Best way to adapt truck for carrying heavy loads?
- Thread starter dfout
- Start date
Add a leaf will do that, but will also stiffen the rear suspension when unloaded. For a couple of inches you need, I would just put a taller block in, and see how it works. I did this on my F150 and it worked great on and off road. If you feel you still need the extra ommpphh of air bags add them then.
Fact - it you put weight in the back of a truck, springs will compress, and it will sit lower. If you remove the "Normal" rake in a truck with a leveling kit, the back end is going to be lower then the front end.
Suggestions: 1) Replace existing rear springs - if your OEM springs are worn, new springs will not deflect as much when loaded. 2) Look at other aftermarket solutions: Timbren Load carrying bump stops; air bags; helper spring, that only assist when the load reaches a certain point.
Why put a leveling kit on the front, and then add blocks to the rear? The rear of your truck will sit higher again. I think it would be better to remove the leveling kit, and not add blocks to the rear.
I put OME springs on my Tacome; with the Timbrens - unloaded, the springs work great, and their is 1" between the Timbrens and the axel. Load it up, and springs compress sharing the load on the Timbrens. I have a travel trailer that comes close to maxing out the tow ratings, and the set up works great.
Suggestions: 1) Replace existing rear springs - if your OEM springs are worn, new springs will not deflect as much when loaded. 2) Look at other aftermarket solutions: Timbren Load carrying bump stops; air bags; helper spring, that only assist when the load reaches a certain point.
Why put a leveling kit on the front, and then add blocks to the rear? The rear of your truck will sit higher again. I think it would be better to remove the leveling kit, and not add blocks to the rear.
I put OME springs on my Tacome; with the Timbrens - unloaded, the springs work great, and their is 1" between the Timbrens and the axel. Load it up, and springs compress sharing the load on the Timbrens. I have a travel trailer that comes close to maxing out the tow ratings, and the set up works great.
drewactual
Adventurer
if your springs are worn and have taken a decided W shape, all you're going to accomplish by inserting a block is make the problem worse quicker and cause a safety concern in the mean time. I doubt your stock axles marry into the spring without a block of some sort.... stacking blocks is a bad idea (a lot of people do it, and i just shake my head and get tickled when they get so angry 'something else broke on this PoS truck!)... Altering the angle on a settled truck is tricky without doing it right, and doing it right entails new springs.
i suggested it before and will again: skyjacker have a good +3" (or various other combo's) that offer a nice linear first couple inches of wheel travel, but which ramp up quickly (progressively firmer) after that (and such as when the bed is loaded)... for road manners or driving unloaded they ride great, for off road they articulate just right until you hit hard, and then ramp up like most OE leaves... the OE leaves compromise their give at a certain point where the skyjackers won't due to the construction and material. they continue to ramp up until they are flat, which isn't an easy thing to do.
this is the cleanest route out of the woods for you- they aren't terribly expensive, they will allow you to retain your level kit up front if you like that look/feel, and they won't jack with anything else that will create a safety concern or impact the reliability of your rig.
if they still don't maintain the attitude you want, then you can install bags, which aren't expensive and are well worth it in those conditions anyway, for handling and easing the pressure on springs and shocks, and maye even frame and drive train geometry.
i suggested it before and will again: skyjacker have a good +3" (or various other combo's) that offer a nice linear first couple inches of wheel travel, but which ramp up quickly (progressively firmer) after that (and such as when the bed is loaded)... for road manners or driving unloaded they ride great, for off road they articulate just right until you hit hard, and then ramp up like most OE leaves... the OE leaves compromise their give at a certain point where the skyjackers won't due to the construction and material. they continue to ramp up until they are flat, which isn't an easy thing to do.
this is the cleanest route out of the woods for you- they aren't terribly expensive, they will allow you to retain your level kit up front if you like that look/feel, and they won't jack with anything else that will create a safety concern or impact the reliability of your rig.
if they still don't maintain the attitude you want, then you can install bags, which aren't expensive and are well worth it in those conditions anyway, for handling and easing the pressure on springs and shocks, and maye even frame and drive train geometry.
rayra
Expedition Leader
Bizarre. The stock load capacity is well over 1000-lbs. What on earth are you packing and what are you calling 'sag'. It's supposed to compress under load. IF you are asking for it to not sag at all at or near full capacity, then you want springs so stiff it'll be ridiculous when empty. You'll want an air bag system for adjustability. But if you are after it just for cosmetic reasons? Doesn't seem worth it. Or maybe reconsider how much **** you are carrying for 'camping'
drewactual
Adventurer
some leaves just get tired...
other times, one good hard bounce flattens them momentarily, and they loose strength, and form a W over time- partially due to the bounce, partially due to temper of the leaves.
it happens... it's not all that uncommon.
other times, one good hard bounce flattens them momentarily, and they loose strength, and form a W over time- partially due to the bounce, partially due to temper of the leaves.
it happens... it's not all that uncommon.
Web wheeler. That's funny.
MY point being it doesn't matter what you think, and I say that without meaning it to be rude, but it truly doesn't matter. Who are you, or I or anyone else, to tell this man that he is hauling too much stuff? It's what he wants to take and that's the end of it. I know plenty of hammock campers that would tell YOU that if you can't carry it on your back you've got "too much stuff".
It astounds me the folks that want to tell the OP the solution to his issue is to take less stuff because he has too much of it. What a ridiculous attitude.
rayra
Expedition Leader
true, but this is just chasing one patch with another. Get to the root of the issue. Is it actually worn / failing, or is he packing too much crap for the load capacity of his vehicle. Or just too much crap in general.
rayra
Expedition Leader
Do you not even get the irony of telling other people that your opinion is their opinion doesn't matter?
Packing too much stuff is a valid question / concern. Just as packing too much stuff is a ridiculous 'comfort zone' for camping, so is demanding that the internet be a 'safe zone' free of (implied) criticism. Some criticism is valid. Some is deserved. In this particular topic, we weren't given enough info to tell either way. So questions are asked. superficial criticisms based on the info presented are made.
Not really. people level there trucks to get a lifted look without tossing a lot of money to it. Then, after "leveling" it, realise that when they put crap in the back, it looks like a bro dozer tail dragger. My 10 f150 was like this. unitl I put the block in the back, the truck performed better empty, and loaded with the block in back. I loved the way the truck looked, with the rake back. I never understood taking the rake out of the vehicles. I did it because I wanted to fit 33's under my rig. Again, I think his truck is fine, just looks like its squatting from having it level empty. Therefore, having added a block in the back keeps the plush ride, but gets the back up enough that its still fine loaded.
Honestly the whole reason I leveled it in the first place was just for the look of it (i know i know). Every one in my hometown had jacked up diesel trucks, and having the only Toyota i figured I had to do something to it (stupid). Haha believe me, if I could go back to high school and and ********** my self for doing that I would do it in a heart beat.
I am trying to build it up as a capable, extended camping/road trip vehicle, and I have a whole slew of stuff that I would LIKE to do. The main reason for posting this wasn't so much that I felt that my truck was going to fall apart due to suspension issues in the next week, more to get a feel of what I should be doing to sure right off the bat. Like I said, I'm a newbie at all this, and I'd rather not have to redo stuff because I did the wrong thing on down the road.
Annnny way, I crawled up under my truck today to take a look at the springs. No "W" shape yet. I think this is what I am going to do, after looking back at what yall have been saying:
Take the leveling kit out, and get a proper suspension lift, 2.5 up front (level), and 1.5 in the back to restore the when unloaded rake.
ill try for some Bilstein 5100s with OME or similar coil springs for the front, and A wheeler's multi leaf add a leaf set or similar, with some Bilstein shocks thrown in the back as well (my shocks need to be replaced anyway.)
2 reasons why I'm not going with air bags AT THE MOMENT.
1. most of the stuff that I go camping with stays in my truck all the time (which is not a **** ton of stuff, really)
2. $$$. Although not crazy expensive, helper springs are more in the budget for me.
My old 2002 loaded for a trip to Big Bend Ranch a few years ago...Loaded with a Yamaha TW200 and camping gear for 2 weeks. I had air bags in the rear.
Ive always wanted to haul around my bike, I have a TW as well!
What kind of airbags are you running?