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Don, your new truck is so much better suited for your load. Not just statically when parked, but dynamically when driving down the road. I'll bet you are very happy you made the trade!
Don, your new truck is so much better suited for your load. Not just statically when parked, but dynamically when driving down the road. I'll bet you are very happy you made the trade!
For book: It was a long chase of which I spent a LOT of coin going after a truck to my comfort zone of safety and performance.
The saga started when I was led astray by a dealer only buy of an Arctic Fox 1150 which hit the scales at 5770 lbs and the said: No you don't no dually and F 350 will do: so before I bought I had to go find a F 350 and I did, max out with heavy duty everything but a dually. So I had to replace tires then add stableloafds and the chase began.
After 4 more F 350's I kept doing the same thing expecting different (better) results...Stableloads, Big Wig sway bars, better tires, I even tried air bags once (KNOWING the only thing they do is level and at least I had that requirement to fill).
So how did I make the jump to a F 450: Talking with several guys on here (thanks Y2KW57 and a couple of others) that I could tell knew there stuff. They allayed my thoughts on the sometimes lower payload rating of the F 450 Vs F 350. Fact is the F 450 weighs more because you get more, but there is an artificial ceiling at the 14,000 lb Govt drawn line in the sand where you cross over into another level of truck that may turn into a commercial vehicle with its CDL, Insurance requirement, taxes etc. Bottom line is when you run the numbers and subtract the weight of a heavier truck vs lighter you reduce payload, even tho reality is you have more capability in the heavier.
In the final analysis I have more truck in spite of the paper numbers and so far I have not had to add any stableloafds or better tires and sway bars.
It takes me back to the day I swung my leg over my first Harley after Yamaha/Honda (great bikes) but by the time I rolled into the street I understood why Harley.
The take away for me is if I had ONLY known then what I know now I would have never bought a F 350! If you are going to play in a world where anything that you set in the bed of your truck is going to cost more than 4000 lb or a big 5'ver the F 450 will save you money and mods.
I went with timbren's. Install them and forget about it. I have an air suspension in my snowmobile and am tired of playing with air pressure. So far so good.
Same here, I got air bags on my shop truck. It’s Something every week. Finally I replaced them, I’m sure my troubles will return. It only takes one small stone to rest next to a bag and chafe it.
I will have to hook up and take the measurement- I don't remember if I ever did actually.
I will take a pic of the hitch also because it looks like there is adjustment on both sides of it (truck and neck)
Air bags is the way to go. I have been using them on all my trucks the last ten years and love them.
They have their place which is in leveling a vehicle due to load and or giving a smoother, more cushioned ride. Other than that I cannot find a need for them if you don't have those requirements. I have run them off and on going back to the late 50's and when I did they served a purpose. In fact I recently recommended them to a fellow that pulls 20k lbs of horse trailer to level out the trailer while under tow and provide a better ride for the horses. He had them installed and could not be happier. But they filled a need, if you don't have the need they don't work...
[QUOTE=Gwilkrrs;19474676]I will have to hook up and take the measurement- I don't remember if I ever did actually.
I will take a pic of the hitch also because it looks like there is adjustment on both sides of it (truck and neck)
Looks like you are about 5" to 6". That's not too close.
When I grew up in the 60’s the cool factor was driving something that was jacked up in the back. Nowadays youngsters want the front end of their trucks higher than the rear. Then we have the type that only want 1 inch of ground clearance so they can scrape everywhere.
Maybe next year they will figure out how to bend the frames so the cab is higher than both the front and rear wheels.
Randy,
They call that a Silverado! Cause you can see the whole frame from the side.... LOL
Very good info guys. I pulled my 5er for the first time a week ago. I have a SRW and the 11,500lb payload option. 5er tongue weight is around 2800 lbs. I measured tip of wheel well to ground both front and rear. Rear was 1" lower. My son is a mechanic and told me not to add anything. I'm going to pull with it for a year and see how it handles. For now, I think I'll leave it alone.....
I'm laughing at the all of the old man, white tennis shoe in crew socks comments in this thread. So much old man anger. The fact these guys get so angry when others mod their trucks is quite amusing and only encourages it. Fascinating for sure.
OP airbags are the answer. I've got a 14k 5'er that squats mine just enough to raise my headlights. I haven't measured it but it can't be more than a couple of inches at most if I had to guess. Ride is fine as is stability.
I'm still trying to build out my system to include oba, bags and the controls in the cab. When I have spec'd them out its not much more money to go oba instead of just bags/compressor. That is my line of thinking especially when you remove the need of a portable compressor you can add that back into the cost of the oba.
That is the route I'm currently on.
I’m in the white tennis shoe and crew sock age group and when I get too old for a mildly modded truck, I’m turning in my driver’s license.
I have a 01 F-350 with air bags and leveling kit. I have a 2021 F-350 Tremor, (pretty cool truck for an Old Timer) on order and I’m leveling and bagging it too.I agree that functionally, a leveling kit does not make a better “truck”.I can also name 100 other popular asessories that fall into the same category.
I believe air bags with onboard air do make a better truck.Thanks to the bags, you will never see my truck squatted down in the rear, no matter what I’m hauling or towing.You will also never be blinded by my headlights.
The other safety feature allowed by onboard air is a air horn. My air horn has saved my *** more than once from an inattentive driver.
What does that do to your warranty? Just curious..... When I took delivery on mine, I had to sign a document saying that "all" warranty is voided if I alter "anything" on the truck......
Also, when I traded my '15 diesel, they gave me an extra 5k because it wasn't molested (deleted/etc.)......
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
