AIR LIFT LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Suspension Kit Installation Guide

AIR LIFT LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Air Suspension Kit Installation Guide

GM Silverado/Sierra 1500

Kits 57288 | 88288 | 89288

GM Trail Boss/Sierra AT4

Kits 57388 | 88388 | 89388

For maximum effectiveness and safety, please read these instructions completely before proceeding with installation.

MN-1085 • (042306) • ECR 10198
Failure to read these instructions can result in an incorrect installation.

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IDENTIFYING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN KITS
Should you need to contact Air Lift customer service, you will need to know which kit you are inquiring about: standard LoadLifter 5000, LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate or LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Plus. The kits are easily identifiable by looking at the roll plates and air lines.

• Standard LoadLifter 5000 — Zinc-plated steel roll plates and black nylon air lines.
• LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate — Black powder-coated roll plates and black nylon air lines.
• LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Plus — Stainless steel roll plates, braided stainless steel air lines, stainless steel air spring mounting hardware.

Air Lift offers two Ultimate Plus upgrade kits:
52300 – Braided stainless steel air line and fittings.
52301 – Stainless steel roll plates, air spring mounting hardware, braided stainless steel air lines and fittings.

Installation Diagram

Hardware and Tools Lists

Common Parts Included in All 3 Kits

STOP

Missing or damaged parts? Call Air Lift customer service at 800-248-0892 for a replacement part.

Introduction

The purpose of this publication is to assist with the installation and maintenance of the LoadLifter 5000 series air spring kits. All LoadLifter 5000 series kits utilize sturdy, reinforced, commercial-grade single or double, depending on the kit, convolute bellows.

The air springs are manufactured like a tire with layers of rubber and cords that control growth. LoadLifter 5000 kits provide up to 5,000 pounds (2,268kg) of load-leveling support with air adjustability from 5-100 PSI (.34-7BAR).

It is important to read and understand the entire installation guide before beginning installation or performing any maintenance, service or repair.

NOTATION EXPLANATION
Hazard notations appear in various locations in this publication. Information that is highlighted by one of these notations must be observed to help minimize risk of personal injury or possible improper installation which may render the vehicle unsafe. Notes are used to help emphasize areas of procedural importance and provide helpful suggestions. The following definitions explain the use of these notations as they appear throughout this guide.

Installing the LoadLifter 5000 Series System

GETTING STARTED

1. Raise and support the vehicle in a way, using safety stands or equivalent, that the axle can be safely dropped away from the frame. This will need to be done for the air spring assembly to be put into position between the axles and frame (Fig. 2).

2. Remove the factory bolts that hold the upper brake line bracket in place. Reattach the bracket using the two new M8-1.25 x 50 hex-head cap screws (K), two new M8 flat washers (L), and two new spacers (H) (Figs. 3 & 4). Torque bolts to 10 lb.-ft. (14Nm).

3. Locate the jounce bumpers. Using a 10mm deep socket, remove the jounce bumpers (both sides) and discard (Figs. 5 & 6).

4. For Trail Boss/Sierra AT4 models, unfasten 4 bolts and remove spacer (Fig. 7).

5. Using a T40-sized Torx bit, remove the Torx head screws on both wire harness guards, located on the front side of the axle. Pry out the harness retainers and remove the guards on both sides. Set the screws and the guards aside to be re-installed later (Fig 8).

6. Remove the brake line bracket attached to the axle under the leaf spring on both sides of the vehicle. Set bolt aside for reinstallation.
7. Attach the brake line tab bracket (G) using the previously removed factory hardware and tighten securely on both sides of the vehicle (Figs. 9 & 10).
8. Attach the brake line bracket to the brake line tab bracket using M8 hardware (J, L & M) on both sides of the vehicle (Fig. 10). Torque bolts to 16 lb.-ft. (22Nm).

9. Position the forward clamp bracket (C) on the front side of the axle (Figs. 11 & 12).

ASSEMBLING THE AIR SPRINGS

1. Place a 3/8″-16 x 3″carriage bolt (O) through the innermost square hole on the rear side of each lower bracket (B) (Fig. 13).

NOTE

The radiused (rounded) edge of the roll plate (F) will be toward the air spring so that the air spring is seated inside the roll plate.

1. Install a lower bracket (B) and roll plate (F) on each air spring (E) using two 3/8″-24 x 3/4″ flat-head socket cap screws (S) through the innermost mounting holes (Fig. 13). Torque the flat-head screws to no more than 20 lb.-ft. (27Nm).
2. Install the 90-degree swivel elbow fitting (R) into the top of each air spring finger-tight. Tighten the swivel fittings an additional one and a half turns (Fig. 14).

4. Attach the upper roll plates (F) and upper brackets (A) to the air springs (E) using two 3/8″-24 x 7/8″ bolts (T), two 3/8″ lock washers (U) and two 3/8″ flat washers (V) for each assembly (Fig. 15). Torque bolts to no more than 20 lb.-ft. (27Nm). These brackets are left- and right-hand specific (Fig. 16).

5. With the bracket installed, ensure the swivel fitting is less than 7/8″ in height, and if not, tighten the fitting until this height is achieved (Fig. 17).

INSTALLING THE AIR SPRINGS

1. Drop the frame to make room to put the assemblies into position.

****CAUTION: ENSURE VEHICLE IS PROPERLY SUPPORTED PRIOR TO BEGINNING INSTALLATION.
2. Place the assemblies on the lower strike plate with the fitting side of the assembly to the outside (wheel side) of the vehicle. Align the tab on the forward clamp bracket (C) with the hole on the front of the lower bracket (B) (Fig. 18).
3. Insert two carriage bolts (O) on the rear square holes and one carriage bolt on the front square hole of the lower bracket (B) (both sides) (Figs. 18 & 19).

4. Thread the 3/8″ flange nuts (N) onto the carriage bolts previously installed. Ensure the front and rear clamps align correctly under the axle jounce bumper strike plate. Torque all flange nuts evenly to 16 lb.-ft. (22Nm).

ATTACHING THE UPPER BRACKETS

There are two ways to attach the upper bracket.
For trucks that do not have a fifth-wheel hitch bracket alongside the frame:

1. Place U-bolts (I) over the frame as pictured on both sides of the vehicle (Fig. 20).

2. Lower the vehicle or raise the axle while inserting the threaded portions of the U-bolts (I) through the corresponding holes in the upper brackets (A). Install flange nuts (N) finger-tight (Fig. 21).

3. Adjust the upper bracket (A) as needed to vertically align the air spring with the frame (or as close to perpendicular as possible).
4. Torque all flange nuts (N) to 16 lb.-ft. (27Nm).

For trucks that have fifth-wheel hitch brackets alongside the frame rail:

1. There are holes in the middle of the bracket just forward and behind the jounce bumper mounting cups on the upper bracket (Fig. 1). Once the upper brackets are in position, drill two 5/16″ holes through the bottom of the frame using the holes as a template and attach the upper brackets using the thread cutting screws (P). Torque all four fasteners to 15 lb.-ft.(20Nm).

For reattaching the wire harness guards on the front of the axles (Fig. 22):

1. If the holes in the cover are slightly misaligned with the threaded holes on the axle, file or die grind slots in the existing bracket holes (Fig. 23) to get the holes to line up enough to reinstall the screws (Fig. 24).

2. If the holes in the cover are very misaligned and slotting the existing bracket holes to line them up will not work, it will be necessary to trim the harness guards in the area that the harness guards line up with the forward clamp brackets (C). To complete this step, hold the harness guard in place and mark the area underneath where the guard comes in contact with the forward clamp bracket. Cut or trim this area out to gain enough clearance to be able to re-install the harness guard. Re-attach the harnesses to the harness guards. Re-attach the harness guards back onto the axle using the previously removed hardware (Fig. 25).

Installing the Air Lines

Air lines are routed from the air springs to Schrader valves. LoadLifter 5000 series air lines come in two styles: nylon and braided stainless steel. Begin by choosing locations for the Schrader valves and drill a 5/16″ (8mm) hole, if necessary.

**CAUTION:** KEEP AT LEAST 6″ (150MM) OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN ALL AIR LINES AND THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. AVOID SHARP BENDS AND EDGES.

INSTALLING NYLON AIR LINES

INSTALLING BRAIDED STAINLESS STEEL AIR LINES

**CAUTION:** KEEP THE AIR LINE AWAY FROM THE FUEL LINE, BRAKE LINES AND ELECTRICAL WIRES.

Finished Installation

1. The images show the finished installation of both sides.

NOTE: Finished installation images show the LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate Plus kit installed.

INSTALLATION CHECKLIST

• Clearance test — Inflate the air springs to 40-60 PSI (2.8-4.1BAR) and make sure there is at least 1/2″ (13mm) clearance from anything that might rub against each air spring. Be sure to check the tire, brakes, frame, shock absorbers and brake cables.
• Leak test before road test — Inflate the air springs to 40-60 PSI (2.8-4.1BAR) and check all connections for leaks. All leaks must be eliminated before the vehicle is road tested.
• Heat test — Be sure there is sufficient clearance from heat sources, at least 6″ (152mm) for air springs and air lines. If a heat shield was included in the kit, install it. If there is no heat shield, but one is required, call Air Lift customer service at 800-248-0892.
• Fastener test — Recheck all bolts for proper torque.
• Road test — The vehicle should be road tested after the initial tests. Inflate the air springs to recommended driving pressures. Drive the vehicle 10 miles (16km) and recheck for clearance, loose fasteners and air leaks.
• Operating instructions — If professionally installed, the installer should review the operating instructions with the owner. Be sure to provide the owner with all of the paperwork that came with the kit.

Maintenance and Use Guidelines

1. Check air pressure weekly.
2. Always maintain normal ride height. Never inflate beyond 100 PSI (7BAR).
3. If the system develops an air leak, use a soapy water solution to check all air line connections and the inflation valve core before deflating and removing the air spring.

**CAUTION:** FOR SAFETY AND TO PREVENT POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, DO NOT EXCEED MAXIMUM GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR) OR PAYLOAD RATING, AS INDICATED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER.

**CAUTION:** ALTHOUGH THE AIR SPRINGS ARE RATED AT A MAXIMUM INFLATION PRESSURE OF 100 PSI (7BAR), THE AIR PRESSURE ACTUALLY NEEDED IS DEPENDENT ON LOAD AND GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING.

Notes

Limited Warranty and Return Policy

Air Lift Company provides a Limited Lifetime Warranty* to the original purchaser of its load support products, from the date of original purchase, that the products will be free from defects in workmanship and materials when used on cars and trucks as specified by Air Lift Company and under normal operating conditions, subject to the requirements and exclusions set forth in the full Limited Warranty and Return Policy.

*Full Limited Warranty and Return Policy are available at www.airliftcompany.com/warranty and are subject to change.

WARRANTY REGISTRATION & CLAIMS

• To register your warranty, please visit https://www.airliftcompany.com/support/warranty/register/
• To submit a warranty claim, please visit https://www.airliftcompany.com/support/warranty/submit-claim/

Thank you for purchasing Air Lift Products!

Need Help?
Contact Air Lift Company customer service department by calling 800-248-0892.
For calls from outside the USA or Canada,
dial 517-322-2144.

Need Help?
Contact Air Lift Company Customer Service at 800-248-0892 or email [email protected].
For calls outside the U.S. or Canada, dial +1 517-322-2144.

Air Lift Company • 2727 Snow Road • Lansing, MI 48917 or P.O. Box 80167 • Lansing, MI 48908-0167

Air Lift Company reserves the right to make changes and improvements to its products and publications at any time. For the latest version of this manual, contact Air Lift Company at 800-248-0892 or visit airliftcompany.com.

California: WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

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References

• SOM - State of Michigan
• P65Warnings.ca.gov

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