I have a 2000 Excursion 7.3L 4x4. I'm not sure if the rear springs are stock. This web site says that my spring pack should be 3 3/16" thick but it only measures 2 3/4. It does have the correct number of leaves.

I plan to tow a travel trailer pretty much around the country but will be spending a fair amount of time unloaded. I might spend a month in one place and use it as a daily driver until I pick up and move again. I don't have a trailer picked out yet but I'm looking at ones in the 28-32' range. They generally gross about 8000 or 9000 and I will have a few hundred pounds in the excursion too. I'm guessing tongue weight from the trailer will be around 1000 lbs.

I've read quite a few threads in this forum about V springs, B springs, mod B springs, RAS, airbags and I have a few questions.

First, does anyone tow with a very similar (ok, preferably identical) setup and be able to recommend a good setup?

Where do people get springs from? Buying them new seems outrageously expensive, if you can even find them. The junkyard doesn't seem like a really good option unless you want saggy springs.

I found a spring shop locally that does nothing but springs and they fab their own on-site. I visited them today and he said that for about 700 rear and 500 front - his labor - he can make it a much better tow vehicle. He didn't get into specifics on what kind of springs he would use or how much capacity I'd have when done. I did describe my situation to him. He said I probably wouldn't even need to work on the front springs - but that didn't seem right to me. I asked him about RAS and he said they're junk and I didn't want one. All they did was prevent the rear half of the spring from flexing and making the front half of the spring flex more.

Also, when I first pulled up, he asked me if it had coils in the rear. These guys are the only spring shop in the area. I find it hard to believe they don't know what they're talking about but I guess it's possible?

I'm not really sure if I should let them handle the job, but it doesn't seem that easy to go out and buy a set of V/B springs. Am I just looking in the wrong place?

 

Buying new V/B springs from Ford is a pricey way to go. I bought my V/B springs from a local heavy truck dismantler for considerably less that what I could have done directly through Ford (even Tousley which from what I've read has rates so good they sell across the country).

Here is my rig and specs: 6.8 V10, 4x4, I run maybe 300 lbs in the rear all the time (third seat removed, S&R gear in a storage drawer), and I tow between 7,800 and 10,000lb trailers for our local FD.

I run stock tires and found my front springs were only about 3/4 off of the bumps, and the rear sagged like crazy when I towed.

I did a V/Modded B spring swap. Fronts were from an F250 with about 44k on the clock, rears were from an F350 with about 56k on the clock. I secured them ON THE TRUCKS...once they are removed the odds of the dismantler knowing for sure what spring code was on the truck drops to an unacceptable rate (based on my query of about a dozen yards in my area and local counties).

I knew that a V/B spring swap on a V10 would end up with a slightly "nose up" stance. On a 7.3 this might be different (might be level)...some of the other guys with dizzles will have to speak to that.

Because I wanted a level ride, I opted for the "Modded B" option...this is taking the two bottom leaves from the factory set and adding them to the bottom of a B set of springs. This setup (using the stock Excursion blocks) brought me back to maybe 1/2" higher in the rear (that was soaked up with the tools)...so for me that was a level ride.

I still had some sag when towing though. I can't speak to RAS, but a lot of guys on here don't have a problem with them (and a spring shop saying they are junk begs the question "are you just saying that so I'll come spend money at your shop?").

RAS supposedly stops the sag, but to adjust them takes two wrenches. For me, hooking up the trailer at the FD needed to happen quickly, in the dark, in the rain, every time...so I chose air bags instead of the RAS. I went with AirLift (I had a good experience in using their stiffener bags on my Expedition) with the remote control unit. To date I have had only one issue, and that was when the remote batteries died while 'aired up' (65psi). After unhooking the trailer, I had to disconnect the power to the manifold and I just drained some air from the backup shrader valve. Sucked, but sucked for 15 minutes until I could get new batteries (that I now carry spares for) in the remote.

The Air Lift air bags give me 2" of lift at 65psi (100psi max) and the remote makes it simple (three programmable settings but 1psi manual adjustment anywhere between 0 and 100psi). I back under the trailer, hit the remote, and as the bags inflate I connect the chains, brake cable and umbilical. By the time I'm done with that the ball has raised 2" into the trailer cup, then I lower the trailer till the foot is off the ground and raise the foot via the pin...reverse when coming back. Less cranking on the jack and a very quick hitch/unhitch process (provided you use a backup cam...very nice to have).

If the system detects pressure changes (cold mornings vs. hot afternoons, then cold evenings), while the ignition circuit is on, the system adjusts itself to maintain the proper pressure. I usually hear about 1 second of compressor in the mornings in the summer...and in the summer afternoons I usually hear maybe 2 - 5 seconds of air drain as the air expands in the system.

I've had it on the rig since August of 13 (https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ft-system.html) and I have yet to have any issues with the system...used it to tow a rig to the Rim Fire in Sonora, over the passes to Monterey, and up into the foothills for training events, and she rides great.

The springs alone eliminated steering wander, and the bags keep me level, all with just the remote.

That's one story of a setup that hopefully helps you...I'm sure other guys on here use different methods. Hope it gives you some perspective in how you can fix your ride to suit your needs.

 

Great info, thank you.

What truck dismantler did you get it from? I also live in Sacramento.

 

I tow a "311" Sprinter Bunkhouse; however it measures out at 35' and approx 1000lbs on the ball and 10,500lbs loaded. If you look for threads I started I have a small write-up on the work I've done to make my 05 Ex ready to tow that weight.

 

Cordova Truck Dismantlers Home Page - Wrecked and Used Ford Chevy Dodge Pickup Used GMC Pickup,SUV,Van,Parts

 

Check out ATS, as they are a site advertiser. My Ex has springs from ATS, front and back.

 

Good info except the RAS part, you never have to adjust it once you put it in. Ever. Here's from the RAS website which is spot on.


Welcome to Roadmaster Active Suspension
Welcome to the unique world of Roadmaster Active Suspension (RAS), the ultimate assist for vehicles with rear leaf spring suspension. RASis the only suspension upgrade that converts basic “passive” leaf springs into mechanically “active” suspension. A system that instantly absorbs and dissipates load force energy resulting in significantly improved vehicle stability, balance, traction and control, with or without a load. Roadmaster Active Suspension adds critical strength to leaf springs but WILL NOT compromise ride quality. The patented design eliminates bottoming out, axle wrap and wheel hop, greatly improves road handling by reducing sway and dangerous body roll on cornering, and strengthens the rear leaf springs for towing or hauling maximum loads with maximum safety. Vehicles and fleets that consistently operate under load benefit from improved fuel efficiency, vehicle safety and load carrying capacity as well as reduced driver fatigue and extended tire and suspension component life. RAS is a simple retrofit to most every pickup truck and van with rear leaf springs, with up to a 1 1/2 ton capacity, and once installed no adjustments or maintenance is ever required.

 

Ben's advice about ATS Spring is good as their rep on the forum "Junior" will work with you to get the exact amount of lift/rate and travel that you need for your setup. Most aftermarket spring suppliers will advertise V, X and B codes springs but as has been proven here a few times they DO NOT match up with the factory Ford specs for those spring codes. Any code reference to springs should be limited to only factory springs from Ford, the aftermarket can call their products whatever they choose with no regard to factory specs.
I would think twice about your local spring shop for both the reason Robert pointed out about the RAS (they are junk, buy OUR junk!) and the fact that they didn't know your SuperDuty based EX had leaf springs on it. Hmmmm.
Buying used springs can be fine, but like Robert said, try to actually take them off of the donor truck as then the door sticker can be used to verify the codes. Seeing the donor will also help to determine the mileage and obvious abuse the truck has on it. I was super lucky to have a coworker give me his 20k mile take-offs from his old F-350 with snow plow prep, so my X/Bs were free!
When I planned my spring swap I had a few goals I wanted to achieve, the EX's main job is as our tow rig and I wanted it to ride level while pulling, stronger springs to handle the trailer's weight and a full load of passengers and enough additional ride height to mount 35" tires. With these goals in mind I added a little to each set of leaves for my swap. I did the typical B code mods with the bottom 2 EX leaves, thicker EX between leaf spacers and taller F-350 tapered blocks (3.75" to 4" tall vs EX 2" blocks), additionally I cut up the old "slapper bar" traction half-leaf from the EX pack and added 2 sections of it to each side of the new modded Bs. These mods increased rear ride height by 4.5"+. Up front I added the top overload leaf from the rear B codes (they have to come off the Bs as they can hit the rear AC lines on an EX) to the new X codes. These new spring packs increased front ride height by 3 7/8". This provided enough room to run my current 305/70R18E Nittos on '04 SD rims with only a slight rub on the springs at full steering lock. The stronger springs took away all of the trailer weight induced rear steer I was getting, a Hellwig rear anti-roll bar had greatly reduced this prior to the swap. And now the EX does sit nearly level with 7 adult sized people onboard while hitched up, rear axle weight exceeds 6500lbs at time depending on the load.
With your planned 8 to 9k lb TT I would expect to see a little higher tongue weight than you mentioned. Absolute minimum TW for a TT should be 10% of the trailer weight, 13% to 15% is better and will greatly reduce the chance of trailer sway. All weight calculations for trailers should be made based on the GVWR of the trailer, advertised dry weights and tongue weights are pure fantasy and have no bearing on the real world. So an 8k TT should have between 1040lbs (13%) and 1200lbs (15%) and a 9k TT should be 1170lbs (13%) to 1350lbs (15%) of TW. Of course these are time tested rules of thumb and you will find reports of others who run lower TW and don't have issues. A lot of the setup centers on the WD hitch being used, many choices in the WD hitch world. I would strongly recommend a unit with built-in sway control (or better yet but at a higher cost, built-in sway elimination). Even though our EXs seem huge by most comparisons they do actually have a somewhat short for the towing scene 137" wheelbases, making quality sway control WD hitches even more important. All that being said, I pull a 12k TT that has 1450lbs TW (12%) but I also use a Hensley Arrow WD hitch. These and the Pro-Pride units are top of the line sway elimination hitches and their price reflects that, fortunately they are available on the used market too. I found mine on CL for $650 and after a repaint and a couple of new bearings and seals it performs as new. Our TT is 41' long, 12k and pulls great with no bad manners behind our EX.

This spring swap reference chart my help with your spring selection.
This is my Spring cheat sheet complied from various posts here on FTE mostly from old posts by bruce1954 and Monsta.

The following only applies to 4X4 EXs, the 2X4 rigs have coil springs up front. All EXs came from Ford with G code rear springs, the V-8 EXs all came with B (front B code is much different than rear B code, confused yet?) 4100lb, all V-10 EXs came with C code fronts at 4300lb and all PSD EXs had D codes at 4700lbs.
All the other codes discussed come from SuperDuty trucks (they came with springs that don't suck from Ford.)
Spring........Capacity.....Rate lbs/".....Max travel.....V-10 change.....PSD change
B (V-8)......4100lbs.......330 lb/".........5.02"...........-0.25".............-0.66"
C (V-10)....4300lbs.......350 lb/".........5.01".............0.00"............-0.37"
D (PSD).....4700lbs.......380 lb/".........5.14"...........+0.33".............0 .00"
S codes.....4000lbs.......370 lb/".........4.34"...........+1.22"............+0 .88"
T codes.....4400lbs.......390 lb/".........4.63"...........+1.42"............+1 .11"
U codes.....4800lbs.......410 lb/".........4.89"...........+1.60"............+1 .32"
V codes.....5200lbs.......430 lb/".........5.13"...........+1.77'............+1 .50"
W codes....5600lbs.......450 lb/".........5.34"...........+2.77'............+2 .52"
X codes.....6000lbs.......470 lb/".........5.54"...........+2.90"...........+2. 68"
W codes are from F-450s and X codes are from F-550s and other SD trucks with snow plow prep.

The above spring info has been gathered from posts here on FTE by "monsta" and "bruce1954".

In this shot there is approx. 6400lbs on the rear axle, compare the rake to it's unloaded stance in my signature pic. (sig pic still has 32" tires).

 

Ditto. I replaced the rear leafs on my truck with springs from ATS after the main leaf broke on both sides. Junior was great to deal with

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I ended up ordering some pretty heavy duty ATS springs for my Ex. I think it rides better now than it did when it was brand new.

 

What did it end up costing you guys, if you don't mind me asking? And what exactly did you order?

Tom, that is a nice setup you have there. I don't want to run 35" tires or lift mine that much but it sure does look nice. That hitch does a great job at pushing the whole suspension down, too.

 

$700.00~ish

Talked to Junior he advised based on what I was trying to accomplish.

 

Was that for all four corners?! I may be talking to Junior soon if so, been wanting a little extra height to fit legit 35's and not 315's. Plus it's Texas and I feel a little... small. Lol.

 

Yeah mine ran probably around $800 for fronts and backs, total. Junior is great to work with, plus they sent me an ATS magnet and ATS ink pen! Totally worth $800

The springs I ordered are in my sig. I easily clear 35s. I am also thinking of throwing a few leaves from my old packs into the new packs to gain more lift.

 

Wtf? I didn't get a pen or magnet!

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