Stableloads, What do you think?
We are going to put Stableloads on our truck so we went by the suspension/spring store today. The guy at the business felt that we needed to go a different route because our helper springs are barely...
Forum Discussion
S.L.'s were a good addition to my suspension. But, we need to understand what is in play here. It all has to do with the thickness and flexibility of the spring you are trying to stabilize.
The upper secondary or overload springs are to come into play once the main pack has drooped enough to add the secondaries to the load carrying capacity. Upper S.L.'s just make that happen sooner. However, since the upper leaves are usually thinner, the ride is smoother with a more supple suspension travel.
The lower S.L.'s or equivelent are tied to the much thicker actual overload leaf which has very little give and even less travel. This is why you see a marked improvement in anti-sway with these. The rear axle has almost no suspension travel and no articulation, which allows a front wheel to lift off the ground when off road traveling as the least path of resistance. Notice how Whazoo's lower Stable Loaded rear axle is almost flex-free putting more of the articulation to the front wheels. You can also see the torsioning of the frame with the cab vs. OUTFITTER! overhang which comes into the unyielding rear suspension mix..
So, lower S.L.'s are not cost free in terms of articulation.
My solution was from several angles. One was to add two more upper overload leaves to the factory one leaf.
I needed so more lift, so I added an extra 3" lift, add-a-leaf just above the bottom over load spring: (and some new longer U bolts)
Of course, the S.L. with it's 1/2 inch unloaded clearance:
So, now with 8 leaves the lower overload is just about useless as the suspension would never depress enough to even engage the lower. I'm thinking I should just cut it down to about 8 inches long and use it as a spacer, which is all it's good for now.
So, there can be a little more to the Stable Load upgrade than meets the eye.
jefe
The upper secondary or overload springs are to come into play once the main pack has drooped enough to add the secondaries to the load carrying capacity. Upper S.L.'s just make that happen sooner. However, since the upper leaves are usually thinner, the ride is smoother with a more supple suspension travel.
The lower S.L.'s or equivelent are tied to the much thicker actual overload leaf which has very little give and even less travel. This is why you see a marked improvement in anti-sway with these. The rear axle has almost no suspension travel and no articulation, which allows a front wheel to lift off the ground when off road traveling as the least path of resistance. Notice how Whazoo's lower Stable Loaded rear axle is almost flex-free putting more of the articulation to the front wheels. You can also see the torsioning of the frame with the cab vs. OUTFITTER! overhang which comes into the unyielding rear suspension mix..
So, lower S.L.'s are not cost free in terms of articulation.
My solution was from several angles. One was to add two more upper overload leaves to the factory one leaf.
I needed so more lift, so I added an extra 3" lift, add-a-leaf just above the bottom over load spring: (and some new longer U bolts)
Of course, the S.L. with it's 1/2 inch unloaded clearance:
So, now with 8 leaves the lower overload is just about useless as the suspension would never depress enough to even engage the lower. I'm thinking I should just cut it down to about 8 inches long and use it as a spacer, which is all it's good for now.
So, there can be a little more to the Stable Load upgrade than meets the eye.
jefe
