Add leaf or f250 springs???
 

I have pretty much made my mind on getting a extra leaf put in out rear springs or getting some new/used f250 springs. I have a spring shop nearby. I do not want to put air bags on. What 2wd rear springs do you guys suggest????? I pull a 8-9000lb TT. I also have not got any prices yet.

Shad

There are hundreds of Ex drivers that have swapped to F250 springs and Hellwig or Ford antisway bars to make the Ex tow as good or better than a Superduty. I'm one of them. If you have a Spring Shop nearby you have other options.

The greatest determining factor in this process is how you like the ride unaltered. Add a leafs will make the ride harsher unladen. Most people find the Ex's rear springs too harsh already. Your spring shop may have some F250/350 take-offs and will let you have them for practically nothing. If you don't go with the swap I would encourage you to go with "Supersprings" or Hellwig Progressive Rate helper springs. Either of these options will give you a better ride quality empty and towing than any "thick single spring" especially since you don't want to run air. I have run rigs with air and with Helpers; air is great but adds another system to buy,install,maintain, whereas Auxillary springs install easy are cheaper than air and are maintenance free. Oh, the "Supersprings" are a single leaf but are tapered and use a roller type attachment to give a progressive effect.

I guarantee your Spring Shop has installed plenty of Hellwig,Superspring,or maybe even Roadmaster Active Suspensions, it's their bread and butter. Thousands of Ranchers and RVers buy these every year. We used to run service bodies with lift gates; by the time you filled the service bodies with tools and parts and hung the tail gate at the very end of the frame you were living 24/7 with a HEAVY ride, much more than a fully loaded EX. We'd put Hellwig's on the trucks when we had the service bodies installed and never look back.

I've got F250/350 springs on my Ex but that mainly started because of the front factory springs that are abysmal; and the rear springs on the Ex are really odd. They are too low in capacity and too high in rate! Even though they sag with a large RV they are too harsh empty because the pounds per inch of compression gives a rough ride!

I guess I'm saying that even though I'm a V&B code guy, there is more than one way to skin an Ex. Time, money and personal taste in ride mean "you makes your choice and pays your money"

Good Luck,

Jeff

Jeff--How does the ride quality of your "X" with B code / V code springs compare to stock Excursion springs? What about ride height and suspension travel?

FWIW...

I added a rear leaf to mine and the ride quality IMPROVED! it is ertainly not harsh to my standards, the rear end is more controlled and the truck's demeaner is better over-all.

I went to my local 4x4 lift shop and had them put in the leaf normally used in the Rancho 6" Super Duty lift kit. Most guys just go with blocks so he had plenty around. $75 later I was on my way. It became the third spring down from the top. It gave me about 2" more in ride height.

YOu may also wish to consider this...

www.activesuspension.com

Made a big difference in my 12,000 mile '05 Ex. Under $300, easy install.

I have a Ford guy here with extra f250 springs.... Does 2wd and 4wd use the same rear spring?????

Just called Madison spring and they said $425.00 parts and labor for adding leaf.

In no particular order:

Monsta, I believe every word you said. When I was a little negative about add a leafs I was refering to the single, super thick leaf that some lift companies sell as their cheapest lift, but there is a chance that even those would help an Ex because of its limited travel.

Yes, the 2w and 4w use the same rear leafs from 99-04 but there are different springs based on different packages. For the fronts of the 4x there are U, V, W, and X code. The X code is the snowplow package. For the rears there are fewer choices. B & C codes.

How does mine ride? The way it should have from the begining! I put 90k miles on the factory suspension and was really considering trading it off. I had read a lot about the upgrades on this site and others, but was hesitant, practically everybody that posts a mod says it's great but that doesn't mean it really is. My 01 had front bumbstops that were over 4" tall and the horrible factory springs. I drove all those miles with less than ONE INCH of compression travel!! When I swapped the fronts to the V codes I also swapped in the bumpstops from an 03 and now I have over 3" inches of compression! Now when I go over bumps I can actually feel the suspension work. I can now go into driveway approaches without my seatbelt on and not get thrown out of the seat. On the rears the B codes will give you depending on full empty tank and cargo from 3/4 to an 1 1/2 of increased lift and travel. You get more capacity but a lighter compression per inch, thus the expansion joints and manhole covers and speed bumps don't casuse the rear to break traction and cause "rear steer". But most important for the rear is to install an antisway bar if you don't have one. Read that last sentence twice!! There are guys that pioneered these mods and did all the heavy work, I just broke down and did it before I spent enough on another new truck to put my daughter through college. If you want to PM me I will send you to some threads that cover this better than I can.

PS for those that read this that know Bruce1954 yes I learned it all from him.

Good luck all,

Jeff

Can I use the same u-bolts for the b-code spring swap????? or do I need new u-bolts......

Just curious, why not Ride Rites or Air Lifts? I've run them to level out the rear of my '00 while towing our trailer and now they're on the '05. Not a bit of problem with them. I have the onboard compressor and run about 40 lbs +/- while towing and then deflate them to minimum pressure (5PSI) where they stay put with the minimum pressure switch until I tow again. There is no change in the ride quality at minimum pressure. You also get roll control with out a rear sway bar. Seems the best option, IMHO.

I have been discouraged with the prices on the springs so I just may go the air bags route. I talke to a co-worker last night and he has me thinking air bags too.

Firestone Air bags on the way............

Yeah...airbags really is the best solution! :D

My add-a-leaf was a financial decision.

Monsta I like the way your EX sits in the pictures. That is what I am looking for... Mine is 2wd too. I will post some pics when I am done with the install, should be installing my trans gauge and the v10 hood decals the same weekend.

Thanks for the compliment. I'm very pleased with the stance now. :)