Not sure upper stableloads are right for me (UPDATED)

[Sliding-into-ho]

(UPDATE 10/23/2019 here: http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29794168/gotomsg/29988533.cfm#29988533 Safe to say the upper stableloads were NOT causing any issues that I didn't have already, but the stock shocks very likely were. Upgrades continue! Big thanks to the massive wealth of knowledge on this board. In the first page of responses alone, pretty much all the relevant considerations were addressed. You Rock! Thanks also to Torklift who reached out and went the extra mile to help me get dialed in.)

Rig: 2017 F350, SRW, FX4.
Tire sticker 3243lb
Rear GAWR: 7230lb
TC: NL 9-6, 2600 Dry, 2900 Wet

The only suspension mod the dealer installed is upper stable loads. I wanted the lowers, but they said they don't install them because they don't want to deal with the drilling.

I've never hauled a TC before, but plenty of heavy trailers. The stable loads don't feel quite right. If you've ever ridden in a New York taxi cab in the 80's or 90's (you know... the Ford Tauruses and Lincoln Town Cars with shot suspensions), that's sort of the sensation: floaty, bouncy, vague, disconnected.

I wouldn't say there's a lot of sway in terms of magnitude of movement, but when it does sway, it bounces back and forth from side to side.

My hunch is simple: my rig may not be quite heavy enough to warrant full size stable loads, which engage too much of the upper overload spring (lower spring rate) and not enough of the higher spring-rate lower overload. I suspect this is why Torklift unequivocally recommends lower stable loads first. But to be clear, I don't have any experience with this and these are just guesses.

The rear fender is 1-2 inches higher than the front fender, depending on the load, for what it's worth.

Here are a few things that I would try next, but if you feel like you know a more ideal solution, please let me know:

1. Remove stable loads and get a baseline for how the truck handles fully stock. After all, I'm under my door sticker weight (I've removed a propane tank and the heavy rear patio).

2. Shave an inch or two off the stable load blocks

3. Uninstall stable loads and, assuming too much sag/roll, upgrade shocks to rancho adjustable and add Hellwig Big Wig.

4. Last option would be air bags, which would probably only need minimal inflation.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

[Grit_dog]

Like bedlam said, if you want to make it even stiffer put wedges in the bottom.
I’ve been using 4 felling wedges clamped down with u bolts for years now.
They stay put in most situations.

[Grit_dog]

Ok ,so out of the gate, your truck will feel more vague, bouncy etc with 3000lbs inthe rear end.
How your tiedowns are adjusted has 0 to do with howthe truck drives.
If those pics are with the camper loaded then it’s a featherweight and you have a very stout and very brand new suspension (stiffer). It’s barely engaging the uppers and not 100% engaging the lowers.
A sway bar will do 2x as much as spring blocks for the top heavy body roll feel BUT you do not NEED one. It would be a luxury with a camper that’s light or springs that strong.

You certainly don’t need airbags and you don’t need to be miserly with the weight. Fill the water, fill both propane’s, put the bumper back on.....don’t worry. Seriously.

[GeoBoy]

I have used Timbren, double convolute version, on my 2 - 1 ton trucks and have been very satisfied with the lack of sway.

[Sliding-into-ho]

roger that. Inflation is on my list for this afternoon. I forgot to ask the RV dealer to give me my old bump stops back.

[moebedick]

I drive a 2016 F250 ,6.2,4wd with the camper, towing and plow packages,Timbrens and lower Stabiloads. I run my stock shocks and tires at 80psi. My springs came predrilled from the factory. Are you certain that yours aren’t predrilled ? I have almost no deflection when I mount my Northstar Freedom. With about thirty thousand miles carrying my camper on and off road in the last three years, I’ve experienced very little sway ,porpoising or handing problems. Keep it simple.

[Z-Peller]

Sliding-Into-Home.......I re-read your original post and looking at your truck & camper, I would be willing to bet that quick & easy test would be to take off Stableloads and run your rear tires at wall pressure. Don't really see that much else over stock should be needed. Not a huge camper and a pretty solid truck. My very first truck/ camper I made the mistake of not running rear tires at wall pressure of 80psi and was very unhappy with the handling in wind & curvy roads. About 6 months into it a fellow traveller said " get those dang rear tires up to wall pressure"...well, it changed the whole feel of my rig. That was back in 1988 and I always ran rear tires wall pressure since. Tires will run the coolest at wall pressure too.

[Sliding-into-ho]

Thanks ZP. You summed it up more succinctly!

I was wondering about Timbrens as well (and sumo springs). I've read quite a bit about all of the options, and if I was going to choose for myself, I probably would have started with sway bar + timbrens or Ranchos. Ultimately, I only got SLs because that's what the dealer offered to throw in for free.

[Z-Peller]

Yep, in my experience with my GMC dually the upper Stableloads took away 2" rear sag, but made ride softer & tippy'er feeling..Riding on overloads definately is putting load on softer springs. Sometimes driving over ruts now will set camper to rocking even after I have stopped dead. Drove a season before adding upper Stableloads and truck was rock solid. Previously on my single wheel trucks I always used Timbrens and really liked the stability they gave. Timbrens put truck frame in direct contact with rear axle so really steady up any roll on corners etc.

[Bedlam]

Use a hose clamp around the wedge and lower spring. I cannot say if this is the best way to do it, but it will allow you to drive around a little and see the difference. Since mine was pre-drilled, I rand around with blocks secured by a short lag bolt until I was convinced to buy to the lower StableLoads (like you, I started with the uppers first).

[Sliding-into-ho]

I like that plan of attack. Will the wedge block stay put without being drilled?

[Bedlam]

The FastGuns are adjusted properly per your picture and description

The upper StableLoads are engaging your upper overload spring on one side, but the truck is not sagging enough yet to really engage the other side of spring. This spring is progressive and designed to engage the rear side and then engage the other as the load increases. It may sound counter intuitive, but your stability will increase with more load on that spring.

Your lower overload spring does have less gap than mine. If you lift your truck up by the receiver to let the suspension droop down, you can clamp in a plastic felling wedge or even a a wooden wedge block to see how the lower StableLoads would feel. Once you lower the camper back down on the suspension, the main spring pack will have greater preload. If you like the result, get the other StableLoads that allow easy engagement/disengagement rather than having the preload fixed.

[Sliding-into-ho]

In other news, is this what we're talking about on the fastgun settings? This is after a little wiggle and light pressure , before the handle offers any major resistance (i.e. i can take my hand off the lever and it will stay here without any assistance).



And as far as the SLs are concerned, here's the rear:


And here's the front:

[Sliding-into-ho]

jaycocreek wrote:
I should have added,your basically running around empty now so I would not make any changes until you load it up like your going to camp to see if and what changes.

An empty TC rides different than a loaded one.

This is a very good point, and I definitely agree.

Since we will just be camping one night at a time, I plan on running with the following:

10 gallons of water - 84lb
1 20lb LPG tank - 20lb
Honda gen - 50lb wet
batteries 2x 6v - 120lb
Ski gear and food - 100lb

For a grand total of 374lb.

Not sure what that back patio weighed, but it was more than 50 and less than 100. So lets say the dry weight is 2600, and fully loaded weight of 2974lb. That was the game-plan as 3 humans + torklift components, minus tailgate should equal my tire and loading sticker almost perfectly.

[jaycocreek]

I should have added,your basically running around empty now so I would not make any changes until you load it up like your going to camp to see if and what changes.

An empty TC rides different than a loaded one.

[jaycocreek]

JFYI

*Northern Lite 9-6Q Classic Special Edition: dry weight, 2,625 pounds + 33 gallons fresh, 275.2 pounds + 6 gallon full hot water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 20-pound propane tanks, 40 pounds + 2 batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 3,620.2 pounds

Northern Lite Buyers guide

Once you weigh,loaded ready to camp, it will be interesting how close there weights are to yours.They are usually pretty darn close.