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Leaf spring time

Deere Freek

Deere Freek

Recruit
Messages
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Location
Hastings, MI
I need leaf springs now due to overloading and abuse.... just wondering who would be a good vendor to buy from? I do allot of heavy towing, i have a gooseneck and put allot of weight on the rear axle and would like to avoid air bags. Thanks in advance for your input.
 
Check with a truck company, they'll know because working commercial trucks are always needing springs. We have a big spring shop here in NH that specializes in heavy commercial, but the also have everything for little trucks too. I just walked in the other day and got u-bolts for lifting the front of my D60, they had them right on a shelf. Bought some heavy duty 3/4 ton rear springs there too, years ago.

Just curious, why do you want to stay away from airbags? I absolutely love mine. I wrecked my rear springs hauling sand, and while I always wanted airbags, I figured I couldn't afford to do both. Somebody told me to leave the springs (they're saggy, not broke) and just add the airbags, claimed they did it on an old Ford and it worked great for years. So I tried it, bought a set of 5000# Arnott airbags off Ebay, same as Firestone and Airlift kits only cheaper. Paid about $225, then I ended up buying an onboard compressor from JC Whitney for another $100. I have been very very happy with the system, it rides nice empty with about 20-30# in it, I tow my camper off the receiver with 1100# tongue weight and never get over 40#. Overloaded with winter sand, 4-6k on it, I've only ever needed 60#. Goes up to 100.
Anyway, sorry about going so far off topic. I love my airbags and love telling people about them.
 
Deere Freek said:
I need leaf springs now due to overloading and abuse.... just wondering who would be a good vendor to buy from? I do allot of heavy towing, i have a gooseneck and put allot of weight on the rear axle and would like to avoid air bags. Thanks in advance for your input.
Click to expand...

Check out www.activesuspension.com

It's far easier and less expensive than a re-spring and what I have on my truck.

With a full bed of sod or fully loaded g/n with 5200# on rear axle it sits dead level, passive when not loaded you don't know it's there, no adjustment after installed, no air up/down after installed, aids in handling, supposedly helps in mpg but I've not noted any benefit there, but I did not lose mpg as result of installing it.

I like these far more than any air bag I ever used, as they are a set & forget install and did not negatively impact the ride as "pressed up" air bags can. 30 day trial after buy period when I bought mine was nice also, if I didn't like them I could return for refund.

Don't believe me ??? ask Big Blue Chevy he put a set on his burb after he called me this summer with need for some information how to correct his "soft" leaf spring issues and he could not have been happier after the install.
 
i got mine done at a big rig leaf shop
i think it cost me $120 for 3 more installed Really helped, but stiffened the ride a bit. I heard airbags were the way to go but this was alot cheaper. Ive had about 2000# or more in the back before
 
I would go to a junkyard preferably out of the rust belt and find a set of not so abused springs. You will need new bolts as I wouldn't bother doing anything but cutting the rusty bolts out...

You may be able to have a spring shop re-arch your springs. Some people like me have managed to get the factory warranty to pay for this, once :eek: .
 
I'd put bags and a semi leveling valve on it with the old springs, maybe even remove a couple short leaves for a better empty ride. This would be alot cheaper/easier than a full air four link setup.

I have just bags/4-link(no springs) on my 93 and love them, much better ride especially empty and it stays the same height no matter how much weight. Dumping the air makes trailer hook up much more enjoyable too.

I put my 93's 1-ton springs/overloads on my 92 3/4 ton. Its a bolt on except relocating one parking brake cable to clear the overload pad, IIRC. Thats another option.

If I could afford and had time all my trucks would be on bags, guess there is a reason why most semi's have used them for the past 30 years.
 
Money is not much of an issue, the reason i didn't want airbags is because i had them on another truck and they leaked and wore out way too fast in my opinion, i think they were firestones. I drove someone's F-350 srw that had overloads and a couple add a leafs and was very impressed how it handled the load. I'm dealing with about 3-5000#'s of pin weight. (too much i know) but that's beside the point..... ;-D
 
Check out Alcan Spring. They are stationed out of grand Junction, Colorado and IMHO make the best leaf springs you could ever ask for. These guys know what there doing, they do a great job at it and all in all there staff is pretty friendly. I won't going around saying they have outrageously low prices, but they are fairly priced when compared to the other companies out there like Deaver, and Atlas springs. The biggest difference is they will tailor your springs down to within a few pounds as to how you want them. When it comes time for springs for my K/1500 and C/60 I'm going to Alcan.

And just so you know, shipping wasn't bad. It cost around $140 to get over 200lbs worth of leaf springs from one side of the U.S. to the other, and no freight or dock required. They drop them off at your front door just like a box from Rockauto.

http://www.alcanspring.com/
 
I love to keep it simple, so why not just Rancho Add-A-Leaf's ? Got them on my truck and I love them. Installed and forget.

Just my 2 cents !


Cu,
Sven
 
Chevylover said:
I love to keep it simple, so why not just Rancho Add-A-Leaf's ? Got them on my truck and I love them. Installed and forget.

Just my 2 cents !


Cu,
Sven
Click to expand...

IMO they & air bags when pressed up degrade the ride comfort GMs are known for, that was what led me to the Roadmaster setup totally passive in ride effect uness extra load is applied even then ride IMO is not harsh, also aids in handling of the vehicle which bags & springs don't do.
 
Turbine Doc said:
IMO they & air bags when pressed up degrade the ride comfort GMs are known for, that was what led me to the Roadmaster setup totally passive in ride effect uness extra load is applied even then ride IMO is not harsh, also aids in handling of the vehicle which bags & springs don't do.
Click to expand...

I dunno Tim my ride feels fine with the bags loaded, and aired down no load. Cannot say that I am feeling an appreciable degredation in ride.

I do also respect the validity of the Roadmaster though and liked the way they felt when I took a ride in your truck with you that day. Of course the anti-roll is less of an issue for me as I have roll bars on my Burb.

Yep mine leak a wee bit although slowly enough that I just check the bags whenever check my tyres.

My thought is that Roadmaster or Bags is a viable solution.

Interesting link there funnily enough the other day whilst driving I was dreaming up some kind of linkage load leveling device via a valve to dump or pump up and someone has done it.


Cheers
Nobby
 
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