I’m was almost convinced my springs are on wrong but the mounts just are under the axel.

So what gives? I bought a new set of what I thought was a quality spring that was supposedly stiffer, however now I have them installed (wow that was a PITA!) the thing sits even lower than before. I think some is the weight of my camper shell but I tow a pretty big car trailer and my corvette that I have to put some serious tension on my WD hitch to get this thing even.

anyone have any advice? I felt the spring bottom out today over a hump in the road today. Should I try to combine my old and new springs? Any spacer I get will make it lower not higher. I need to get maybe 2” to feel like it’s “normal”….

 

Other than getting a bigger truck, helper bags are probably your best bet.
You could probably get away with adding a leaf to the pack but its going to make thing pretty stuff when you are not pulling the trailer.
I'd also check your tires. Make sure they are capable of holding that much weight and put more air in them when you are towing. They look pretty compressed in that picture

 

Okay, picture is no trailer. I’m really confused how close the bottom out bumper is to the axel. Just seems like no spring travel. I guess I’ll just have to live with it. Maybe a larger tire. They are inflated to 34psi. They are pretty old though it’s about time for a new set. That might help some.

I’ll look into bags but doubt it’s worth it haha.

 

my understanding of leafs is that they aren't designed to run at a negative arch, and that arch looks like it's level to maybe slightly negative.

there was a thread out here a year or so ago, the poster got some rear leafs brand new from lce i think it was, and they were junk, similar problem.

 

Has anyone ever just flipped their axel? I know that means the brake lines need to be rerun and my E brake won’t reach, but it would get the mounting plate on the axel up on top wheee I could then put the u bolts upside down….. I think that would make the shock distance shorter is about the only complication. And rear differential level fill hole would be super high.

 

4wd trucks are spring over, but they are 6 lug. You could swap an axle in from that. Or get new spring perches for the top of your axle, but that's just a band aid if the springs are flat. You could add longer shackles to pick the back up, but will have very little gain from that.

Those springs looked whooped. I would add a helper spring, or go to a spring shop and have them build you a set. You could also combine your old spring pack, but if they are flat too it may not help.

That truck has a #3500lb tow capacity, so your definitely over with a loaded car trailer, which isnt helping either.

 

the root of the problem appears to be with junk springs, as near as i can tell.

putting 'em on top of the axle won't fix that, and even with that the rear end would ride higher than the front end.

look up the thread i referred to, i think that the poster there got a refund for the bad springs he bought, and found something better.

 

What is the tongue weight of this car hauler with a car on it?

 

Are you asking about just flipping the whole axle upside down?
No.... that wont work. On top of the brakes being upside down and never getting the air out of them, the diff fluid not reaching the bearings and buring up very quickly, the big issue is that you will have a diff that turns backwards from what it does now so you will have 5 reverse gears and 1 forward.
Probably not ideal for towing a heavy trailer on an overloaded truck.

 

Hi. I think you may have installed poor quality springs. I had similar problem with 88 2wd long bed. Original springs had grown weak over time, though mileage is only 120K. My solution was to add a leaf. Found a guy with similar truck who WANTED the low look and had removed a leaf. Took his leaves and added them to my pack. Original shackles work but you have to make a longer center/index bolt. Now I can haul gravel, no problem. Yes, it sits a little high and is a bit stiffer than before when unloaded, but not enough to fret over. I'm very happy with the result, and advise you do something similar.