Ford suspension

[Bird_chaser]

I'm researching new tow vehicles (Chevy and Ford), I currently tow with a 2001 Silverado 3500 DRW, 6.0l with a 4l80e. My trailer has a pin weight of 2140 with a trailer weight of 10,460, this is loaded for a two week trip including 1/3 full water tank. I'm not concerned about towing, I'm concerned about the sag or squatting I hear about in the Fords. I'm concidering a Ford F-350 or a Chevy 3500 both DRW. I don't want to drop $50-60k and have to upgrade the suspension. I would like to hear from Ford guys about their experience. Thank you!

[larry_barnhart]

Bird chaser wrote:
Again thank you for the inputs! I will be checking out the F350 as well as the chevy 3500 in the near future. I have decided on the DRW due to the fact that my present truck is a DRW and I love the stability and extra element of safety that provides. In the last 10 years prior to retirement I worked for GM dealers as a heavy line and transmission tech, I therefore feel very comfortable with the GM product. I learned that Alison transmissions are indestructible, the Duramax is very expensive to repair. I have never been a Ram/Dodge fan, the Cummins is a great engine but I feel that the rest of the truck is cosmetic and they are not built to last like a Ford or Chevy truck.

Your comments are true for at least the front suspension for the dodge trucks but maybe now they finally figured what was needed and finally is a word that I hope is correct. nothing is perfect

chevman

[rhagfo]

spud1957 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

Bird chaser wrote:
I'm researching new tow vehicles (Chevy and Ford), I currently tow with a 2001 Silverado 3500 DRW, 6.0l with a 4l80e. My trailer has a pin weight of 2140 with a trailer weight of 10,460, this is loaded for a two week trip including 1/3 full water tank. I'm not concerned about towing, I'm concerned about the sag or squatting I hear about in the Fords. I'm concidering a Ford F-350 or a Chevy 3500 both DRW. I don't want to drop $50-60k and have to upgrade the suspension. I would like to hear from Ford guys about their experience. Thank you!

Why not get a new 2015 Ram DRW with air suspension, problem solved!

X2! And you will have one of the best diesels offered in a pickup!

Maybe he doesn't want or like the Ram? Sorry Ram lovers but the vast majority of people buying new trucks don't buy Ram.

Only 22% (Mar #s) of the new full size truck sales (3 Domestic) were Rams. That's only 1 in 5 people.

Yes, based on his last post, he may be Ram blind! That is really too bad as the Ram is a great truck!
Also to your stats so if Ram's only sell 22% of total full size trucks, that means your figures should also show that Ford only sells about 38% of Full Size (less than twice, Ram 74%). I couldn't find the HD only numbers, but Ram does much better there. 🙂

[Me_Again]

spud1957 wrote:


Only 22% (Mar #s) of the new full size truck sales (3 Domestic) were Rams. That's only 1 in 5 people.

Does that mean that 22% of the people are smarter than the average bear? Maybe that 22% is out of the top of the bell curve on knowledge.

"Have you driven a RAM lately?" Would be a good slogan!

Chris

[Bird_chaser]

Again thank you for the inputs! I will be checking out the F350 as well as the chevy 3500 in the near future. I have decided on the DRW due to the fact that my present truck is a DRW and I love the stability and extra element of safety that provides. In the last 10 years prior to retirement I worked for GM dealers as a heavy line and transmission tech, I therefore feel very comfortable with the GM product. I learned that Alison transmissions are indestructible, the Duramax is very expensive to repair. I have never been a Ram/Dodge fan, the Cummins is a great engine but I feel that the rest of the truck is cosmetic and they are not built to last like a Ford or Chevy truck.

[APT]

All 3 brands offer similar payload and suspension travel comparably configured, which are higher than your current truck's era. I don't expect you to need any additional suspension changes to carry your pin weight.

[wandering1]

Read the tow specs. If you get a vehicle that can handle the weight then you wont have to worry about the sagging rear end.

[spud1957]

dodge guy wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

Bird chaser wrote:
I'm researching new tow vehicles (Chevy and Ford), I currently tow with a 2001 Silverado 3500 DRW, 6.0l with a 4l80e. My trailer has a pin weight of 2140 with a trailer weight of 10,460, this is loaded for a two week trip including 1/3 full water tank. I'm not concerned about towing, I'm concerned about the sag or squatting I hear about in the Fords. I'm concidering a Ford F-350 or a Chevy 3500 both DRW. I don't want to drop $50-60k and have to upgrade the suspension. I would like to hear from Ford guys about their experience. Thank you!

Why not get a new 2015 Ram DRW with air suspension, problem solved!

X2! And you will have one of the best diesels offered in a pickup!

Maybe he doesn't want or like the Ram? Sorry Ram lovers but the vast majority of people buying new trucks don't buy Ram.

Only 22% (Mar #s) of the new full size truck sales (3 Domestic) were Rams. That's only 1 in 5 people.

[dodge_guy]

rhagfo wrote:

Bird chaser wrote:
I'm researching new tow vehicles (Chevy and Ford), I currently tow with a 2001 Silverado 3500 DRW, 6.0l with a 4l80e. My trailer has a pin weight of 2140 with a trailer weight of 10,460, this is loaded for a two week trip including 1/3 full water tank. I'm not concerned about towing, I'm concerned about the sag or squatting I hear about in the Fords. I'm concidering a Ford F-350 or a Chevy 3500 both DRW. I don't want to drop $50-60k and have to upgrade the suspension. I would like to hear from Ford guys about their experience. Thank you!

Why not get a new 2015 Ram DRW with air suspension, problem solved!

X2! And you will have one of the best diesels offered in a pickup!

[rhagfo]

Bird chaser wrote:
I'm researching new tow vehicles (Chevy and Ford), I currently tow with a 2001 Silverado 3500 DRW, 6.0l with a 4l80e. My trailer has a pin weight of 2140 with a trailer weight of 10,460, this is loaded for a two week trip including 1/3 full water tank. I'm not concerned about towing, I'm concerned about the sag or squatting I hear about in the Fords. I'm concidering a Ford F-350 or a Chevy 3500 both DRW. I don't want to drop $50-60k and have to upgrade the suspension. I would like to hear from Ford guys about their experience. Thank you!

Why not get a new 2015 Ram DRW with air suspension, problem solved!

[ShinerBock]

If you are going with the F250 and are worried about sag, then get the "camper package" that costs about $160 more. Most people don't know about this package and it gives the F250 the same 4 leaf leaf spring with the same total thickness and spring rate as the springs on the F350. It also adds a rear stabilizer bar and extra heavy duty front coils on the front like the F350 as well. Essentially it makes the truck an F350 with F250 decals.

Like I said, most don't know that Ford offers different suspension packages in their super duties so they think they are all the same.

[Bird_chaser]

Thanks for the inputs! This will definitely mean that I will look at the Ford. This is a huge decision so I want to be as informed and aware of the pros and cons of both brands prior to ordering.

[Garry_Gayle]

My 2015 F350 DRW drops 2.5" at the rear fenderwell with 4.5K plus of pin weight from a 38' Mobile Suites and the front went down 3/8" at fenderwell as measured at centerline of axels.

[ib516]

The newest 250s are pretty sag prone. I think its in response to Ram's link coil rear suspension that offers a better ride yet has proven very resistant to sag/droop. I think Ford tried to improve the ride quality and in turn made it sag prone. The SRW and DRW F350s don't seem to have the issue.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

:h

My previous vehicle was a 2011 Ford F 350 crew cab dually King Ranch.

Found to my dismay that the old glove box sticker said the vehicle was NOT recommended for a truck camper after I had purchased the truck.

So, I hauled one anyway.

The only modifications made to the vehicle were a set of Torklift Upper StableLoads, making the overload springs contact sooner than they would with the factory pads.

Camper all loaded up was about 4500 pounds, so a good load.

No sag or squatting, overloads engaged properly, and we drove all over the western US with the camper on board.

I surely would not worry about any new Ford dually with the pin weights you are contemplating.

Get the fifth wheel prep to go along with the vehicle. I had this in mine, and although I hauled the truck camper the most, it was nice having the factory installed fifth wheel system.

The only thing that would have changed the glove box sticker in mine was if I had gotten the camper package, which in mine would have meant stiffer front springs only. I already had the rest of what the package would have contained.

[Greene728]

I can't speak to the 350/3500 series, or DRW. But, I do have a 2012 F-250 and added a long add a leaf and Bilsteins. The sag with my trailer with a pin of 1850#'s (give or take a little depending on load) was considerable. The truck had basically zero rake from the factory and the springs were weak at best. Now its does fantastic with the load. The combo between the leafs and vastly improved shocks made a world of difference. It was cheaper than trading of course, but it still sucks that mods have to be done to make a Super Duty truck handle the loads such as mine. Now as another poster has already said. I'd bet with the weights you mentioned and a 1 ton DRW truck, you'd be perfectly fine.