gdmn76

Here's the deal
I have a '12 ecoboost screw 6.5' 3.73 fx4 max tow with 9000 miles.

My rear springs have already settled to where the truck sits flat. Last week I had a 27' trailer hooked up and when loaded, the back end was sagging enough to where the jack was dragging. I don't know the tongue weight and understand it might have been past the truck's limits. BUT, it's time I add air bags to the rear end for the other trailers I pull.

I'm soon going to be ordering some new 18x9 wheels and either 33s or 34s. Probably a 2" level in the front.

Should I add a leaf in the rear or just air bags? I don't really want to lift the truck but want to make sure the tires clear and need to keep the back end of the truck off the ground when I'm hauling.

i probably haul a trailer twice a week, and the weigh varies greatly. Sometimes its a 3k lb tilt trailer with a 7k lb skid (balanced on the trailer), sometimes its a short utility trailer with a load of scrap soil, etc, and once in awhile its the 27' equipment trailer.

The spring shop wanted to add a leaf (either one thick leaf or two thinner leaves) but I am leaning much more towards the bags. Will they extend too much if I end up doing both a leaf AND the bags?

bradyb093

I would get the airbags if I were you. I have the Firestone airbags and the Airlift wireless one compressor. Cost me ~$600, but a great decision. With this set up you have a huge range of flexibility to level your truck and improve the ride with changing tongue weights. The compressor holds 5 psi on the bags when unloaded, cant even tell they are back there. Cant say any of this for the springs.

I cant say enough here for the improvements to ride quality with airbags while trailering.

tomb1269

Sounds as if you own a landscape company.... And are hauling some heavy equipment. The F150 (especially the newer ones) are very stought and capable trucks and can do more than most of the people that own them will ever really due. If you have already abused the springs to where they are sagging at 9000 miles you have the wrong F series. It sounds as if you sound be in an F250 at a minimum and more likely an F350, if not the F350 1ton dump. You refernence above that you tow a 1.5 ton dump trailer and then add 3.5 ton of bobcat for 5 ton or 10,000 lbs and I am willing to bet your carring another 1000 to 1500 lbs of stuff (passengers or handheld equipment) wich is max out the tow cap and definitely the payload cap. My brother had a landscape company and always used the F350 series trucks as they are rated and capable of bumper pulling 10000 to 12000 or more trailer weight. You need a bigger truck add-ons will provide you only 1 guarantee.. At the weights your dealing with a major suspesion failure that puts the truck out of service for days......... You can either buy the 350 now or wait and buy it in 6 to 12 months when the F150 gives it up like an abused mule.

bubbabud

You might consider a Timbren SAS system Its cheap easy to install wont lift the truck retains stock ride quality but as soon as you put weight on it the springs drop about 1 inch and then the Timbren rubber springs start to take up the load. I have them on my 11 scab and am very pleased.

Broncoslover

I have a similar truck with the ONLY difference being a a 5.5' bed. I recently added a 2.5" leveling kit and airlift bags in the rear. Just this past weekend I added e rated BFG T/A KOs to help solidify the ride. I hope it handles my TT much better next spring. Can't wait to try it out. The improvements on the looks was worth the $$ anyways.

gdmn76

tomb1269-

Yes, I know all of this. And have 3 f350s (one high side dump, two short side dumps) as well as 9 other f250 pickups available for most of the work.
The cushy f150 is my personal truck but I still use it to haul when the crews are all busy.

I admitted to working up to the limits of this truck. The engine has no problem pulling the weight. It's a great truck. 90 percent of my
hauling is less than 6000 lbs. this suspension upgrade is for the other ten percent of hauling on 5 mile trips. It just happened this summer I hauled a couple pallets of wall block and that smushed the springs.

Freedom 750

I would go with air bags. You keep your good ride and can air up or down depending on load. I had Timbrens on an F250 and had to take them off. When I had a bit of a load on the box, but not heavy enough to really weigh it down, and then hit some bumps the back end hit the rubbers, the box shot up and the tires lifted off the ground. This got to be very annoying so I took them off. May be they weren't installed right but they didn't work for me.

lewisfk

Thanks for all the info now I have to products to compare, the Firestone system and the Timbren SAS system. I have 20ft open car hauler, it weighs 1500 pounds. My race care weighs 2200 with me in it. With spare tires, trans, and other parts I'm looking at a combine weight 4500 pounds or so. The max Ive towed with my ecoboost is 7000 lbs. Three horses that weighed about 1300-1500 pounds and the trailer weigh about 2500 and all the tack gear. My truck squated a great deal, my max tow weight is 9500 lbs. The truck ran great and I averaged about 16 mpg but i stayed below 60 mph.

yokev

I used to tow 9-12klbs with lifted 2500 and 3500 HD's. First I used a weight-distributing hitch, then I switched to air bags. The chain(s) would invariably stretch, and the amount of force involved when you crank over those levers lead me to check out air bags as an alternative. When I finally made the switch I had a lifted (6") 3500HD dually with 35's all around, and my trailer would vary from 9k to 12klbs. I'd evac all the air outta the bags so I didn't have to jack up the hitch as much to attach it to my truck, then pump it back in after the trailer was hooked up, and bingo-boffo I was on my way. Never once had any problem with just using bags, and matter of fact, the trailer towed better even with more weight. I would just suggest that a compressor and in-cab controller is a MUST(as opposed to having to pump 'em up with an outside source).
The guy that did all the work on my trucks at the time installed a dual gauge/switch control unit in my truck, but I didn't need individual controls for each bag simply for towing. If you haul a lot of weight regularly however, they'll come in REAL handy for off-set loads.
I wanna say I paid a grand or so for the whole thing(Firestone) including installation back in '07, but it looks to me like there's more companies in that market now, and that prices have co-correspondingly come down since then.
Bottom line is, IMO you can't go wrong with 'em.