I am trying to find out what sort of rear springs my truck has, if they are light duty or heavy duty, and perhaps how much I can load in the back.

The door jamb sticker on my 1985 F150 XLT Lariat reads:

GAVR: 4800 LB
Front GAWR: 2650
Rear GAWR: 2524

Spring: B X

Can someone decode all of this and tell me what this means exactly? If these are light duty springs, what sort of springs do I need to get for an upgrade?

And here is a picture of the leaf springs on the truck. I have never seen a leaf spring bent like this before. Is this the way Ford did it, or more of the previous owner's "modifications?"

 

The replacement part number for the rear springs (Code X) is:

E5TZ-5560-F Text Section 53, Pg 76

The parts book gives no other useful information on them. You might Google that number and see what you can find.

 

GAWR is Gross Axle Weight Rating - the maximum weight an axle is rated to carry.

I'm not familiar with the 'GAVR' abbreviation, but I assume it's the same as the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) - which is the maximum permissible weight of the loaded truck, fuel & passengers combined...........the total weight as it sits on the road.

It has to be kept in mind when you load, that the combined GAWR's are more than the truck's GVWR.

It looks as if leaves have been added to your truck at some time.

 

Link: 1982-1985 F150 2WD Rear Leaf Springs

 

1980 - 1996 Ford F150 rear leaf springs this should tell about springs

 

They definitely do not look original. I bet it gives a rough ride on the road. But someone didn't like the sag when it was loaded so they added that heavy curved leaf in there.

 

That curve on the end doesn't look right either.

 

"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?" -Song introduced in 1944 by Louis Jordan.

The main leaf has an ID number stamped adjacent to the eye bolt, post what it is.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beginning March 13, 1981, the IDIOTS removed the reference to the average spring load rate capacity in the parts catalog.

If the rear spring part number used from 3/13/81 thru 1991 is the same (usually it isn't), you can look up the spring load rates from 1980 thru before 3/13/1981.

Since the above part number has a 1985 prefix, you're SOL

Left upper: SOL / Right: The reason why you're SOL / Left lower: Example of before the IDIOTS removed the average spring load rates.