I was paralyzed from the waist down back in 2000. I have owned Ford trucks all my life I am 54, my latest is a 2005 F150 FX4, its only got 65k on it. My prob is I need to lower it in order to get in it easier. Has anyone ever heard of using airbags to lower a truck and then raise it back up to normal levels to drive?? Any idea would be appreciated. Oh I would be open to lowering it permanently but I prefer a truck high, thanks everyone.

 

Sure, guys put air bags on vehicles all of the time. You see it less on 4x4's, but it's still been done a lot. Even tour buses have the "kneel" feature for loading/unloading.

 

I know you see lots of custom airbag suspensions installed on much older vehicles, typically not 4x4 like Sooner said. I do know there's a guy on here with a red FX4 (can't think of his name for the life of me), but if I remember correctly, he lowered his truck with shortened springs and shackles. Hopefully some of the vendors on here can help you out with any info on the availability of airbags for your truck.

 

nothing wrong with a lowered and bagged 4wd....imo

 

A full-air suspension can be quite expensive and requires a lot of work. So lowering it would be more cost-effective.

A very simple solution is to remove the lift blocks from the rear and install 2WD struts in the front. This will shave about 1.5" off the ride height. and retain your factory ride.

 

Or try a set of power steps so you can keep your ride height.

 

^^^ Llama, are you thinking about tbear's red FX4?

 

This is what I would do if it were my truck, just because of cost. I've seen an H2 with a full wheelchair/handicap-accessible system with air ride that dropped the truck probably 4" or so, but that had to have been quite expensive. All the systems I've seen in person and online with airbags (other than those only in the rear to help with towing) only made an already really low truck even lower, or vice versa. So, I think a comparable system to provide 2-4" of drop, but raise to the full height it's at now may have to be entirely custom done. Even the "bolt-on" kits are costly, if I remember right.

I'm trying to think of how you get in your truck, like the entire process, to visualize what sort of modifications would be useful. Though the power-folding steps suggestion below may help (?), I'm thinking you really need your seat as low as possible, because you (probably) aren't stepping on the side steps to get up into it.

Also, though it would probably be a big change, and you've expressed interest against it if possible, you could go full blown with lowering it. Maybe do a full 4"/6" drop, possibly with new 22 or 24" wheels, and get into the lowered scene. That way the truck would still be a cool ride for you, just a different style, on top of being much easier to get into. But there's nothing uncool about setting it up like a 2WD (they're a full 2" shorter), cause that's how my 2WD was for a while.

 

You can't really go lower then 3" in front with a 4x4 whitout having the axle binding up.

A fully customed suspension that would drop you 6-8" and get back to stock while keeping the 4x4(if only driven while high") would cost you 10K for sure.
Not really worth it.

I have layed the frame my 07 fx2 and it's a big job and cost a lot (not 10k but not 2 either) and did all the work myself.
I can raised it back up to a regular 3/5 drop on a 2wd with my setup..possible to raised it up to a stock 2wd with a different setup in the rear but you loose a lot of hauling weight capacity(and tongue weight for towing)

the rear is never an issue..it's the front axle that are!

 

Dumb thought, what about some sort of driver lift to get you up to the drivers seat instead of getting the drivers seat to where you are?

I am not sure what it would take, and don't look forward to needing it... I am a bit (but not much) younger than you with some severe back problems stemming from a serious wreck back in 2000. (I had a Ranger that was at a complete stop for the brand new Chevy on the freeway that lost his drivers side spindle in front of me, and a 1985 Pontiac Parisienne forgot what to do and slammed into my truck at 70mph) I like the truck high because I don't have to stoop / bend to get into or out of the truck. I have a 2001 Saturn, and I despise getting down to get into it as it is painful...

 

I believe so! I'd say he'd need a little more modification, but that would be a good model to start with.

 

Hi. New here. Maybe instead of lowering your truck you could use one of the Seats made by Bruno http://www.bruno.com/valet-signature...alet-plus.html
Saw a young guy at the tim hortons here who had it in a lifted chev and the wheelchair lift http://www.bruno.com/vehicle-lift-out-rider.html which puts the wheelchair in the box with the push of a button. cool and you still get your tall truck.

 

"Welcome Aboard!"

Hey, just found this thread for some reason ..... no one is ever "really" going to be mad if you lower your truck .... variety is the spice after all ....

I have a '07 FX4 that I let the "Wife Unit" brow beat me into purchasing as a retirement gift to .... "me" .... in 2009. I love it, but she actually spotted it and yelled "That's it" from 300 yards away across a 4 lane highway (I was distracted by what turned out to be my first look at a Raptor) after we had already spent 5-6 weeks of evenings driving to different places to look for "the truck".

Anyway, there is a thread here on this sight (that was a link) and along about post #251 on page 17, I detailed how I dropped my FX4 a full 2" (maybe a hair more in front) ... and that two inches made a huge improvement in entry and exit. The "Wife Unit" really loved the change, she is shorter and really had a time getting in and out before (I'm 60, she's "younger" though.).

From this:
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/d...too700wide.jpg
To this:
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/d...dsmall900w.jpg

There is a ton of good looking trucks in that thread, some lowered even more, some less, and it is a "Lowered 4X4 Thread" after all. It's in "Suspension" section .... and recently on the last few pages is a question about like yours .... post #472 Click on that little arrow to "pick up" on it ..... and don't be a stranger.