UPDATE Removed Overloads

cpaul55 · June 23, 2020

23 hours ago, lucas287 said:

Just out of curiosity, what are you experiencing??

I'm getting a little bit of "spring" noise from time to time with them (i.e. once parked and objects removed from bed when the bed settles/rises back to unloaded height).

lucas287 · July 25, 2021

UPDATE: I've been tinkering lately and trying to find the best combination and I "think" I found it. I couldn't help but recall just how nice my truck rode without the overload springs in. But at that time, it came with too many downsides, mainly axle wrap. Also, the spring perch on the axle is maybe 5" wide and not providing a wide enough base for the main springs and they were forming into a 'w' shape. Fast forward to current state. I have traction bars now, long bar style, not caltrac style. So axle wrap isn't a problem at all. I figured, why not? I started wrenching and stumbled upon something! The overload leaf isn't perfectly flat. As it comes from the factory it has a slight arch to it. However, if you flip it the other side is completely flat. So that's how I installed them. Simply yanked them out, drove the alignment pin through with a hammer to the other side and reassembled. Now the main springs have a nice long, flat base to engage on compared to 'no overload' just engaging on the spring perch. And this way you could still get some engagement with a heavy enough load, albeit greatly reduced from stock.

The result = oh yeah, it's better for sure. It's been a week now and it's definitely not placebo. Bear in mind I have Viking Warrior rear shocks too. I've actually been able to turn them up a good amount to levels that were simply unbearable before.

In conclusion, don't remove the overloads, just flip them over. However, be prepared for axle wrap.

Last thought: we're currently moving so yesterday I pulled a 6x12 Uhaul trailer around back and forth (25 miles each way). This setup did great. Still no axle wrap and pretty darn good ride quality. Being able to independently adjust rebound and compression made a massive difference. I was only a couple inches from the bumps, so I dialed in more compression and then the rebound just didn't feel right so I cranked it and was blown away with the difference. Most people's first solution for towing/hauling performance is spring-related...my experience yesterday shows me that a good set of adjustable shocks makes it so much livable.

As usual, I don't document anything but feel free to ask any questions.