I've done this before on my '01 Dodge Cummins.


I added two more leaves up top and a helper spring down in the pack, which effectively did away with the need for an anti-sway bar.
The thicker, lower of the 3 overloads came with the camper package. The thinner 2 on top were given to me by someone actually on this forum in 2002 or so who removed them from his 3500 dually. They both had a different spring rate.
With my current setup on the F-350 SRW i don't need the helper, but it is a bit light in side to side control with just Super Sway Stops, but it is close.
To the question:
*Has anyone added one more factory upper secondary (overload) spring to your rear pack?
Taking the weight of my camper into account, i think we could be closer to equilibrium: the balance between too stiff and too much sway.
I just wanted to run it by you to see if any others have done this with a Ford/camper.
jefe

 

I kinda went a different route. 2019 Ford F350 XL CCSW and when it was stock I dropped my AF990 on it and of course it sagged and swayed. Swapped out the original springs and had a custom 8 pack made by a spring company out here in SD and then loaded up the camper and all was good. I also added sway bars front and back as well as air bags and now it handles fine as far as sway and sag. Springs are huge I think upgrading springs as opposed to just adding bags. That way truck handles more like it was designed to. Good luck.

 

Based on your camper how close are you to max payload? With the right air-bag setup with daystar cradles you would only need 20-40psi in the bags and retain axle travel. That also assumes you daily drive the truck. Unloaded with no weight I'd assume the additional leafs would make it a very harsh ride. However like greeno stated a custom built leaf pack by SD or Deaver will be a huge improvement over factory springs.

 

With the rear leaf set I had made truck rides better unloaded than with the original set. When loaded is better. I think they use different load rates of steel building the packs. Good luck.

 

Allendks45,
The Northstar Laredo weighs 2350 pounds with full 40 gallons of fresh water; 5 gallons of flush water; 6 gallons of hot water, and propane.
Add 2 people and about 600 pounds of other stuff, so maybe 1K pounds at full load for a longer trip.
At 3350 pounds, wet it is still under the payload rating of 4190 pounds (with the tailgate and ramps off). We also travel sans 200 pounds of electric jacks. On another forum I was known as, "King of the Jacks Off" for leaving the jacks at home.
I'm not a fan of airbags. Too much rebound (boinga-boinga) for me. Air lines, whether they be on ARB's or Airbags have taken it in the shorts when we've been down in the weeds and rocks. It's been a couple decades since I used air bags so maybe they are better now.

Greenno has great ideas about spring packs. Is it San Diego Spring? There was one famous spring place there in the past with a mountain of knowledge about leaf springs.
The camper is going to basically live on the back of our new Ford, with only removal when we need servicing. No daily drive here.
Even when the bed is MT, the sway stops will not be in contact with the upper overload springs, so the MT ride should remain the same.
I'm just trying to find someone who has done this upper added overload spring thing with an F-350.
jefe

 

I replaced the single-leaf wimpy OEM Ford upper overload springs with four-leaf aftermarket 55-037 springs and upper Torklift Stableloads to level my truck when the TC is loaded. When the TC is offloaded, the truck raises to disengage the upper overload springs to provide the factory unloaded ride quality and factory unloaded ride height. Over the years I have performed this mod on three different Ford dually trucks I have owned that carried my heavy TCs.

 

This is the route I would go if I were solely using the truck for hauling or towing. Ours was built for off-road but we compromised our hauling doing that. We removed the full Progressive Deaver pack and put the factory springs back in to regain towing and hauling, added the cradles which allow full travel of the rear axle. Ours is a daily driver as well albeit 5-10 miles a day. If I had to do it again I would have left the truck factory and built a F150 or Jeep to play around way off trail. One last thought, never had a problem with the air lines and I've been in some gnarly places.

 

Ognot, Do you have any photos of the 55-037 on your ford. Fits a 17 SRW? They seem like a good option for me. I have a TC that is on the truck a lot of the time.
Thanks

 

North County Spring owner's name is Tony he's a good guy very knowledgeable, Wanted my truck to basically sit level when loaded AND unloaded with no harsh ride. Worked out perfect. I think the springs and install was a little under 2k.

Truck Empty:



Truck with Camper, Not loaded up, H2o tank 1/2 full (30g). Minimum 5psi in airbags, typically when fully loaded with everything I put about 40psi in and it helps with any side to side sway going over ruts or rocks. Been down to Baja a number of times off the beaten path.

 

I am on the east coast but if county springs was closer I would head there. I have a leveling kit on the front so the back sags a bit even with timbrens and torque lift. I can live with it like this if I have to.

 

This is a pic of the 55-037 four-leaf upper overload springs and Torklift Upper Stableload while my Lance 1172 is loaded on the truck as mentioned in my previous post:




The overall specifics (dimension/capacity) of the 55-037 spring pack can be found on many of the suppler websites.............. Just Google “55-037 leaf spring” if your interested.

 

Ran into someone camping at Painted Rocks lake near Sula Montana last year with these on a older F250 carrying a AF. Sat level and they said no issues carrying the rig everywhere they go. I thought about it but opted for air-bags because these must add what 100-150 additional pounds? Seems the logical way if you are at max or slightly over would be to add as little weight as possible. That was our motivation for not purchasing a multi-overload leaf pack.

 

So unloaded, they aren't engaged at all? Even when you hit bumps? Is the action of the shocks effected at all by the extra spring strength?
Thanks for posting the pics! If something like that works in place of air bags, and you can take the weight hit, would be better as there's less to break and no air leaks.

 

Normal driving unloaded I don't see how the overloads would be engaged unless there was a huge block much larger than the upper stable loads. However they can be engaged. Overloads and off road are not a good combination and will not permit the flex of the suspension this truck is performing.

 

I tried spacers and air bags in addition to the factory springs on my '15 drw carring AF992 and pulling an enclosed trailer, still sagged. I was going to respring it but went with a kelderman 4 link, the install was a small disaster but it rides like a F250 unloaded and even better with the camper on.