I am contemplating purchasing these stable loads for my truck. I have a 2008 Silverado 3500 HD Dually Long Bed. I am carrying a 2015 Palomino HS-2902 with a weight I estimate to be between 3,500 and 4,000 wet and loaded (dry weight according to manufacturer is 3,100). I will be either flat towing a Jeep Wrangler 2 door JK or pulling my aluminum Tracker V16 fishing boat.I am new to truck campers but do seem to have some top heavy sway when driving past rain gutters or turning. However when I look at my leaf springs the lower leaf is very close to touching and some are actually touching already. When I hitch my boat then I definitely see all lower leaf springs touching.Do I still need Stable Loads if my lower leaf spring activates already? I do not know how to insert pics to make it more clear. I want peoples input before shelling out another $300. MY suspension is stock right now. Thanks.Here are what they look like with just the camperand this is after hitching boat

I really question any of us can answer your question on this. The reason being that we would have to have the identical truck, TC and spring setup. I have the Stable Loads. You will have to think about what I am going to post. The Stable Loads allow the upper overloads to come in contact sooner. From my experience, the Stable Loads will reduce the rear squat by the thickness of the Loads. A by product is due to the Loads being in contact, the sway is reduced a little. The primary benefit is the squat is reduced. Sway is primarily reduced with an anti-sway bar. Do you have one? Wayne

Reddog1 wrote:I really question any of us can answer your question on this. The reason being that we would have to have the identical truck, TC and spring setup. I have the Stable Loads. You will have to think about what I am going to post. The Stable Loads allow the upper overloads to come in contact sooner. From my experience, the Stable Loads will reduce the rear squat by the thickness of the Loads. A by product is due to the Loads being in contact, the sway is reduced a little. The primary benefit is the squat is reduced. Sway is primarily reduced with an anti-sway bar. Do you have one? WayneI think the squat is fine. I do not have a sway bar. I had been looking at the Helwig sway bars but read somewhere that Stable Loads might be enough. Thanks for your response.

I have an older dually, but had some of the same issues you mention with my 4,000lb+ Lance 1055. This problem for me was completely solved by addiing air bags, as I didn't want to drill holes in my bump stops for the stable loads I purchased. I sent them back. Some bump stop perches for overloads have holes already in them under the rubber. It was a very expensive fix, but worked perfectly for me. Best of luck, and I hope you get by MUCH cheaper than I did! Dak

By the looks of your springs You can't fit the lower Stable Loads, I would get the upper Stable Loads tho

I have the Stableloads on my 2008 GMC DRW and it made a significant difference in the handling of the truck when I'm pulling the fifth wheel. The truck squats 1 1/2" less when the Stableloads activated. The biggest difference we feel in the ride is over bridge abutments, there is considerably less bounce and it has taken the jarring feeling out also.

Do I really need Torklift Stable Loads | Good Sam Community

Grit_dog
Navigator
Mar 25, 2017
Your truck is easy to put lowers in because there's a hole in the leaf.
If you do that though, the upper overloads may not even engage. Then you're just leaving some spring capacity on the table.
If you're happy with the ride height, get a sway bar , imo. Sway bar will help more with the top heavy rocking than blocking the springs.
You can try some simple lower blocks, or even make permanent ones easily for cheap.
My material of choice is plastic felling wedges. Drill a hole in each one. Countersink a bolt into it and bolt them in.
Tom_Anderson
Explorer
Mar 25, 2017
I replaced my overload springs with ones from an F-450 cab and chassis. They not only have more arch so they make contact sooner, but they also have a higher spring rate than the stock F-250 ones, so they make a bigger difference when they do engage. They cost me less than $40 apiece, brand new, and took about two hours to install. Between that and my Big Wig sway bar, excessive squat and roll are just a memory.
Moose10
Explorer
Mar 24, 2017
It sits well even with the 24' trailer in tow.

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Moose10
Explorer
Mar 24, 2017
I made my own for the overloads using some 2" square box tube. Drilled a single hole through both ends of the spring and bolted those pieces on. Used hockey pucks on the bottom which have held up surprisingly well over the last 4 years. I think I went through about 6 drill bits trying to get through the springs, but overall total cost was less that $50.

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Ranger_Tim
Explorer
Mar 24, 2017
The lower stableloads do a lot to improve the handling of my truck (SRW F350) and are easy to swing into place or out of use. The uppers only make contact when the camper is loaded so I leave them on all the time. I have not felt any need to do anything else to the suspension. The truck came with the factory package rear sway bar.

The lower Stableloads are difficult to install without help and the drill kit from Torklift is essential if you must drill holes. It takes three minutes per hole with the kit and forever without. They send nice bits with the kits. Make sure you have a decent jack before getting started. Getting it all to line up and into position is the toughest part -- that's when a helper comes in handy. I also used a long pry bar to get the bolts into the holes.
Reddog1
Explorer II
Mar 23, 2017
HMS Beagle wrote:
I wish I had invented the Stable Load. $5 of steel plate sold for $300. A license to print money.
The Stable Loads were on my truck when I bought it. All I see is Bumpstops.
HMS_Beagle
Explorer
Mar 23, 2017
Blocking the overload spring will bring it into contact earlier and keep it in contact for more of the suspension travel. That increases the spring rate. Anything that increases the spring rate will increase roll stiffness. The overload is pretty wimpy though, adding around 400 lb/in of spring rate. A big anti-sway bar will do a lot more.

I wish I had invented the Stable Load. $5 of steel plate sold for $300. A license to print money.
Fisher_Bill
Explorer
Mar 23, 2017
I have the 2006 Dually and before that it was a 2005 GMC DRW and I put stable loads on the lower overload springs, they come with 3-4 plates I think, each a quarter inch thick and all you need to do is pop the plug/pad and install.

I was only able to get one plate between my lowers but it did help on those older coastal roads, the AC is slide side heavy so going around corners and especially rolling dips and bumps, it help with the porpoising front to back.

The newer truck came with airbags and I run the slide side at 60# and the driver side at 40# and it gives good feedback on the road.

For me the stable loads made a lot of difference on a stock set up and I use both loads and bags, YRMV.

Bill
cewillis
Explorer
Mar 23, 2017
bs49 wrote:
Thanks for all your responses. All these upgrades are pricey. I think I will start with the Stable Loads since it is the simplest to install. If I still have issues then I will pickup a sway bar. I would like to stay away from air bags. I thought getting a smaller 9 ft camper would save me the added expense of suspension upgrades.

That's good thinking on all three counts - 1)stable loads, 2) sway bar if needed, 3) stay away from air bags.
As you see, you'll get every possible opinion -- some diametrically opposite.
sonuvabug
Explorer
Mar 23, 2017
bs49 wrote:
Thanks for all your responses. All these upgrades are pricey. I think I will start with the Stable Loads since it is the simplest to install. If I still have issues then I will pickup a sway bar. I would like to stay away from air bags. I thought getting a smaller 9 ft camper would save me the added expense of suspension upgrades.

IMO you're going about addressing your sway problem in reverse. For sway control, front and rear (first) anti-sway bars are the solution (Hellwig is a fine choice). If the anti-sway bars work, problem resolved.

If you want more more stability, less squat, increased load capacity (actual but not a legal increase) etc, then you move to phase 2 solutions. These include things like Stable Loads, Sumo Springs (I'm a big fan), larger bump/jounce stops, additional overload/supplemental springs, air bags (not a fan) etc.

And yes, all modifications cost money but these are minor compared to the investment you've already made in your set-up and in the end, are worth every penny for the decreased stress/dissatisfaction factors and increased driveability of your set-up.