F-250 vs F-350

[campingken]

We are likely going to buy a new Ford with the 7.3 V-8 and 373 axles. We tow a 2 Horse Living Quarters aluminum trailer that weighs 5500 empty and has a 10,000 max GVW.
Our question is would the F-250 have a smoother ride than the F-350 when not towing? There is no chance that we will want a larger trailer so a heavier upgrade in the future is not an issue.
Currently we tow the trailer with a 2001 Dodge 2500 4x4 with a 5.9 diesel.

[Grit_dog]

MFL wrote:
StirCrazy...My F250 has 3 leaf springs and overload (HD service suspension option)! Does mine look the same as your 350? My understanding, when I ordered it, was 350 spring pack, but using the 2 inch spacer, rather than 4 inch, which would have raised my hitch height.

Yup. Std 250s of that era only have 3 leafs total.

[StirCrazy]

MFL wrote:
StirCrazy...My F250 has 3 leaf springs and overload (HD service suspension option)! Does mine look the same as your 350? My understanding, when I ordered it, was 350 spring pack, but using the 2 inch spacer, rather than 4 inch, which would have raised my hitch height.

yes, my main pack is identical to that, but I have the overload spring on top of that pack that isn't shown in your picture.

[StirCrazy]

FishOnOne wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Wrong... the standard F250 has 3 leaf springs. The F350 has 4 leaf springs with a overload spring for a total of 5 leaf springs.

I wish I could agree with you but my 2014 F350 only has three leaf springs plus the overload, and it has the heavy payload option.

Your precisely right up to 2016, but that changed in 2017 and up. The OP is requesting information on a new truck.

are you counting that bottom 1/3 length leaf that never makes contact on the ends? If I include that then I have 4 in the main pack I guess. I am not sure when that one is supposed to engage but I have had 4000lbs in the back of the truck and it has still never had contact on the ends haha

[MFL]

StirCrazy...My F250 has 3 leaf springs and overload (HD service suspension option)! Does mine look the same as your 350? My understanding, when I ordered it, was 350 spring pack, but using the 2 inch spacer, rather than 4 inch, which would have raised my hitch height.

[StirCrazy]

FishOnOne wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Wrong... the standard F250 has 3 leaf springs. The F350 has 4 leaf springs with a overload spring for a total of 5 leaf springs.

I wish I could agree with you but my 2014 F350 only has three leaf springs plus the overload, and it has the heavy payload option.

Your precisely right up to 2016, but that changed in 2017 and up. The OP is requesting information on a new truck.

interesting, what did they do add an additional leaf in the f350? I wonder if that leaf pack would change the ride on mine....

[FishOnOne]

StirCrazy wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Wrong... the standard F250 has 3 leaf springs. The F350 has 4 leaf springs with a overload spring for a total of 5 leaf springs.

I wish I could agree with you but my 2014 F350 only has three leaf springs plus the overload, and it has the heavy payload option.

Your precisely right up to 2016, but that changed in 2017 and up. The OP is requesting information on a new truck.

[StirCrazy]

FishOnOne wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Wrong... the standard F250 has 3 leaf springs. The F350 has 4 leaf springs with a overload spring for a total of 5 leaf springs.

I wish I could agree with you but my 2014 F350 only has three leaf springs plus the overload, and it has the heavy payload option.

[Retired_JSO]

I’ve owned Ford F250’s and 350’s to tow different fifthwheel and travel trailers. All did very well as towing goes. Our current 2018 F350 DRW truck rides empty as smooth as a 250 towing. Don’t compare highway driving to grave or secondary road driving. We live in the N Georgia Mountains and travel to NE Florida several times a year. I’d much rather drive my truck than my wife’s Yukon.

[FishOnOne]

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Wrong... the standard F250 has 3 leaf springs. The F350 has 4 leaf springs with a overload spring for a total of 5 leaf springs.

[FishOnOne]

Grit dog wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Ram has a decent difference between the great coils in the 2500 and leaf springs in the 3500. Ram offers factory air suspension, it's a shame that neither Ford nor GM have offered that yet.

All the more reason to stick w/Ram if air ride or factory overload bags are what you’re after.
And by the time you’re getting a new truck, the new trans for the Rams should have a couple years under its belt.
But if nothing more for the simple reason, looking under the hood of a Flowerjoke makes me queasy thinking about having to work on anything contained within the rats nest! Yeah those motors got some real jam….they all do. But best served for in-warranty owners and non diy’ers who like to pay more for repairs. JMO

LOL... I little too quick on the trigger there. The OP is purchasing a 7.3 engine.

lol is right! I got the brain stuck somewhere between this thread and replying to spoon about his thread…I better go take another geritol!

I highly recommend Centrum Silver. :B

[blt2ski]

Grit
Just remember, when them teenagers aren't in the house and over 20, you can live again, vs being really old with them know it all teens telling you what to do!

Marty

[Grit_dog]

FishOnOne wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Ram has a decent difference between the great coils in the 2500 and leaf springs in the 3500. Ram offers factory air suspension, it's a shame that neither Ford nor GM have offered that yet.

All the more reason to stick w/Ram if air ride or factory overload bags are what you’re after.
And by the time you’re getting a new truck, the new trans for the Rams should have a couple years under its belt.
But if nothing more for the simple reason, looking under the hood of a Flowerjoke makes me queasy thinking about having to work on anything contained within the rats nest! Yeah those motors got some real jam….they all do. But best served for in-warranty owners and non diy’ers who like to pay more for repairs. JMO

LOL... I little too quick on the trigger there. The OP is purchasing a 7.3 engine.

lol is right! I got the brain stuck somewhere between this thread and replying to spoon about his thread…I better go take another geritol!

[FishOnOne]

campingken wrote:
We are likely going to buy a new Ford with the 7.3 V-8 and 373 axles. We tow a 2 Horse Living Quarters aluminum trailer that weighs 5500 empty and has a 10,000 max GVW.
Our question is would the F-250 have a smoother ride than the F-350 when not towing? There is no chance that we will want a larger trailer so a heavier upgrade in the future is not an issue.
Currently we tow the trailer with a 2001 Dodge 2500 4x4 with a 5.9 diesel.

The F250 will very likely ride a little smoother with the standard spring pack. Many auto writers who been testing the 2023 Super Duty's have reported these new trucks ride smoother than the previous year/s trucks so its a win... win... We recently recieved our 2023 F350 7.3 and that truck is a beast and rides better than my personnal '12 truck, but can't say how it rides compared to a F250. Sounds like a F250 would be the ticket for your needs.

[FishOnOne]

Grit dog wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Fairly certain that there will be minimal, if any, ride difference between the 250 and 350. The 350 has a spacer block and overload springs.

Ram has a decent difference between the great coils in the 2500 and leaf springs in the 3500. Ram offers factory air suspension, it's a shame that neither Ford nor GM have offered that yet.

All the more reason to stick w/Ram if air ride or factory overload bags are what you’re after.
And by the time you’re getting a new truck, the new trans for the Rams should have a couple years under its belt.
But if nothing more for the simple reason, looking under the hood of a Flowerjoke makes me queasy thinking about having to work on anything contained within the rats nest! Yeah those motors got some real jam….they all do. But best served for in-warranty owners and non diy’ers who like to pay more for repairs. JMO

LOL... I little too quick on the trigger there. The OP is purchasing a 7.3 engine.