Dusty T.
Observer
Time to upgrade the rear suspension! I've narrowed my research down to the OME CS046R springs made by Dakar and the Wheeler's 5-leafs made by Alcan. Mostly looking for something that can handle some carrying capacity that will provide a mild 1-2" lift to boot. I do not want to install a differential drop kit to compensate up front and have limited garage entry height so I'm staying away from a 3" lift. I also want to stick with the stock tire size at 265/70/16 (31") but may go to 265/75/16 (32").
I can't decide which to go with. The Wheeler's 5-leaf pack sounds like it gives me just the right amount of lift at 1.5", but I've read some mixed reviews on the quality of their springs and instances of them flattening out after a couple years. The OME appears to have 6-8 leafs in their pack, and I've read of fewer issues with their quality. My main concern with the OME's is I'll end up with too much lift at 2.25-2.5". With that much lift, I'd imagine I'd need to put at least 2" of lift on the front and likely need to drop the diff, and need larger tires to fill out the wheel wells, etc...
Weightwise, I'm always carrying around 200 LBS in the bed between the canopy, battery, and emergency gear. During road trips, I'll add another 300-400 LBS of water, fuel, and camping gear to the bed, and sometimes a hitch-mounted bike rack with 120 LBS of bikes and rack hanging off the back of the truck. This brings the total weight up to around 700 LBS for a weekend to week-long road/offroad trip.
Those of you who have experience with either leaf pack, please chime in! Hate to spend the money and end up with the same saggy leaf problem I'm having now. I need to decide soon, so I can get these installed during the upcoming holiday. Thanks for all the help!
I can't decide which to go with. The Wheeler's 5-leaf pack sounds like it gives me just the right amount of lift at 1.5", but I've read some mixed reviews on the quality of their springs and instances of them flattening out after a couple years. The OME appears to have 6-8 leafs in their pack, and I've read of fewer issues with their quality. My main concern with the OME's is I'll end up with too much lift at 2.25-2.5". With that much lift, I'd imagine I'd need to put at least 2" of lift on the front and likely need to drop the diff, and need larger tires to fill out the wheel wells, etc...
Weightwise, I'm always carrying around 200 LBS in the bed between the canopy, battery, and emergency gear. During road trips, I'll add another 300-400 LBS of water, fuel, and camping gear to the bed, and sometimes a hitch-mounted bike rack with 120 LBS of bikes and rack hanging off the back of the truck. This brings the total weight up to around 700 LBS for a weekend to week-long road/offroad trip.
Those of you who have experience with either leaf pack, please chime in! Hate to spend the money and end up with the same saggy leaf problem I'm having now. I need to decide soon, so I can get these installed during the upcoming holiday. Thanks for all the help!