OT: Truck Suspension
 

I am wanting to beef up the rear end of my 1/2 ton Chevy. As I see it - I basically have 3 options:

1. Adding leafs

2. Helper springs

3. Air bags

Does anybody have experience or advice on doing this sort of thing?


Thanks

BTJ88
Air bags are the only way to go. I used them on a
Z71 , when not hauling a load use small amount
of air for a nice ride then air them up when needed.
My 2 cents

I have done airbags but they are expensive. They did kick major azz!!! :D:D

I also know a buddy used the helper leaf springs and he really likes them

Jon

EITHER AIR BAGS OR BUY A 3/4 TON

3. Air bags...
 

I air bagged my Tahoe...pretty much a weekend job. The bags wern't that tough, but the compressor and related plumbing/wiring took awhile.

Much better now...less sway...I think the steering geometry really likes the normal ride height...I like the fact that I can pump em up when I really load it down...right from the driver's seat...

www.summitracing.com saved me around $100 off the local shops...

BTJ88,

I get this question every week in my store.

There are pros and cons to each choice.

The Add-A-Leaf will be the cheapest option. Pretty much a quick fix IMO. An Add-A-Leaf is actually for lifting the vehicle more then anything. You will get a slightly rougher ride with this and your truck will ALWAYS sit higher in the rear.

The Helper Springs are quite a bit more expensive then the Add-A-Leafs. With the Helper Spring you will have the towability (word?) without having to look at a raked truck all the time. You can adjust them to fit your needs with ease. Probably more suited for a towing situation then an Add-A-Leaf IMO. You can adjust the height of your truck up or down in case you are not towing also.

Air Bags are probably the best option but can be expensive. Very easy to adjust for obvious reasons. If you go with an on board Air Compressor it will make things REALLY nice. You can save money and opt to air them up at the station or with a compressor. Probably rated about the same as a Helper Spring for heavy towing. If your a do it yourselfer you could get into the Air Bags for a reasonable price and install them yourself.

Ease of installation......Helper will be the easiest. I would say the Air Bags and Add-A-Leaf would be a tie IMO.

PM me if you want to ask me anymore questions. I can give you some pricing ideas if you want to compare to prices in your area.


Good luck

Buck
#183

I justhad a leaf added to the rear of my Z71 1/2 ton. It did give it a slightly firmer ride but not bad at all. It made a HUGE difference when towing! The increased rake of the truck is negligable in my opinion. You can always adjust the front height of the truck by turning the tie rods I believe. A friend did it to his 2500HD so that it sat and rode level. I left mine alone. I don't know if this helps, but for the me the adding of one leaf to the rear was adequate.

Good luck.

Shane:cool:

All I have to say is AIRBAGS with an on-board compressor and dash mounted controls.

Nothing else even comes close!!!!!

Airbags are the way to go. Send a PM to OutlawMark from this board. He can get them for you through the shop he manages. Outlaw Motorsports, owned by 'Skater" (Mark House) of this board also.

That's funny, didn't buck183 just make a post saying he could get them??????


:eek: :D :D

Buck
#183

Air bagged my 1/2 ton burban... love it. Went without the onboard compressor. That would be nice, but using the garage's air compressor is not that big a deal.

I had airbags on my f-350 and my ex wifes jeep, both had the on board compressor, the only way to go!

Sorry buck183, I did not read your response, I just read the initial question and responded. I had the stage 1 bags on my 1500 Tahoe, and they were awesome. I had two fitting plummed to the back bumper, and just left then at 60PSI all the time. It really stabled out the truck, even when NOT towing. Too bad I invested money into the bags and a new alarm and TRADED IT IN yesterday!!

No problem.

I agree though, Bags would be the way to go if it's in the budget.

What did you trade for?

Buck
#183

2002 2500 Avalanche 8.1L/ Automatic
In white, on its way to wheel/tire shop now, and stripes to match the Sonic.

I like!!!

Post some pics.

Buck
#183

What happened to air shocks? Or is that old news? I have air shocks on my 1/2 ton and handle 1000 lbs of tongue weight when they are pumped to 130 psi. Air Bags? never even heard of them. Oh well, Ill crawl back in my hole now.

Air Bags. I have 185,000 on a Dodge 1/2 ton that has towed 10,000lbs+ for 5 years. The bags have never leaked, torn or anything. Easy to install and can be let down to bring the ride back. Don't do anything else. Maybe a sway bar.

Air bags...
 

I used Air Lift, but there are others.

Ever been behind the big rigs and see those big rubber suspension pieces? Those are "mucho grande" bags...

1/2 Ton Chevy system From Summit:
Air lift Single Compressor- $101.69
Load Control Bags- 168.99
Total- $270.68 ($7.95 handling, no tax- free shipping)

:D

Air shocks
 

I wouldn't recommend using air shocks to carry extra weight. Take a look at where the shock mounts. Those areas were not designed to hold the load. Shocks are for dampening the suspension. If you need something to bring the back of your tow vehicle up from excessive weight, trade in your overloaded truck for one that is built to tow and carry what you are throwing at it.

I am amazed at so many people that spend mega bucks for their boat and tow it with a truck, or even worse, an SUV barely rated or not rated to tow it. Then they go out and throw money at bolt-ons to compensate for an inadequate tow vehicle. Air bags work, hell, look at a semi-truck! Why bother though? Unless you're lowering your one ton truck.

Add air bags so it can tow the boat more level. What is your plan for stopping and manuvering? You could always put 3/4 ton brakes, front springs, sway bar, spindles, etc........

Save your money for your trade-in!

I lifted every truck I have ever owned, 2 Dodge's, 2 Fords, and 2 GMC's. Air bags are the best for total control when towing. Leafs are inexpensive lift and will work. I would spend the extra $100-$150 and use the bags. They are all easy to install.

Also you crank the torsion (spelling?) bars on IFS suspensions to raise the front end, but expect to wear out your front suspension faster if you get too aggresive cranking. Make sure you align the front after that, so you don't wear out your tires. My other love besides boats is wheeling. I've dropped over 30K on my trucks since 94, although not nearly as much since the wife and kids came along!

Re: Brian's offer
 

Well Brian, I'm afraid that I have to use my SUV for multi-purpose. It functions as a grocery getter, snow ski shuttle, off-roader, kid taxi, and boat hauler (within the tow rating). The bags sure help the boat hauling, without hurting the other duties.

I wish I could afford a dedicated tow vehicle, but I just don't have the money.

However, if you are volunteering to buy me a dedicated tow vehicle...then I accept! Thank you very much! A Sterling will do...and in white, please.

Thanks again.

:D

I love pulling into the local grocery store with the F350 crew, dually :D:D

I had dual airbag controls on my F250. That was nice so you could level for different road situations and also different loads if you had a uneven load in your bed :D:D

Jon

HH~ White you say? Since it's a dedicated tow vehicle, what color is your boat? I'll go ahead and have some custom graphics applied before I send it out. Send me your address and I'll have you your Sterling.

Depending on what SUV you have, you probably could have bought one hell of a nice 1 ton dually crew cab that would not need air bags to keep it from doing a wheelie while towing to Havasu.

Gotta agree with flyinbrian. A half ton will do a lot, but a truck built for the job is soooo much better. 1 ton duallies are no more expensive than everything else, and look cool too. For example, my 2001 Chevy K3500 4x4 extended cab stickered for 34K and I bought for considerably less. Actually cheaper than a lot of SUV's.

Well, Brian...you are preaching to the chior...I would love to have a dually...as a matter of fact, I tried to talk Mrs HH into it when we were shopping. However, since we only tow a small percentage of the time, so I got vetoed.

Mrs HH has enough trouble parking the SUV...I can't imagine her playing bumper cars in a mall parking lot with a dually. So, I guess you guys should be happy I have a SUV. ;)

As for the dedicated tow vehicle, since you are being nice enough to ship a new one to me, please don't worry about the graphics. As a matter of fact, I see GO4BROKE is volunteering to help with the "HH Tow Vehicle Fund", so maybe I can get him to take care of that!

You guys are the greatest!

:D

No problem!
 

HH~I would never of busted your b@lls if you would have told me you were vetoed on the dually from the beginning!!!!

I keep trying to come up with bull$h*t reasons to convince my wife that we need two new 2.5 OS Merc's for my rig! Veto..veto...veto.....

Maybe GO4BROKE can follow me out to Havasu when we deliver your Sterling. That way we can tow a boat out there and I'll have a ride home.

All I ask is that you show me all of the party spots where they film the chicks getting crazy!!!!

Also!
 

HH~I just checked out your website that you have linked at the bottom of your posts. I must say, you have a gorgeous boat! I read all of the work that has gone into making it look so good too. Hell of a job! There isn't a better feeling than doing one al on your own and finishing it! I am restoring an 18' tunnel hull myself and I can relate to all of the work that goes into one of these.

Nice job!

Back to the towing bit. It looked like you are towing with a Suburban or Tahoe from the picture. I would imagine you are well under the tow rating, right? My comments are more directed towards the people overloading their tow vehicles.

One comes to mind very well! A couple of years ago on Lake Cumberland, I saw a moron towing a 38 Special Baja with a TAHOE!!! What an idiot! Tahoe tow rating=6900. 38 foot Baja=9600. Dyslexia patient?

Not only is he putting his big dollar boat in danger, he is putting his family and all surrounding motorists at risk of being involved in a major catastrophe.

That is the stuff that simply amazes me.

:rolleyes:

Brian & GFB, I agree. I would ideally like to trade in for a 3/4 - 1 ton, but that's not in the cards right now. I am not looking into these products to overload my truck, just level the ride. I am probably going to go with air bags. The idea of being able to use them when you need them and not have the ride afected when you don't need them sounds pretty apealing.

Does anybody have any thoughts on what kits are better. I will doing the install myself. I looked at Firestones Ride-Rite bag kit and it seems like a good setup. Any comments?

Thanks,

Brian

Re: Towing gone wild
 

Hey Brian...thanks for the kind words...not many people can appreciate the time, blood, sweat and tears (and more blood) it takes to upgrade an old boat that is out of production (AKA- custom EVERYTHING).

She's old & slow, but she holds a cooler as well as many bigger boats! Actually, like everyone else, I'll be stepping up soon. Hey, without dreams...you got nightmares!

I don't know if you saw this thread...but your post kinda reminded me of it...rocket scientists are all over the place...and they tow boats, too.

You guys are welcome to hang with us at Havasu anytime...no Sterling needed...however, I do recommend a good video camera! ;)

:D