Big Three continue to push towing and payload ratings higher and higher, aftermarket support is keeping pace.
For over five decades, Air Lift has been making products that allow truck’s to live up to their full towing and payload potential — and the company recently released an air spring system that matches the mountain-moving capability of today’s heavy-duty pickups. The Load Lifter 7500XL system was designed to support the largest loads on the road and offers up to 7,500 pounds worth of load-leveling capacity. Ready to make your late-model heavy-duty Ford, GM or Ram even more capable? Check out all the details on Air Lift’s industry-leading system below.
Ideal for Max GCWR
If you own a late model heavy-duty pickup and you’re going to be towing at its maximum gross combined weight rating or (cringe) going beyond it, you are in definite need of air springs. The leveling ability that these systems provide makes the entire towing experience safer, more comfortable and much easier on your truck’s suspension. Let us not forget that a leveled tow vehicle experiences less tire wear and also rules out the kind of headlight aim that blinds oncoming traffic.
Load Lifter 7500XL vs. Load Lifter 5000
At the heart of Air Lift’s new Load Lifter 7500XL are massive, 7-inch diameter air springs. Their construction is similar to that of a tire, with multiple layers of rubber and cords being utilized to control growth. The commercial grade, dual convolute bellows offer 20-percent more air volume than the air springs used in Air Lift’s best-selling Load Lifter 5000 series systems. In addition, the 7-inch diameter springs provide for greater leveling strength at lower pressures.
Corrosion Resistant
The end caps of the air springs supplied in the Load Lifter 7500XL system are worth taking a closer look at. Made from a high-strength nylon composite, Air Lift claims them to be corrosion proof (no rust!). They’re also said to be just as strong as steel, while weighing considerably less.
All-Inclusive, No Drilling Required
With no drilling or cutting required, Air Lift’s Load Lifter 7500XL is a 100-percent bolt-on system that comes with all brackets, braces, clamp bars and hardware required for the install. At the present time, the Load Lifter 7500XL system is available for the following truck models: 2017 Ford Super Duty, 2011-2016 Ford Super Duty, 2011-2017 Chevy/GMC HD, 2003-2013 Ram 2500 and 2003-2017 Ram 3500.
Larger Roll Plates
Utilizing a larger, 7-inch diameter air spring calls for the use of larger roll plates (what the air springs sit in). In addition to increasing load capacity by as much as 10 percent, the roll plates offer the air springs protection from potential abrasion, as well as the elements.
The Little Things
While installing a Load Lifter 7500XL on a ’17 Ford Super Duty, we noticed the threads of the included swivel elbow fittings for the air lines came pre-wrapped with Teflon tape. As you can imagine, air leaks are extremely inconvenient for folks that depend on these systems to work day-in and day-out, so seeing Air Lift go the extra mile here is a nice touch.
Bolting the Air Spring Assemblies Together
This is what the air spring assemblies look like after everything has been bolted together. Each assembly consists of an air spring with a top and bottom roll plate, an upper air spring bracket, lower air spring main plate, lower air spring bracket cup (where the air spring assembly rides on the factory bump stop perch) and two 10-inch long, 3/8-inch carriage bolts. The next step would be installing these on the truck.
Bigger Air Springs = Tighter Exhaust Clearance
In an age when aftermarket exhaust systems seem to be found on just about every other truck, it’s worth mentioning that larger diameter exhausts may not work in conjunction with the Load Lifter 7500XL. As is evident here, a 5-inch aftermarket exhaust system doesn’t clear the larger diameter roll plates used in the 7500XL system (which again, are used to accommodate the larger, 7-inch diameter air springs).
Frame-to-Air Spring Reinforcement
Adding stability to the top of the passenger side air spring assembly, this heavy-duty upper frame brace is included in the kits intended for the ’17 Super Duty. The sturdy piece ties the upper air spring bracket to the frame and 5/8-inch Grade 8 bolts are used to anchor it in place. An upper frame brace is also included for the driver side assembly.
Wireless Air
For ultimate simplicity, Air Lift offers separate wireless control systems that come complete with a compact, easy-to-mount compressor for truck owners who like to hook up and go, or make air pressure adjustments on-the-fly. Called Wireless Air, this system’s dual-path control allows you to inflate or deflate the air springs individually. And best of all, no wires need to be snaked into the cab.
Total Control
A universal product, the Wireless Air system can be used on any brand truck (and even on competitor’s systems). The Wireless Air controller itself features an LCD display screen, allows incremental air pressure adjustments to be made from the comfort of the driver seat or outside the vehicle (in 1 psi or 10 psi increments) and two programmable settings can be pre-set for the trailers you tow most often. The controller also alerts you in the event of a leak detection or compressor malfunction.
