If you always have weight in the back, you should look more towards springs than air bags. Air bags are great for when you carry weight on and off. You can firm it up and get your ride height back, then bleed them down when empty so you're not bouncing around like crazy. Helper springs do the same sort of thing... they will help take the load (hence the name) when the springs are compressed, but are not part of the suspension when the springs are relaxed. Bigger/stiffer/more leaves in your spring pack will stiffen the ride all the time, and lift your truck when empty.
Best way to adapt truck for carrying heavy loads?
- Thread starter dfout
- Start date
If you always have weight in the back, you should look more towards springs than air bags. Air bags are great for when you carry weight on and off. You can firm it up and get your ride height back, then bleed them down when empty so you're not bouncing around like crazy. Helper springs do the same sort of thing... they will help take the load (hence the name) when the springs are compressed, but are not part of the suspension when the springs are relaxed. Bigger/stiffer/more leaves in your spring pack will stiffen the ride all the time, and lift your truck when empty.
ExplorerTom
Explorer
Lighten the load.
Why are you tryng to haul everything with you to go camping? Might as well stay home.
If you're sagging a Tundra, you've got too much junk.
Why are you tryng to haul everything with you to go camping? Might as well stay home.
If you're sagging a Tundra, you've got too much junk.
quickfarms
Adventurer
For a truck with a variable load quality airbags are the way to go.
Most commercial trucks use airbags and they last a long time even off-road.
I am building a ford truck right now. Ditched the rear spring suspension and went air ride with an air locker in the axle. This truck will be used to pull a fifth wheel trailer, normal trailer, have a removable flatbed, and carry a very large camper.
My work truck, where the load is very constant, rides on a spring suspension.
What do you take when you go? Whatever it is, in my opinion it's too dang much, get the picture?
I've used them on my last 3 trucks, hauling not much to 5k in the bed, and put plenty of miles on. The only trouble I've ever had was a blow off valve that got weak and had to be replaced. Maybe 10 bucks. Carry some spare line and a spare bag if you really worry about it, but I did neither. The key is to remember that they do not increase your load capacity. If your payload is 1500lbs, it's still 1500 lbs after you install the bags. The only difference is now you can carry that load level. This way if you blow a line or a bag the worst that happens is your suspension does what it would have done anyway under the load and without the bags. People buy 5000lb bags and think they get to add that to whatever their current payload rating is. Uhmm, nah.
I play outside
Member
Bags last a long time. That's why commercial carriers use them. This guy has it right -^^^. They don't increase your capacity, just change how you handle it. I'm thinking bout making a nag setup for my 92 yota right now. Asses what I really need to haul and then get bags too
Truly I am not carrying a ton of weight. I'm used to camping off horseback, so I usually deal with the bare minimum.
Now that I camp odd the truck, for 3-4 day trips I bring a cooler, small campchef stove, water, and some other random gear for recovery and what not. I think the heavies thing, besides the cooler, are just the drawer systems themselves that I built.
It sounds like my springs are starting to give up on me,
p nut
butter
Yeah, I agree. The stock springs definitely wear out with time. Even my old Tacoma that saw fairly mild use started to get the "W" shaped leafs by 100k miles.
I am going to not mirror what everyone else says. Keep the leveling kit in front, but raise the rear to compensate. Leveling kits are fine but need to increase the rear as well. When I put the 2.5" in the front of my f150 in 2010, I also added 2" in the rear. Made the truck ride, handle and overall drive better...the rake is there for a reason. I have rake in my JK now too even with the leveling kit.
My comment wasn't to you, it was to the fella voicing his opinion that you carry too much stuff, and meant to show his opinion doesn't really matter.
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
Nope, not at all. It's just how the 1st gen Tundras are. When I put my 420 pound motorcycle in the back of my 1996 F-150 it sat level, my 2002 Tundra sags the *** end. Both are 1/2 ton trucks. The Tundra is more like a 7/8th representation of a full size truck. You have to remember, they are merely a slightly up-sized T-100 and that was a slightly up-sized Tacoma.
My advice, get a set of airbags and call it a day. You can use "helper springs" but they ride like crap when you are unloaded. You can also add a 1" block to the rear end to bump the *** end up so that it doesn't look at noticeable with the front leveling kit.
Thanks for the clarification, haha,
ExplorerTom
Explorer
The mighty web wheeler strikes! Good one.
My point being that if you have sagging the bed of a 1/2 ton truck with your camping stuff- you've got too much stuff. Or the springs are bad. Address those problems before adding a band-aide.