When you need additional load carrying capacity for your pickup truck, but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a pneumatic airbag system, or you would simply rather have a less complicated solution to the problem, check out AirCell by Air Lift Corporation. AirCell is a microcellular urethane spring product that is designed to reduce sag and improve ride quality on heavily loaded pickups. The product comes in vehicle-specific kit form and includes easy-to-install brackets, long-lasting closed-cell urethane foam springs, and all necessary hardware to complete the installation. We recently installed and tested a pair of AirCells on the back of our '89 Chevy 2500 pickup. Our installation was performed by the good folks at DC Customs of Ukiah, California. It took under an hour to fit the new upgrade in place of the rear axle factory bump stops. Check it out.
Our Honest Opinion
For the price, ($239.11 at time of print) the AirCell product delivers exactly what we hoped it would. Our trucks loaded stance was altered significantly, allowing us to tow our trailer with more confidence and control. Because the truck does not squat down as much as it used to when we hitch up a trailer, the front suspension feels better and the headlights don't cause us issues at night. When unloaded, the AirCell springs are virtually unnoticeable. One added advantage we found was the fact that they actually soften abrupt forces such as speed bumps. We suspect the hard foam springs may soften up a bit over time, but during our week of testing they remained as stiff as they were out of the box. The only negative thing we could say about them is this; their white color goes away really fast and after a few trips, they start to look old and faded. However, their used appearance doesn't affect their ability to do the job we originally installed them for.
 This is the complete kit from...  This is the complete kit from Air Lift. Note that all necessary hardware is included. |  Before: This is our donor...  Before: This is our donor rig before adding AirCell. |  After: Here you can see the...  After: Here you can see the difference in stance after adding the AirCell system to the truck. |
 Before: We measured the wheelwell...  Before: We measured the wheelwell opening before we added the AirCell system. Our modified 3/4-ton springs were sagging pretty badly, leaving only 37 inches between the fender opening and the ground. This represents a 3-inch total drop from the vehicles non-loaded ride height. |  After: Measuring the wheelwell...  After: Measuring the wheelwell opening after the AirCell product was installed, we noticed a 2-inch gain in ride height, bringing the gap between the wheelwell opening and the ground to 39 inches respectively. |  Here is a shot of the AirCell...  Here is a shot of the AirCell system installed. We opted to use all four of the plastic spacers included with the kit to enable the foam spring to make contact sooner rather than later in the rear axle's range of motion. At ride height, the way we set the system up, the foam spring is approximately 1 inch from the landing pad. |