It's always good to finish a project.

 

somewhat confused as to why you didn't do an AAL?


I'm sure you probably didn't want the extra height, but the extra weight capacity is pretty nice to have IMO, and 1/2 to 1" taller out back isn't that much difference


I'm curious what the double stacked Aux springs look like. Please post once you have it back together

 

I think you would have certainly been ahead timewise and probably dollar-wise by going with Air Bags...

One thing I would be concerned with in the addition of more overload leaves would be the forces that would be placed on those right angle frame tabs.. Might want to check those periodically for cracking..

 

Should be fine since i see 250,350,450, and 550's all the time with two three and once four overloads towing and hauling all kinds of stuff. Plus fords have the beefiest overload tabs and both Dodge and GM use two overloads on their trucks stock

iPhone from IB AutoGroup

 

The PO of my 04 f350 added some leafs. To be exact he added 6 leafs above the regular pack of 6. That truck rode like crap. Every small bump and they hit the stops. It also made your teeth jar. Segmented concrete highways were torture. I ended up taking off 4 of them and left the longest 2 on. I would be careful on how many you add. I can say from experience that there is such a thing as to much.

 

Should be fine is the operative here..
Results can be either -
A) yep - it works just fine
B) oh cr@p, looks like maybe it wasn't up to the task

I would just advise you continually monitor those tabs and the frame around them since you are pushing them both to operate under loads that they may not have been designed to support..

If it were me, I would clean and paint the area light gray. Any newly developed cracks will show up easily and will leave rust trails that will draw your attention to them.

 

Tylus: I am doing an AAL. Only to the auxiliary spring, and not to the main pack. I didn't want the added stiffness when unladen, nor the added height.

Big-Foot: I had airbags on a previous truck, and wasn't satisfied with the ride. Too bouncy-bouncy, and too much side-to-side sway for my taste. I installed a very large sway bar and Rancho adjustable shocks on previous rig. And I still wasn't totally happy. They no doubt have their 100% satisfied customers. I just wasn't one of them. I do appreciate your point on the frame tabs, though. I'll watch them in the coming years.

Unrealo4: you're saying your main leaf spring pack had a total of 12 leafs?? That's crazy...

 

How are the overload tabs going to be overloaded? You could add ten overload leaves and all it would do is not squat ad fast, when the stock spring hits the tabs are there just as a stop... Wether its one or two or more its still going to have the same amount of pressure applied

iPhone from IB AutoGroup

 

Negative....

So if one leaf will support 500# - how much tension is on the tab? 500#
Put 1,000# in the truck now and how much is on the tab? 500# because that's all the leaf will support.. The truck sags to the point of resting on the rubber snubbers (IE the springs are not doing much)...

Now you want to lift that truck back up right?

Put another 500# leaf in the stack.. How much weight is on the tab? 500+500 right? 1,000# is now on the tab and the truck is level..

Want to carry more weight and still be level? Add more leaves and take a wild guess at how much tension is on the tabs... Yep, you are pushing those tabs to support the weight because until those leaves are in contact with the tabs, they are supporting nothing..

I hope that works for you..

 

I'm getting closer. Driver's side is more or less finished. Just gotta get the U-joints back on there are tighten them down. But the hardest part is behind me. I ran out of sawzall blades while cutting the center bolt on the passenger side. I'll pick up more blades over lunch tomorrow and get it all wrapped up tomorrow night.

Here's pics of the driver's side stacked springs. I may need to shorten (or totally remove) the overload spacers I had previously installed. As it sits now, the auxiliary springs will pretty much be engaged at the smallest of bumps. And that's not really what I'm wanting I don't think. Time will tell.

 

I always thought those top "overloads" or auxiliary springs were for controlling body sway as with a slide in camper? Hence the camper package.....and that the bottom thick spring in the pack was the true overload spring. So I kind of agree that those tabs that those springs contacted where likely not to actually support additional weight but control body sway with heavy loads (I'm sure the spring would fail before that mount would though).


I mean it's not like the payload is increased because a truck is ordered with that package...... Also a spring that thin, thinner than any spring in the pack, would and should not be considered a true "Overload" spring. That's why that super thick lower leaf is there. It should be strong enough to help keep the springs from bending the other direction if overloaded, right? I know the dually's have a thicker top overload but a dually has a considerable amount of increased payload capability also. More payload means more metal needed to control the stability of the load.


And any aftermarket overload springs such as helper springs attach to the spring pack and have nothing to do with the auxiliary springs and I believe in some of those add-ons you remove that auxiliary spring?


Also the leaf packs in a 450-550 have a TON of leaves for the payload carrying. Even the chassis 350 has more leaves than the pickup 350.


To each their own though and hopefully this project works out well for you!!

 

Although additional spring capacity may help with sway - true sway control somes with the addition of anti-sway bar systems that can load the suspension properly..

The Camper Package was not just about sway control, it was about increasing the weight carrying ability of the truck.. For a spring to be anything other than dead weight, it needs to be connected at both ends..

 

I agree but I'll use your statement as highlighted as it increases the ability to carry the heavy payload, not a load leveling system, such as an airbag, AAL, or aftermarket overloads that attach to the spring pack. These can be used to keep the truck at a certain level as that was the initial topic discussed in this thread as the owner felt truck was squatting too much with a load. Hence I would think you would need to impact the actual spring pack or use airbags in terms of load leveling and not just keep adding to the auxiliary spring pack.

 

Updating...

I got my Arctic Fox 811 uncovered today, and started to prep it for this years camping. If the weather forecast holds, I'll likely be heading out next weekend with the kids.

While I was at it today, I pulled the truck (with newly stacked auxiliary springs) under the camper to see what impact the extra leaf would have on sag. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I'm sagging 1.5-2 inches less with the new setup.

To the top of the rear wheel well without camper: 43 inches
Same measurement with camper loaded: 41 inches
Prior to this mod, camper loaded: 39 inches

Prior to busting out the tape measure, just visually, it was sagging less to the naked eye. And when I climbed inside and jumped up and down and tried to get the camper swaying side to side, it was noticeably stiffer.

All in all, I'm very happy so far with how things turned out.