Helper springs/ Airbags Etc.

   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #21  
I’d say yes you are. It has a little squat but what I’d call normal and very acceptable.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #22  
Also this is 2,000 pounds of corn. So maybe I am getting a little too much tongue weight on the trailer. This looks less squatted with that much weight.

View attachment 1080250


Looks good. Keep in mind, the corn is placed different on the truck v/s a bumper hitch. The corn appears to be centered over the axle, so it is not unloading the front axle. Without a W/D hitch, a bumper hitch, will always, unload the front axle, adding to the squat.

The dump trailer is maxed out, 14k. Note, with W/D hitch, the truck and trailer are level.

Bobcat.jpg
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #23  
I have a F450 SuperDuty that I tow a 19K pound..maybe more Toy Hauler with. The truck will squat down to where the top springs almost touch the bump stops.. Which is about 3" of sag. I will be getting air bags for it soon. Having that weight back there can make the front tires wear irregularly if its light.
 
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   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #24  
The cheapest option would be the weighsafe hitch for the truck. Airbags, second. If this is a keeper truck and setup, I would go to my local truck spring shop and get their help.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #25  
Get a Weigh Safe Hitch and know the tongue weight of your load.

They are offered in steel or aluminum.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #26  
If you are dead serious about towing there is a perfect solution to keeping headlight aim: put proper air suspension on the rear axle. When I do a towing upfit, cut off as much frame as I can to allow big loads on a pintle hitch as close as possible to axle. Towing stability comes from having as much tongue weight as you can manage, and air suspension will allow you to load rear axle to its GAWR without changing deck angle very much (with tow behind you are still going to lift front end...thus why I like to shorten deck after axle). I might note, though: this is not the cheap and easy way out. For that just add some overload air bags to stock springs.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #27  
I went the budget route and got timbren bump stops on my Tacoma. They are cheap and work great, as long as you don't mind a rough ride.
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #28  
Maybe I missed it but what are your mfg. specs for towing?
Both my Fords specify wd hitch if towing over 5,000 lbs.
I had been running about a 9 to 10K load for one to several trips (1,000 mile one way) a year with my Hudson 12K trailer.
The Equalizer hitch to me was well worth it, even though I don't recall what it cost ~12 years ago. Easy to use, relatively simple, kept my nose level with my tail.
/edit - also acts as sway control, do airbags help with sway control?
 
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   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc. #29  
Back in '91 I purchased a heavy duty half ton Chevy with the intentions of buying a camper. In-laws had one we could use, so we decided to use it versus spending the money on our own. Bumper pull, over 30 ft in length and with the rear bedroom, it was very easy to get tail heavy. It had WD hitch, but with the rear bedroom (and all that space under the bed for storage) it was easy to lighten the load on the truck but impossible to do that and keep the trailer from swaying! One of the things I tried was adding coil springs above the leaf springs on the rear of the truck. That stiffened up the rear springs, but only when it was loaded, which worked out great. No air to worry about, or what happens when you blow a bag 1000 miles from the nearest shop that carries your bag! I called Chevy to make sure that adding these springs wouldn't void my warranty. Adding springs to level the truck was ok, as long as the weight didn't exceed rated capacity.
A friend was impressed with them on my truck, and wanted a set. We removed a set of coil springs from the rear of a mini-van, and adapted them to go on his Ford truck. It really isn't very hard to adapt, all you need is a mounting plate to hold them on the top of your springs, and U-bolts to hold that adapter plate. The top fits around the rubber bumper stop.
David from jax
 
   / Helper springs/ Airbags Etc.
  • Thread Starter
#30  
I pulled a Ford Lightning E-Truck this weekend. I think they are about 1,000-1,500lbs heavier than a standard F-150. This is the heaviest of the fleet of trailers we have. I wouldn't doubt it weighs 4,500lbs. 24' all steel deck with 7k axles and lots of real estate in front of the axles. I threw a stick and sharpie in the truck before I headed out. (Eyeball estimates) The empty trailer squatted the back end about 2". I loaded the truck pretty far forward of the centerline of the trailer axles and stopped at 1/2" additional squat. So what you see here is about 2-1/2 to 3" of squat in the rear. It rode really good. So I must have just been loading way too far forward. I must have a little less unloaded rake front to back since it looks like the little bit of squat I have is below level. However my headlights were still pointed at the road enough nobody flashed me.

20240928_073213.jpg
 

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