gamecoug

I have a 1994 pickup 1/2 ton, and the rear springs are about sprung out. I'm looking for something that's a little more heavy duty to replace them. The reason I got this truck was for hauling, and right now I can't put much weight in the back at all without hitting the bump stops.

I was considering the Northwest Off Road HD leaf springs, but i notice they have some serious detractors on here. So, any other suggestions? Are there any other shops selling something similar? I looked at using 1-ton springs but they're different length, and would require relocating the mounting brackets. I understand i'm going to give up a bit of ride quality for my added hauling capacity, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to live with.

Thanks for your help. =)

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

How much weight we talking here? Gotta remember this is still a 1/2 ton and just replacing leafs will not increase hauling cap. Stock axles and brakes would be my concern.

OME HD leafs should do the job if it's a load carried regularly. Supposedly will chatter your teeth out when you ride empty. I have the medium duty leafs and occasionally haul heavy loads exceeding 1/2 ton. I have hauled 1500# a few times and it did fine - dropped 3-4" from ride height and still room between bump stops. If I did it more often I would maybe add airbags to help the load, brake upgrade and maybe full floating axle conversion for peace of mind (and just because)

Oh yeah, had I known about the "ZUK coil spring mod" before I bought new leafs, I probably would have tried that out first, but I'm very satisfied with my OMEs. Good luck, there are lots of options out there for curing "Toyota saggy butt syndrome"

T_F_E

Zuk coils work great, i went with 12 * 150

peow130

I used an AAL.
Hauled two dirtbikes, 3 coolers, a grill, a bunch of camping gear, 2 tents, another guy, and his dog in my pickup and she didn't sag that much at all.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

You could look into helper springs.

That way you are only using the regular springs till you over load your truck.

I wouldn`t say it is a good idea but I have seen a lot of weight put on these trucks but most often at very low speeds coming out of the woods with firewood

gamecoug

OME? Old Man Emu? I only find lift kits for those... did your set include a lift? I'm trying to avoid lifting if possible, it's just a little 2wd work truck...

As for how much I want to haul, I'm not talking about more than 1500 pounds or so. The original specs say this truck was supposed to haul 1500 pounds+, but I got 600-800 pounds in the back and it was already sagging way too much.

I got this truck to haul firewood down from my in-laws, so I'd like to be able to at least haul a fair load of firewood at a time.

mt_goat

Alcan springs is what you want: http://www.alcanspring.com/

I've had a set of Alcans for many years and they definitely don't sag over time. I once loaded 13 bags quickcrete (80 lb each) and it hardly moved the rear down. This big chevy guy saw me loading it and said his bumper would be dragging the ground if he did that in his truck lol.

Junkers88

In this situation I'd look at the ZUK coil spring mod. Won't make the ride any more stiff than it is now, will get you back up to ride height and will allow you to haul more weight with a lot less (if any) sag.

And it's a hell of a lot less expensive and easier to install than a new set of leaves.

cman1

iTrader: (1)

I second that zuk!!!

Magnusian

The Zuk is more of a kludge fix though. Those Alcan springs look hot but the OP could probably get away with OEM replacements or having his springs re-arched. My dad's 2wd frequently found itself loaded down with 2000+lbs of gravel/sand/shell during the 13 years he owned it.

gamecoug

Nice. How much did those Alcans run you, if you don't mind telling?

After looking at the costs of some of these options, I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to start out with some helper springs, and see if I can get my old springs to work well enough for the next while. Those Alcans do look damn nice as a long term fix, but I have to assume they're not cheap...

gamecoug

That Zuk mod would also probably do the trick... Is there a tutorial online or something?

Junkers88

I don't know exactly what that means but it doesn't sound nice.

http://www.alcanspring.com/
That's the web site. I looked at a set a looooonnnnggg time ago and they were definitely not cheap.

Junkers88

http://gearinstalls.com/

Bottom left hand side. Several "how-to" sections there. You can also search "ZUK mod" here and find lots of information.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...ks-zuk-157035/

That one is mine.

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

since you have a 2wd truck, i dunno what to suggest other than maybe add-a-leaf, helper springs, air bags, ZUK coil mod, or stock replacements - which are all over the net. seems most of the leafs out there are for 4wd trucks (but i think same length as 2wd) and i dunno if you'd be happy with the arch of those for your 2wd. you could always crank the t-bars to help level it out though.

if you wanna look into the OME leafs, you can definitely buy them individually, outside of a kit - but you'll still need new bushings and possibly new ubolts and shackles depending on how rusted yours are. i got mine from trdparts4u and called them up and spoke with someone over the phone before making up my mind - i'd suggest calling and asking someone who sells leafs.

as for my leafs, they are the OME medium duty leafs and currently my height is 23" from the center of the hub to the bottom of the fender lip with stock shackles. no idea what a 2wd's distance is for this measurement, but hopefully it gives you and idea.

mt_goat

Alcan will custom make what ever you want and I'm sure the price varies depending on your needs. They will ask you how much load you carry and if you want any lift, how much lift...etc.

Mine were bought probably 7 or 8 years ago so the memory is a little foggy but IIRC about $500 for the pair. I'm a happy camper.

tim a.

a set of sport ride airlift bags will run you less than $200 and you can let all that air out when you want a soft ride.

shepherd2111

http://wheelersoffroad.com/

You could always check here, they have replacement, and add a leaf. just another place to look. I got my leafs from here.

gamecoug

Those are interesting too. Given the choice between airbags and helper springs, which would you choose?

The helwig helper springs I find are about half the price of the airbags, though the airbags do seem to be a more robust system...

mt_goat

Better springs will also help reduce axle wrap, air bags will not.