I Can't Do It! (Aftermarket Suspension Products)

[Grodyman]

My 2011 F250 is in serious need of suspension enhancement with the Lance 830. I have Firestone Work Rite bumpers installed and even with that the camper rocks enough to make you seasick just moving around inside. Very soft.

I considered the Firestone Ride Rites, in my opinion a good product, but I'm moving the support points inward, not good for sway, and just one more thing to do before getting on the road, which is challenging enough already.

I considered Supersprings, lots of good reports. But some reports of a harsher empty ride and rattling when not under tension turn me off. Also, the price. Almost $400 for the SSA13 (dual springs) and then they hit you for the $60 mounting kit. So $400-$450. No way.


I think I am going to bite the bullet and take the truck to a spring shop and for about $700 have proper custom overload springs installed.

I have never had success with aftermarket suspension enhancements (including airbags, Timbrens, Work Rites, and Hellwigs), and Supersprings cost too much to take the gamble.

Thanks to all of the recent suspension threads to help settle the matter.

Gman

[H2oSprt]

Grodyman wrote:

H2oSprt wrote:
I put on super springs and stable loads, after that my truck sway went way down with my 830. That being said when I buy a new truck it will be a 3500.

Are you happy with the Supersprings? Do you have the single or double leaf set?

Gman

Single, and I'm Very happy, it made a huge difference in my truck. I don't even use my airbags and I sit pretty level. I had a lot a sway with bags, added stable loads which helped. But the biggest improvement without a doubt were the ss. Mine don't rattle either

[kerry4951]

I bought the double leaf set of SS's because they werent that much more in cost. I ended up taking off one leaf and just using one leaf. These things are beasts. Id probably spend the extra and get the double leafs. You can always retire one if its too much.

[Grodyman]

Maybe I should go back to this:

[RWDIII]

Grodyman wrote:

RWDIII wrote:
what is the payload and what is the gross weight ready for camping?
My 250 is rock solid with my camper and work rites

I was guessing 3500lbs all loaded. I have significantly more sag than you. I'm sure my camper is a lot heavier than yours...Do you really weigh 3200?




Rear of spring



Work Rite



Front of spring, still some daylight

No my point is that you need to weigh your rig,you are probably way
over wieghtI hope those aren't 17 in wheels.
My rigs payload is 3200,I weighed it and an 1000 under.

[Grodyman]

H2oSprt wrote:
I put on super springs and stable loads, after that my truck sway went way down with my 830. That being said when I buy a new truck it will be a 3500.

Are you happy with the Supersprings? Do you have the single or double leaf set?

Gman

[Grodyman]

RWDIII wrote:
what is the payload and what is the gross weight ready for camping?
My 250 is rock solid with my camper and work rites

I was guessing 3500lbs all loaded. I have significantly more sag than you. I'm sure my camper is a lot heavier than yours...Do you really weigh 3200?




Rear of spring



Work Rite



Front of spring, still some daylight

[RZAR66]

Exactly what I did a few weeks ago.

[RWDIII]

what is the payload and what is the gross weight ready for camping?
My 250 is rock solid with my camper and work rites

[Bedlam]

Sway can also be the result of:

1. Weak/soft spring pack
2. Insufficient shock dampening
3. Soft tire sidewalls

There are other ways of reducing sway than just adding or upgrading your stabilizer bar.

[Reddog1]

I am not sure I understand the OPs issue. Is it while on the road or stationary.

Sway was mentioned. My experience has been sway is addressed with an anti-sway bar, that is why they are called sway bar.

Wayne

[Chopperbob]

I added Super Springs on my E450 Class C.
Cant remember the cost but no where near that much.

[SugarHillCTD]

We have:

Ride Rite airbags

Rear BigWig anti-swaybar

F&R Bilstein shocks

4000# capacity tires F&R

Handling is very good while carrying a HEAVY TC. Much heavier than an 830.

But you are concerned with stability while stopped and moving around inside the camper, right? Your quote- "the camper rocks enough to make you seasick just moving around inside."

Put the jacks down.

[Bedlam]

My short bed F250 handled an Arctic Fox 811 well and I know it is heavier than your Lance 830. You need that upper overload spring and stabilizer bar that is provided in the camper package. With just the upper and lower StableLoads, the truck did not need anything else to carry my camper. Only because I tow a heavy enclosed trailer behind the camper, I had to make additional changes.

You need to decide whether you upgrade the main spring pack and suffer with a worse unloaded ride or add overloads that will engage once you have a little sag in your mains.

If your truck did not come with front and rear stabilizer bars, look at Hellwig Big Wig. I found when camping with the TC on the truck, I would drop the tongue jack on my trailer while still hitched and crank it up enough to take some weight off the suspension. If I didn't have the trailer with me, I would lower the rear jacks on the camper to just slightly unload the rear truck suspension to get the same stability. Dropping either of these jacks, will reduce the movement of camper while it is on the truck.

[bighatnohorse]

SuperSprings can rattle. And if you call them about it they will will send you a small clamp-on bump stop that will take out the rattle - it's not an advertised device - and it's no charge.

The truck shocks should have been upgraded to something like the Rancho 9000's or handling will feel spongy with the camper on.