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Tempest thank you for the information on those springs but what are the factory springs in a F-250 rated? I still want it to squat so I know when it's getting close to breaking something else. 3700 lbs is a lot of weight for a F-150 right?
They are all a little different based on options, but it look like each spring on F-250 starts at 2,450LBS a side.
I have not had 3700 pounds in the back. Maybe 2000. It squats! I meant more it doesn't rub the top of the wheel well with a ton in the back.
The 1BBL 300 with a granny low doesn't even know it has that much weight in the back! (Well until a hill that is!)
I think the ones I got should do well in your truck. If you had an automatic trans, I would say it would be harder on the trucks transmission.
Also, If you plan on towing alot, you might want to upgrade the steering pump cooler and go with electric fans or a heavy duty fan clutch. My engine really like 190-205*. He runs best there with zero hiccups.
I know the last time I hauled wood (not over the bed rails) she had a hard time and squatted. That was after a new pair of shocks in the back. Not hardwood just Pine for that trip.
The springs carry the weight the shocks are for stability and comfort. Are those leaf springs original? If so they might be getting tired/sagging and need a helper/over load additional leaf to help stiffen them back up.
I bought shocks for my truck last year and did quite a bit of research before buying. Now I have an 86 4x4 so you'll need to make sure the part numbers fit on your vehicle, but here's my research:
I ended up buying the Monroe Reflex Light Truck shocks, parts 911034 & 911038
I like that it has a coil over though. If it don't fit I live less than 2 miles from Autozone and Orielys. 4 miles from Napa, Federated and CARQUEST. JCWhitney isn't the only one that sells them just the quickest link.
I like that it has a coil over though. If it don't fit I live less than 2 miles from Autozone and Orielys. 4 miles from Napa, Federated and CARQUEST. JCWhitney isn't the only one that sells them just the quickest link.
What's your idea on the half add a leaf?
My pickup already has a "helper" leaf and I didn't consider the coil-over shocks or HD shocks for increasing capacity or heavy duty work. I have an F350 for that and it only cost me $600 initially.
My personal opinion is that a vehicle is only as strong as its weakest part. You can beef up the suspension to carry 3500 lbs on each side but you're just gonna snap off an axle when you dump that much weight on there. You can hook up a 10,000 lb trailer (balanced so there's only 2k on the bumper/axle) but you'll end up burning up the clutches in the transmission that's 30 years old.
If you're only hauling a cord of wood occasionally, then you probably don't need the extra hardware. It will just make the ride rougher for normal street driving. The best thing to do (imho) is replace worn parts with the original/aftermarket replacements. If the springs are flattened from previous overloads, get them fixed and don't overload them again.
Well I'm going to put wood racks on it. Just wanted to beef up the springs and shocks because last time I had it loaded only about 1/2 a cord of pretty light wood it had trouble. Squatted down and had trouble going again once stopped.
Also it will be pulling a trailer soon enough. Want to get one but I'm not sure how much it would pull. Longest distance would be around 100 miles.
I don't want to snap the axle or anything like that and that's why I'm asking opinions.
Well I'm going to put wood racks on it. Just wanted to beef up the springs and shocks because last time I had it loaded only about 1/2 a cord of pretty light wood it had trouble. Squatted down and had trouble going again once stopped.
Also it will be pulling a trailer soon enough. Want to get one but I'm not sure how much it would pull. Longest distance would be around 100 miles.
I don't want to snap the axle or anything like that and that's why I'm asking opinions.
Yep, that's why I'm giving you my opinion.
The "had trouble going again once stopped" is a combination of power output and gear ratio. You've got a 6 cylinder, which, I know the Ford guys LOVE LOVE LOVE their inline 6, but in the end, is not a powerhouse. Next, your transmission, while awesome, is a manual which requires you to engage the 30 year old clutch manually with your foot to get it going again. This can be difficult to get just right and works a lot better with more power and fresh equipment.
I know when I was pulling a heavy load with the F350 (which is a manual too), it required revving the engine and popping the clutch, otherwise the clutch would burn and put out funny smells. Now this was on soft dirt so the tires would spin a bit, but it was better than not going at all. Yes, I probably need to replace the clutch, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
About the "axle snapping off", this actually happened to my dad once while hauling a trailer of cattle to town. It was a gooseneck trailer and a 1980 F-100 Custom with a 4 speed manual. He was going along and all of a sudden the backend dropped and the tire went speeding ahead of the vehicle and into the ditch. So it can happen.
05-30-2016, 01:55 PM
