been thinking about a new truck for the past few months and Saturday was the first day i went to a dealer to look at some new F350's. I went to Gentilini Ford in Woodbine NJ, they had 12 F350 on the lot ranging from reg cabs to chassis cab 4x4. I was mostly interested in the crew cabs but these two ext cab long beds kept catching my eye. After looking closer at them and reading the window sticker's i noticed both of them had different rear leaf springs? They both had four main leafs plus the top overload spring, where all the other crew cabs and reg cabs had the normal three leafs plus the top overload spring? And both the long bed ext cabs were at least two to three inches taller then all the other F350 on the lot?? The salesmen told me that all the ext cab F350 come this way because Ford knows they are the number one seller for contractors etc and ford puts beefier springs on these trucks only? I even went further and talked to a mechanic that said as long as he's been a Ford tech almost thirty years all the ext cab long bed seem to be taller and have the best payload from what hes worked on and seen come to the dealer ship? Now i didn't take a tape measure but standing next to these trucks you can defiantly see the height difference and just the extra springs in the long beds it looks to me that THESE ext cab long beds SHOULD have the best payload capacity? What do yous think???

 

i know my local dealer has no F350 on the lot, so i cant just drive the three miles to go look at their trucks, and the other two i called thats closer to me only had a reg cab and two crew cabs so that wont help. The only truck i know off that was like this was my dads 99 ext cab long bed F350 that was just like these new ones. tall as he$$ and its payload was crazy good from what i remember and the pics we have of it.

 

Interesting. Yeah its seems like the SC LB combo would be a perfect combo for contractors and such. I wish mine was a LB. I've been kicking tires at the dealers around my place too. I have noticed that the rear heights vary a little based on cab size and bed length. My next truck will probably be a SC LB, but the crew cabs are very tempting...

 

i really want a crew cab because of my family, and i hate the rattle and noise that ext cab make. But just seeing the difference in the springs and ride height of the ext cab long beds.... that alone makes me want it. I might be going to the shore again this weekend if i do ill stop back at the dealership and take pics to show you guys just how much higher they are and the rear springs being so much more beefy

 

the sale men kept trying to make me buy a truck off the lot but this time I'm going to order want i want. I just want a Xl F350 with the chrome bumper package and the 4.30 locker option. I'm sick of all this junk electric windows and mirrors that don't last longer then three years and you have to spend a fortune to fix them

 

Yea I hear ya man. Can't beat manual... wish my truck had a t-case with a stick. Maybe some day I'll work on that. I'm thinking crew cab too for my next ride. I'm getting married next summer and my next truck is gonna stay a while, so... Anyways, back on track.... yea post up some pics if you get a chance.

 

ill take a few to show you all, i figure by now someone would chime in with more responses about this. I know im not the only one who might buy a ext cab long bed

 

You can always air bag the truck to keep it from sagging. Axle and everything is basically the same.

I have the manual T case on mine. Would not trade it for the world.

 

I want one. I put manual hubs on a while back, but I'm still not that crazy about the switch.

 

after all the post ive been reading on how much these new trucks sag so bad, i shouldnt have to spend another 500to 600 for a airbag system. a F350 shouldnt sag with 2k in the bed, thats just ridicouls! i had three yards moist top soil in my 2004 F350 and itonly moved about 1 1/2", yes it rides like a truck but thats what i bought it for, to use it like a truck. And if im going to buy a new 40k truck it better be able to hold weight, if not ill just keep my old out dated F350

 

Amen !

 

yes and this means?

 

Ignore him. He was a Chinese spammer and I have removed him from existence on FTE.

 

Did Ford soften the rear springs on the new generation trucks for a smother ride?

A month ago I was hauling 5000 pounds of bricks in my '07 F0250, 9200 GVWR . (Before anyone beats me up for overloading, this was a 3 mile haul on back country roads, never exceeding 30 MPH)

I was curious, so I measured the squat. The difference between between loaded and unloaded was 3 1/16 inches, rear tire to bed. That surprised me, I was expecting a lot more.

 

I think they did.... and I believe the springs are longer too.