When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have b codes in the rear of my excursion. They seem a little overloaded and causes the truck to wobble and feel loose. I removed the rear seats and truck vault to make some changes and the suspension is so much better without that +\- 500lbs. I should have modded them when I installed and had my original springs. They are long gone 10 years ago. What are some options for strengthening my b’s now?
as spring’s age they sag but in an interesting phenomenon of physics as springs sag they retain the spring rate.
so what you really need to determine is what is your current unloaded ride height.
and
what amount of payload do you want to carry.
To compare your springs arch to when it was new simply measure from the center of the hub straight up to the bottom of the fender arch. Stock rear was about 24” and front 23”
anymore than about 3/4” from that you should replace the springs as they are sagged beyond spec.
Payload wise, the best solution to handle variable or additional loads is by adding an air spring.
Knowing I am a little overloaded now. What would be the best change I could make now that wouldn’t be wasted if I made the change to the full traction 4.5” lift.
Knowing I am a little overloaded now. What would be the best change I could make now that wouldn’t be wasted if I made the change to the full traction 4.5” lift.
short answer is nothing you can add to your Bs that is going to work with your future mid travel suspension system.
the full traction isn’t a “lift” it is completely different suspension. At least the front end.
in the rear the choice is yours but reusing your current setup would be a complete waste of time and money.
i would suggest you match the front suspensions travel by switching to longer rear springs without using a block.
I would talk with with Steve, owner of Full Traction about a set of rear springs to match and what spring rates. Also have hime set you up with long travel air bags.
I spoke with Steve the other day about the coilover conversion. He seemed like a good guy with a bunch of knowledge. I was only saying lift because it raises the front 4.5” approximately. All that you said makes total sense. Can I use a long travel air bag on the set up I have now to temporarily fix my overload problem until I switch over? Just thinking about what I could buy now and not waste money.
I recently installed a set of Auto and Truck Suspension (ATS) “B” codes from them. Junior, at ATS, suggested that since we already had a Roadmaster Active Suspension (RAS), that their B codes would work well. Some people on this forum may not agree with this setup, but it allows me to adjust the amount of tension and height of the rear end of my EX. They really complement the Ford Z codes up front. I added Hellwig sway bars and swapped out the body mount bushings for polyurethane. We have an Airlift 7400EZ ready to go in to assist with the tongue weight of our, hopefully, soon to be delivered TT.
The rear-end lifted 2” and my front 1-1/4.” I really like the look of the rake and the big SUV will power oversteer through a tight autocross circuit.
Hope this helps.
if you can’t decipher their marketing jibberish of made up words, It is a fancy add a leaf.
basically it adds spring rate.
you would be better served by adding air bags. These do exactly the same thing. They add spring rate but are easy to adjust according to your payload.
i think the air bags are the way to go for me. Can I use long travel with my v/b setup until I go further up with the 4link? Don’t want to buy bags twice if not necessary.
This week I have been installing air bags. I bought into the Airlift 7400 EZ with Airlift Load Lifter 5000 bags. I’ve got the bags in and am now in the process of hooking up the electrical and air lines. The big square u-bolts that come with this unit don’t fit the EX. In the Airlift corporate video, they demonstrate the installation into a GMC 2500. Just a suggestion: don’t pay the extra amount of money for the 7400 EZ. Following the instructions that came with the kit, I found that the E-brake cable on the EX goes through the 7400 EZ unit and rubs against the electric motor. So, I had to get these:
They have a M10 stud and are 20mm thick. They are placed between the 7400 EZ and the EX frame giving just enough enough clearance for the brake cable to run free. There is an added benefit of the rubber insulation in that it will help reduce the motor noise inside the cab when running. Might be a good suggestion regardless of what make/model you choose.
The “B” codes I received from ATS gave me about a 2” lift, so I wound up purchasing the Airlift 2” spacer.
When installing the spacer/bag unit together, I found that running the top bracket bolt through the jounce bumper hole, first, gave a better idea as to the location of the other top bracket bolt. The use of a hard plastic hammer came in handy when aligning the bags.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic 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.
