bttrs

mine are mounted like factory, rear in rear. most people mount them backwards i did not. because of my wheel base

bone collector

whats the advantage of mounting them backwards instead of normally?? also, only using 3 or 4 springs instead of factory 5 plus overload.. whats the load rating for the springs? are they still stronger then toyota orginals? im curious because i need new springs and also need to use my truck like a truck, hauling firewood and towing trailers...

bttrs

forward to back could change a little but mostly its just about axle location. taking leafs out makes them softer the yotas are lighter then 150s so you dont need as much weight. yes they are stronger they are atleast half inch wider not sure exactly. the pic of my frame you linked is hard to tell by my frame is not factory, thats why it looks like they are backwards, the longer end of the spring is in the back.usually done the other way around so you can shorted the back as much as possible.

bone collector

ok thanks. i was just wondering why in the write up he said he moved hanger 3 inches and other people reversed the spring and moved the hanger 11 inches. is my thinking correct when i say mount them forward for more load capacity and reverse for more articulation??

bttrs

you have to move your mounts no matter how they are mounted, they are around 56 long stocks are 48

bone collector

yes i realize that. but 1 person moving a mount 3 inches and another 11 inches is a big difference for the same spring

bone collector

do u like ur f150 springs over the stock yota ones??

bttrs

i love my springs, i only drove the truck for a couple days before cutting the rear frame off and putting in the 150s. the difference in distance is wether you run them reverse or not.

bone collector

ok thanks for your help. i would be doing this mod to my 94 ext cab so i think i would have the space but im not sure i want to reverse them

moroza

I'm just beginning my Ford spring swap, and I have a question about reversing them: I notice that the rear bushing is a lot smaller than the front, presumably because it connects to the shackle which has another bushing. If you flip them around, the smaller bushing would go straight into the frame and transfer more NVH, in theory. Is this noticable, in practice?

ThatGuy1295

The shackle doesn't have another bushing. Not one that flexes anyways. So ya theres a difference in spring twist. I personally think that you should relocate the hangers instead of turning the springs around. You want the short side of the pack towards the front for better ????? not sure what to call it. But the front of the spring on most or all pickups is shorter then the part after the axle, better axle control, and the springs can absorb bumps better because of the geometry.

moroza

I'm flipping mine in order to extend the wheelbase without having too much rear overhang of the springs. Axle hop/wrap is more likely to be a problem, but I'm prepared to deal with it with added leaves, and a traction bar if necessary. I'm also redoing the shocks for one to point forward and the other back, which will help.

ThatGuy1295

so your flipping it to reduce your turning radius, and increase the stiff ride?

moroza

Um... no? I don't see how it would ride any stiffer apart from the bushing issue, and turning radius is purely a function of wheelbase length, regardless of how that length is acheived. I'm increasing mine, which isn't good for maneuverability, but that's a price I'm willing to pay for more cargo room with no more overhang (don't know if I mentioned that I'm building a camper/tinyhouse).

ThatGuy1295

Stiffness.

If your gonna have a lot of weight in the truck all the time then its fine. But having them flipped around and adding leaves will change things when its empty.

moroza

Yeah, I estimate that it'll have about 400 pounds over stock empty weight just for the camper box, plus another few hundred for all the cargo, which I doubt will ever be removed.

So the bushing mismatch - think it'll be a problem?

ThatGuy1295

should be fine.

91diesel

So far I've really liked the F150 springs, both for the load carrying capability and the increased flex. Some notes though,

I recommend keeping or putting back on, the little straps that hold the leaves together. I only kept the factory toyota overload leaf with the strap thing on it. This helps with the flex but may have damaged the main leaf.

I started to notice a sag to the right side on the truck and thought maybe it was just due to the springs settling on the gas tank side. I went to swap the springs side to side to help even it out when I discovered that the main leaf on the right side had cracked from the center pin out on one side. (That'll cause a little sag!)
So I decided to use this opportunity to upgrade the leaves. IIRC I spent $125-150 on the springs to begin with, + bushings and I was lucky that I had a couple of friends with shops to press the bushings in and out. Not having access to that this time I went with a set of Deavers.
I got the set for a 5" lift on a ford Ranger (their lift springs are weird in that it's listed as a 3" lift if you remove the factory blocks but 5" if you leave them on). The deavers cost me $489 + tax from Duffy Enterprises in Knoxville, TN and fit right in place of the F150 springs. They also come with new poly bushings.
I see now why people pay extra for Deavers, man they ride nice and flex way better than the ford springs. It is a 7 leaf pack with no overload so I don't know how the load carrying will be yet. The best example I can give of the ride is when you go over a speed bump slowly and the front of the truck rides over it and the empty back of the truck bounces over it....well with the deavers the empty bed rolls over a speed bump as soft as the front does. I also had to cut off a mount that I had welded on for a rear sway bar because the increased up travel of the springs rubbed the tire deep into it (I had never hit this mount at any time even wheeling with the ford springs).
So anyway, it is a consideration when you add up the prices
Ford springs-$150 + $25 bushings + $50(+) to remove/install bushings
$225-250.
for $250 more you get really nice riding springs, way better flex, and the military wrap (which didn't seem as important to me until I saw a cracked main leaf!) like a factory toyota has.
The springs right now (2 weeks use) sit about 1.5-2" higher than the F150 ended up settling at (not counting the sag on one side). The F150 springs settled a surprising amount (probably due to removing the short leaf from the pack) after about 6 months that caused me to have to reset my front end. The Deavers seemed to put it back to the original lift +/- a little.

MudWaspSR5

Diesel, how about a 10 year update. I'm strongly considering the F-150 mod given the cost of various other ones like Old Man Emu which are $250 per spring. I'm looking at junk yard options for ~$75 each vs $150 new at General Spring out of Kansas City. I think I'll just go with new ones at that cost since it's still cheap but am not really sure which F-150s to get as there are a lot of differences from 1990 to 2000 both in width and load ratings, leaf count etc... Some are 2.5" wide, some are 3" and some are 3/1 stacks while others are 4/1 and the spring weight capacities vary widely from around 1400lbs to 2400lbs. I just don't know what's best really but guessing somewhere in the middle around 1800 maybe? I just know I want to go with ones that will give a 2-3" lift and support an added weight load of 300-500lbs of a topper and camp gear. So I assume I may need a "heavy duty" type, but again..what sizes, years, and weight ratings would be optimal? Anyone know???

MudWaspSR5

BUMP. Anyone care to reply please. What load rating?