HD leaf spring mod for 1/2 ton

[granddaddy55]

thought i always wanted airbags  (no i will never!!! be buying an f250 ) but these heavy duty leaf spring modifications seem  very interesting with decent reviews for eliminating my minimal squat.  i am replacing rear brakes and rotors more frequently because of the squat producing less effective front axle braking as we tow ALOT! 

anyone have experience with these?

https://activesuspension.com/products/ford-f-150-pickup-two-wheel-drive-2015-2021-hd

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by granddaddy55

[mrothwell]

Why not put on bags?  It's the best mod I've ever made to a half-ton.  Heavier leafs will always affect the ride.  Bags don't, as you just air them down when not loaded.  They help the ride when loaded and the also help the sway when towing.  I see no down-side to them.

[Stevo]

9 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

thought i always wanted airbags  (no i will never!!! be buying an f250 )

Those new 1/2 tons do have very nice hooks to hold your purse . 
 

onboard air, and bags are great , I use the air all the time between the air horn, bags for towing, airing down for fire road trails, bike tires, inter tubes for river floating. 

[jjackkrash]

13 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

  (no i will never!!! be buying an f250 )

 

I think that's a wise policy.  A GMC Sierra 3500 is for sure the way to go.  

Edited December 27, 2023 by jjackkrash

[RyanB]

As someone who also “tows a lot”, I would hate to rely on any half ton platform as a primary tow vehicle. And your boat weighs more than mine. 
 

I believe that most people who think “my 1500 tows my boat great” haven’t towed with a HD. The experience is SOOOOOOO much better. 
 

I’ve never heard that squat from towing would cause unusual wear on rear brakes, but I guess it makes sense. I’ve towed my LSV 5500 miles with my Ex and just had to replace rear brakes and rotors at 52,000 miles. How fast are you going through them?

[Cole2001]

Airbags with an onboard compressor would be my choice. But like others said these boats aren’t light and deserve a HD platform. 

I had an F150 and it definitely had the power but every other category was terrifying in the mountains. Ended up burning through a transmission and rear suspension. 
Got into a diesel and can comfortably tow anything over any pass. Fuel mileage is pretty much the same empty and drastically better towing. 

[granddaddy55]

On 12/26/2023 at 2:51 PM, mrothwell said:

Why not put on bags?  It's the best mod I've ever made to a half-ton.  Heavier leafs will always affect the ride.  Bags don't, as you just air them down when not loaded.  They help the ride when loaded and the also help the sway when towing.  I see no down-side to them.

word is it doesn't neg affect ride from those who installed them, but thx for feedback

[granddaddy55]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:51 AM, RyanB said:

As someone who also “tows a lot”, I would hate to rely on any half ton platform as a primary tow vehicle. And your boat weighs more than mine. 
 

I believe that most people who think “my 1500 tows my boat great” haven’t towed with a HD. The experience is SOOOOOOO much better. 
 

I’ve never heard that squat from towing would cause unusual wear on rear brakes, but I guess it makes sense. I’ve towed my LSV 5500 miles with my Ex and just had to replace rear brakes and rotors at 52,000 miles. How fast are you going through them?

50 and then 70, first 50k interval was with my axis where actuator wasnt working for a long time so both axles done. second was with axis/boatmate and then the centurion/extreme brakes working , axis trailer  brakes working as well as extreme snd only rears needed brakes

[granddaddy55]

23 hours ago, Cole2001 said:

Airbags with an onboard compressor would be my choice. But like others said these boats aren’t light and deserve a HD platform. 

I had an F150 and it definitely had the power but every other category was terrifying in the mountains. Ended up burning through a transmission and rear suspension. 
Got into a diesel and can comfortably tow anything over any pass. Fuel mileage is pretty much the same empty and drastically better towing. 

no mountains down south except very moderate appalachians that you typically skirt by versus climbing them.  if i lived out west and boat travelled i think i would go HD truck wspecially with those insane launches. but then you need EOH anyway so maybe a 4x4 1500 and eoh trailer could get the launches done but those passes yall climb and descend is other worldly to us down south

[granddaddy55]

On 12/26/2023 at 10:01 PM, Stevo said:

Those new 1/2 tons do have very nice hooks to hold your purse . 
 

onboard air, and bags are great , I use the air all the time between the air horn, bags for towing, airing down for fire road trails, bike tires, inter tubes for river floating. 

so the only manly truck is 3/4😂

AND tgere are limits to spending and debt!!!  my friends 2017 f250 platinum totaled out at 70k.  i paid 32 inc tax, no thanks on 70-90 k new trucks!! and i dont like inheriting other peoples problems used. and if used is gonna cost me 60-70 k, no thanks 

Edited December 28, 2023 by granddaddy55

[granddaddy55]

On 12/27/2023 at 8:51 AM, RyanB said:

As someone who also “tows a lot”, I would hate to rely on any half ton platform as a primary tow vehicle. And your boat weighs more than mine. 
 

I believe that most people who think “my 1500 tows my boat great” haven’t towed with a HD. The experience is SOOOOOOO much better. 
 

I’ve never heard that squat from towing would cause unusual wear on rear brakes, but I guess it makes sense. I’ve towed my LSV 5500 miles with my Ex and just had to replace rear brakes and rotors at 52,000 miles. How fast are you going through them?

yep, makes sense, you no longer have the physics of weight of motor assisting during front end nose dive from braking creating more braking force, squat lessens that causing rears to share greater braking load

[dizzygti]

54 minutes ago, granddaddy55 said:

no mountains down south except very moderate appalachians that you typically skirt by versus climbing them.  if i lived out west and boat travelled i think i would go HD truck wspecially with those insane launches. but then you need EOH anyway so maybe a 4x4 1500 and eoh trailer could get the launches done but those passes yall climb and descend is other worldly to us down south

Agreed.  I can feel that my F150 is "barely" getting the job done, but my "job" is short and has some hills but is very manageable.  Would I feel comfortable towing my boat through extreme mountain passes?   Heck no.   I'm with you though: I don't need to spend $80-90K to upgrade my truck for my 3-6 mile haul to the ramps.  I have no plans to take the boat anywhere but my home lake, so the F150 will have to do.  

[UWSkier]

On 12/26/2023 at 11:00 AM, granddaddy55 said:

thought i always wanted airbags  (no i will never!!! be buying an f250 ) but these heavy duty leaf spring modifications seem  very interesting with decent reviews for eliminating my minimal squat.  i am replacing rear brakes and rotors more frequently because of the squat producing less effective front axle braking as we tow ALOT! 

anyone have experience with these?

https://activesuspension.com/products/ford-f-150-pickup-two-wheel-drive-2015-2021-hd

 

I had those on my half ton GMC Denali for towing my heavy travel trailer right near the limit of that truck.  I didn't go for the HD versions as they didn't make one for the Magneride in the Denali.

They worked amazingly well.  They help keep your ride more level if you're adding a bunch of tongue weight, but more importantly, they keep your leaf-springs from bowing under heavy loads, which makes load and sway control much more effective.  Body roll was lessened when driving unloaded too.

Highly recommend.  Though I wouldn't go for the HD ones unless you're really really loaded down.  I've heard they can make the ride suffer.  The regular ones cranked up a bit can be pretty effective too.  When I first installed mine, I cranked them up to the 2mm spring spacing point and my truck was nose-down like a 2wd.  I ended up backing them off a fair bit and settled on just enough spring spacing that a quarter would fit between the coils.  Ran them like that for thousands of miles towing.

[Stevo]

4 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

so the only manly truck is 3/4😂

Nope you could go 1-ton (f350) like I did 😜.

[Stevo]

On 12/27/2023 at 10:17 AM, Cole2001 said:

Airbags with an onboard compressor would be my choice. But like others said these boats aren’t light and deserve a HD platform. 

I had an F150 and it definitely had the power but every other category was terrifying in the mountains. Ended up burning through a transmission and rear suspension. 
Got into a diesel and can comfortably tow anything over any pass. Fuel mileage is pretty much the same empty and drastically better towing. 

Higher cost for the right tool, but the diesels tend to hold their value on the back end.

the market may be on the down side to pay premiums for these trucks , but the price of new and the supply/demand for them has kept prices in the used market high.

i did see on CJC a post about a removable full travel bag system on a RAM platform that looked pretty sweet, but that may have been on their HD trucks

[Stevo]

yup HD truck.

 

[RyanB]

10 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

no mountains down south except very moderate appalachians that you typically skirt by versus climbing them.  if i lived out west and boat travelled i think i would go HD truck wspecially with those insane launches. but then you need EOH anyway so maybe a 4x4 1500 and eoh trailer could get the launches done but those passes yall climb and descend is other worldly to us down south

It’s not just about mountains. My Expedition has ample power. But not cooling. But to me the biggest difference is the overall stability.  Mountains or flat, it’s much more relaxing with the right tool. 

10 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

so the only manly truck is 3/4😂

AND tgere are limits to spending and debt!!!  my friends 2017 f250 platinum totaled out at 70k.  i paid 32 inc tax, no thanks on 70-90 k new trucks!! and i dont like inheriting other peoples problems used. and if used is gonna cost me 60-70 k, no thanks 

I certainly understand budget. A new F250 platinum would likely be north of $90k now. Not sure if you could get a 150 for that $32k either. But a gas 250/2500 in similar trim is going to be not a lot more $ than a 150/1500. And would be much more capable (although still would benefit from bags). 

 

9 hours ago, dizzygti said:

Agreed.  I can feel that my F150 is "barely" getting the job done, but my "job" is short and has some hills but is very manageable.  Would I feel comfortable towing my boat through extreme mountain passes?   Heck no.   I'm with you though: I don't need to spend $80-90K to upgrade my truck for my 3-6 mile haul to the ramps.  I have no plans to take the boat anywhere but my home lake, so the F150 will have to do.  

I wouldn’t argue about 3-6 mile trips to the ramp. I’d probably use my Grand Cherokee for that. This discussion is about people who tow a lot. I tow between 5000-10000 in a year. I don’t want a half ton for that. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by RyanB

[dizzygti]

13 hours ago, RyanB said:

I wouldn’t argue about 3-6 mile trips to the ramp. I’d probably use my Grand Cherokee for that. This discussion is about people who tow a lot. I tow between 5000-10000 in a year. I don’t want a half ton for that. 

Yes, you're making the same point.   What is towing "a lot"?   Distance or frequency?   I put about 300 miles on my trailer since May, but that was probably ~50 trips to the ramp and back.    That's a lot more towing than some people do, but still very manageable in a half ton truck.   

[ahopkins22LSV]

13 hours ago, RyanB said:

It’s not just about mountains. My Expedition has ample power. But not cooling. But to me the biggest difference is the overall stability.  Mountains or flat, it’s much more relaxing with the right tool. 

I certainly understand budget. A new F250 platinum would likely be north of $90k now. Not sure if you could get a 150 for that $32k either. But a gas 250/2500 in similar trim is going to be not a lot more $ than a 150/1500. And would be much more capable (although still would benefit from bags). 

 

I wouldn’t argue about 3-6 mile trips to the ramp. I’d probably use my Grand Cherokee for that. This discussion is about people who tow a lot. I tow between 5000-10000 in a year. I don’t want a half ton for that. 

Depending on trim levels, you are spot on with pricing with a 1500 vs gas 2500. I’ve been tossing around options with my truck since my lease is up in July. The same Sierra Elevation that I have now is almost 10k more as the same truck I have now. Only difference is the new 14” screen which is very nice compared to mine, but not 10k nice. For grins I built a Sierra 2500 SLE with the 6.6 gas and 10 speed for the exact same 64k msrp. Optioned exactly the same as the 1500 minus front bucket seats. Which I like but would be worth the trade off to have a 2500. I don’t know what happens when you start playing around with higher trim levels. I think if I don’t buy out my current truck (30k buyout is going to be hard to pass on) the 2500 might be the route I go. This pricing is all msrp, no clue what the dealers around here are offering off. 

[granddaddy55]

On 12/28/2023 at 5:34 PM, RyanB said:

It’s not just about mountains. My Expedition has ample power. But not cooling. But to me the biggest difference is the overall stability.  Mountains or flat, it’s much more relaxing with the right tool. 

I certainly understand budget. A new F250 platinum would likely be north of $90k now. Not sure if you could get a 150 for that $32k either. But a gas 250/2500 in similar trim is going to be not a lot more $ than a 150/1500. And would be much more capable (although still would benefit from bags). 

 

I wouldn’t argue about 3-6 mile trips to the ramp. I’d probably use my Grand Cherokee for that. This discussion is about people who tow a lot. I tow between 5000-10000 in a year. I don’t want a half ton for that. 

i remember your cooling posts about the suv’s tranny temps.  talking to my tranny guy (real smart saving me service or repair visit by explaining the learning nature of these tranny’s as mine acted up and then began performing perfectly with in 72hours) , he said 190 is “cold” for these units and that 210 was no big deal,  worse i have seen is 210 pushing my speeds and mostly 204-206 traveling long distance.  i believe the max tow cooling is very effective

[granddaddy55]

On 12/29/2023 at 7:34 AM, ahopkins22LSV said:

Depending on trim levels, you are spot on with pricing with a 1500 vs gas 2500. I’ve been tossing around options with my truck since my lease is up in July. The same Sierra Elevation that I have now is almost 10k more as the same truck I have now. Only difference is the new 14” screen which is very nice compared to mine, but not 10k nice. For grins I built a Sierra 2500 SLE with the 6.6 gas and 10 speed for the exact same 64k msrp. Optioned exactly the same as the 1500 minus front bucket seats. Which I like but would be worth the trade off to have a 2500. I don’t know what happens when you start playing around with higher trim levels. I think if I don’t buy out my current truck (30k buyout is going to be hard to pass on) the 2500 might be the route I go. This pricing is all msrp, no clue what the dealers around here are offering off. 

but this is my point exactly,  170-185k out the door boat, 70-100 out the door for truck and combined rig costs are $240-285 k.  

grain of salt comment please forgive,  but that’s baller money.  i am out the door at 194k on a prem lightly appointed high tier boat and base 1/2 ton truck and am chewing toe nails over that!!!  there are limits.  my only way of justifying this was this was the wife’s choice for boat (breadwinner) and we have 670 hrs in 25 months on the higher side of the rig costs.  

now ask me how i feel about my brick hard cloth seats xlt😂🤣😳.  seat heater works great!!

just put 2 turbo’s on the eco and all drivetrain repairs or maintenance and i am still south of $37k on a2016 with 124k miles

with the axis i was shy of 100k, 

Edited January 4 by granddaddy55

[redrooster]

Buy a 3/4 ton and be done with it. Better suspension,  brakes and frame.  You can tow a huge boat with a Toyota Tacoma, but getting  it to stop and handle are the real problem. 

Even in 3-5 miles idiots can pull out in front of you without warning.