truck Leaf spring pros/cons?

[fifty]

I tried a few different search parameters and couldnt find much other than a few people have used truck leafs on their camper trailer build.

I would like to use a set of colorado Zr2 take off leafs and multimatic shocks on my utility trailer as I rebuild it into something for camping with the wife and kids.

Goal is going to be a larger RTT, with awnings, water tank in the center, fridge, dual batteries with solar, the typical stove, storage, propane blah blah blah. Nothing too fancy or special because I have less and less free time because of the kiddos.

That leads me to the suspension and axle. My plan was a 6 lug that ran hub adapters to run 6x120 wheels and 35's to match the truck with space to run 37's as Im trying to get dana to build me another d60 they did for a PR vehicle)... To get the added height, and weight control, Ill use the left over shocks and leafs from my truck...but...

Should I be planning on keeping the overload leaf? Its a 4 leaf leaf pack, and the overload is a massive piece of junk. I think when we were doing the math for the spring under conversion on the truck, the factory leaf measured at 175 ish pounds for the main 3 leaf, and then 580 pounds for the overload. So you can see why it sucks and these zr2's bounce ass over tea kettle when people jump them.

the multimatic shock is a 10 inch travel shock, 15.25-25.25 eyelet to eyelet shock, and the dampening on it is "ok"... I could get into that more but its a side bar. On a 4 inch shackle the leaf will cycle about 11.5 inches from droop to flat.

I dont want to keep the overload leaf if I dont have to because I dont want the trailer going air borne on rebound...but if folks think its needed or maybe a weaker overload put in its place ill get one.

So my other question is, has anyone measured the spring rates of the leafs they have been using and the weight of their trailers? Im curious if Im going to be over sprung or under sprung. On trailer parts websites leaf packs are just labeled as 2k, 4k 6k etc etc etc. The best I can think is maybe a 2k spring is 2000 lbs to make it flatten? So if its a 4 inch travel leaf pack that would make it a 500 lb spring (roughly I know leaf springs have a weird rate gain but that is still close enough)

 

[old_CWO]

I've tried to "math" it out more than a few times with mixed results. For the trailer build plan, I believe you have too many variables present to try and predict what it's going to need spring rate wise. My advise is put it together and try it out. It's easy enough to add or remove leafs to get what you're after.

Aren't the overloads on the Chevy those big flat suckers? If so, it would seem to me they might work well for the trailer. When lightly loaded they are adding zero rate to the pack since they aren't touching the rest of the spring. When your load sags the pack down and it touches the overload, now your rate is increased to handle the heavier load. Not sure about going airborne on rebound - do you plan high speed off road travel? What is functionally different about the rest of the pack contacting the heavy overload vs. say hitting a bump stop on rebound? Not trying to be a wise guy - honestly not sure it's a problem.

 

[fifty]

Yea... It’s that big mamma jamma at the bottom. They didn’t finish developing thay leaf pack before putting the truck to market. Long story but it’s what ended up on the truck and it is what it is.

my goal is to not drive fast... or slow way way down. I’m fairly sure when I pull it with the suburban I’ll be driving slow because I gave up on the real shock build for that truck and went with Arnott replacements. No amount of shock at that weight and small travel would be able to take the heat of cruising washboard fire roads for 2-3 hrs straight at 35-40 mph.

so drive slower when in the burban with the family.

when it’s just me and the wife I’ll be using the prerunner/luxury runner.
Supercharged zr2 that is not running stock suspension or brakes...

Ill still try to keep it slow but wash outs etc suprise you and the better your suspension the faster your slow cruising speed is on fire roads etc.

I always say, plan for the worst, hope for the best... sodon’t get hammered when something surprises you.

I’ll build it with the complete leaf pack then. And if it rides to rough or chattery then I’ll remove it.

the stock truck, with no weight in the bed other than the spare... would buck even on small or larger fire truck approved speed bumps.
The slow crawler guys take the overload out and us go faster types and overland RT types switch to single rate Leaf packs and it’s smoooooth.

 

[old_CWO]

I would absolutely toss those leaf springs on as-is and see what it does. Remember, truck suspensions and trailer suspensions behave very differently. Much of the trailer's articulation is happening at the hitch so the springs are primarily there to hold up the weight. Also, most of us have big honking E range tires on the trailer for the looks or the height. You can run them at significantly lower pressures for better ride and still carry the full load safely.

 

[fifty]

One of the other things I just started thinking about... when I was trying to sort shock placement...

was the need for a bump stop. The shock was designed to run an air bump oddly enough. It drastically changes the ride and ability of the truck... so I’m wondering if I should skip the rubber bump, timbren...and go straight to an ADS or Carbon 2x2 bump.

up thepressure to 120-125 psi and run a high oil fill so it gets real stiff when it gets close to full bump....

anyone running hydraulic bumps?

 

[Timbren]

If you're worried about bumps check out our SES system. Under load, they remain stiff to keep your truck as level as possible but provide enough squish for a smooth ride. Timbren SES

 

[fifty]

Sadly right now I’m being drug through the mess of e trailer...
they sold me some brakes and spindles that were supposed to have brake tabs on them...

turns out they don’t.

I called and after taking the high road and just excepting that nothing in life is perfect and mistakes happen, they sell me a set of brake flanges.... that don’t fit the spindles they sold me...

so now I’m trying to get them to even answer the phone...or return an email...

it’s really an uphill battle.

after that gets sorted I can build the axle and then sort bumps.

 

[fifty]

Back to planning the build. Axle location axle location axle location. Im kind of suprised there are not more truck leaf, or long travel leaf sprung trailer builds...and with that the need to mount longer shocks.
I think I have an idea for my shock mounts, I just need to finish my list of what needs to go on the trailer. My nemesis is solar stuff. So I need to research my bum off to see what all is needed to run a large fridge/freezer and laptop...recharging cameras and flash lights...ipad thingy x2 for kids.... I plan on 2 batteries on the trailer.

So the solar controller and battery box, fuse box, and solar panel mounts. (RTT with annex on one side, Awning on back and front and solar panel on a panel that lifts out on the other side)

 

[fifty]

Dang. Build just got delayed even more. Some boxes from etrailer came. Apparently they decided only one spindle was needed on the order.
I have a feeling they quoted me the total price with one spindle and saying it included some other parts to get me to buy it.

now, if i were to order the missing parts that they had said were originally included... but we’re not... it would total almost $1000 in parts...
just to build a 6x5.5 5200k axle with brakes. No thanks.

the build an axle vs cutting and sleeving an axle was recommended to me by that company as it was supposed to be cost effective. A parts lost was given to me verbally and the next day the invoice was emailed to me with something completely different.

Quite a bit of bait and switch.

it has taken going on 2 weeks to get things sorted... and it’s still up in the air.

Credit card called. Finally spoke with someone at etrailer about sending the parts that did arrive back and getting refunded.

hopefully I’ll get the return shipping labels on Monday.
I can not recommend e trailer for parts at all.

 

[old_CWO]

Dang. Build just got delayed even more. Some boxes from etrailer came. Apparently they decided only one spindle was needed on the order.
I have a feeling they quoted me the total price with one spindle and saying it included some other parts to get me to buy it.

now, if i were to order the missing parts that they had said were originally included... but we’re not... it would total almost $1000 in parts...
just to build a 6x5.5 5200k axle with brakes. No thanks.

the build an axle vs cutting and sleeving an axle was recommended to me by that company as it was supposed to be cost effective. A parts lost was given to me verbally and the next day the invoice was emailed to me with something completely different.

Quite a bit of bait and switch.

it has taken going on 2 weeks to get things sorted... and it’s still up in the air.

Credit card called. Finally spoke with someone at etrailer about sending the parts that did arrive back and getting refunded.

hopefully I’ll get the return shipping labels on Monday.
I can not recommend e trailer for parts at all.

That's unfortunate. I have been buying from them for years with really good luck. I wonder if they are suffering from the real or contrived covid related road blocks.

 

[fifty]

I’m not entirely sure how covid would have an employee tell me I was buying one item, then have it be something else, and then have the employee tell me that the order has all of the items needed to make a complete axle, only for it not to... and finally have the employee say the pricing total was less than purchasing a complete axle. (An axle is $599)

the covid excuse would take an Olympic gold medal ability of mental gymnastics to relate.

im the kind of guy that is willing to pay extra for intellectual knowledge.

I’m happy to not get the lowest price if that means buying from a place that knows what they are doing and will steer me in the correct direction and sell me parts that work and there are no surprises. This was my intent and goal.
I understand that mistakes happen and the first mistake, that is how I accepted it and attempted to deal with it.
But it was a horrendous ordeal to try to get the first mistake dealt with and that included me being willing to eat the extra cost.
The parts of the mess that I would not accept: extra charges, missing parts, and finally an incomplete order... it’s been unacceptably difficult to even speak with someone let alone get a resolution.

and at this point I have another employees word that they will take everything back and refund me at no cost to me for shipping etc. but I have yet to receive shipping labels or even that agreement in email form. So we shall see.

 

[fifty]

On a side note. The new plan is to purchase an 80 inch wms wide axle. With a 3 inch OD axle tube.
Then cut 6 inches out of the center, and use a 3” ID .120 wall or .25 wall sleeve, drill 4 holes cross pattern at each end.
And either bevel and weld the two axle halves back together, then grind the weld flat, slide the sleeve over, weld the holes closed to the axle, and then weld around the end of the sleeve to the axle.

I’m not sure if I have to weld the two axle halves together, it it’s worth the risk of not getting the axle straight.....

But then I can get the axle the correct width. And it will cost me the axle, a sleeve and some time to cut, drill and weld.