What lift kit, or even lift kit + other systems, are going to deliver the absolute softest ride?
I am making a truck, and planning on 6" of lift or so, and I really want to keep away from any stronger springs or anything that will give it a hard ride.
I was originally thinking years ago, that I wanted medium duty axles, but after talking to some people knowledgeable about this, the stock ones should be fine, if I can reduce the truck's impact on them.
Basically I don't want the truck to ride rough, or be having super strong spring rate lift.
What I want, is a suspension where if I hit something, there is more than a normal amount of spring travel.

So cheap lift kits with spring spacers and add a leaf kits, are not an option.
Is it safe to take out leafs in the rear, and add air bags?
Can the front springs be removed totally, and use air bags there?
Or else maybe use smaller springs from a 1/2 ton or something along with air bags?

I want to think of something that isn't going to cost 7000$ either, like some lift kits I see.

 

I recently put a 3" rough country in my company 2012 superduty and a 6" rough country in my personal 2006 superduty. Both F250s. The ride is better [softer] than stock in both. The new front coils ride better in both truck! My 06 used a short rear add a leaf which made it a tad stiffer but when I swapped out the rough country shocks for bilstiens, it evened out the ride to about stock. I keep a camper in the back of that truck and it rides awesome with that. Shocks make a big difference.

 

I have that too in the other truck, but 3.5".
It is a nice ride for sure.

This other truck I'm making, I wanted to take it a step further.
Not because I want it to ride like a cadillac, but because it will be hitting a lot of nasty gravel roads, with washouts, washboard, and that type of thing.
It is my goal to get it as cushy as possible, so that the front end doesn't eat parts.

I didn't think that what I wanted was a longer travel suspension, but now I think I do.
Stopping an impact over 4" instead of 2" drastically reduces the forces involved. I know you can buy some axle upgrades, but ball joints seem to be the 1st thing to go for me, and I haven't heard of any game changers in that market. Sure you can get lifetime warranty ones, show me any that includes the labor then I might bite.

The fact that this unit will have a dt360 engine in it, which might add a few hundred pounds, is also a reason to save the front end.

Then again, maybe just a normal run of the mill lift kit, with a spring or 2 removed in the rear, and air bags, would keep it simple and still work......

 

What year? I had an icon 6" suspension in my 2003 and it used 12 leaf Denver front springs. Rode amazing. Much better than my stock 2005.....