Is anyone running some add-a-leafs on there rear springs for extra loads. If so who makes them? I am thinking about either add-a-leafs or airbags to lift th rear up a bit.

 

1 vote for airbags here...

I don't have them on this truck (yet?) but did have them on my last.

 

What are you carring that you need them? Many on here have posted how well the rear stays up with loads and trailers.

zman

 

I carry a quad and dirtbike, firewood, gravel and rocks. Could be anything really, but a lot of it is in the night so I don't want my rear end sagging because it makes the lights useless. I also have a leveling kit to put in the front so I would like to lift the back an equal amount.
For example:

 

I installed a product called super springs....Lifted the back 1.5 inched and before with my trailer loaded my hitch was 16" off the pavement, now with these springs installed the hitch is 18" off the ground......Didn't effect ride as I can tell and easy to install!!

http://www.macsspring.com/website/superspring.htm

 

My situation is I just put the 2" autospring in and it raised my truck 2.5" which leaves about a little more than a half an inch rake. Which I'm fine with untill I have to tow my dad's Sea Doo, I'm afraid it's gonna be nose high. This may be a dumb question but do airbags raise it up any?

 

The more air you put into them, the higher it will go.

That's the advantage to airbags compared to the springs.

An add-a-leaf will give your back end a lot more stiffness and bounce in the ride, as well as a permanent lift, until there's a bunch of load on them.

Progressive rate helper springs won't affect your unladen height or ride(they're not supposed to anyway), but as the stock springs sag due to load, the helpers will do just that, help. More load goes on the stock springs, the more force the helpers apply

airbags give you the advantages of both. If you charge them up while unloaded, your back end will raise (at the cost of a bouncier ride) just like the add-a-leafs work.

if you want to look normal when unloaded, you deflate them to a minimum pressure (just keeps them from folding and tearing), and your ride quality and height will be stock.

when you are loaded down, you can pressurize the airbags to bring you back up to stock height, which will give you a normal look and ride quality when loaded down.

Airbags can also level loads side to side (by having different pressures in each bag). No spring can do this.

So basically, with the airbags, you have the option of controlling your loads like helper springs, but also the option to give your rear end a little more height and stiffness when empty like the add-a-leafs if you like. With either spring system, you're kind of stuck with it, with the airbags, you have unlimited options.

Best setup is an onboard compressor with height sensors--you set the sensors to the 'normal' height you want (whether it be stock or slightly higher); then, whenever any load is put on the bed or towed, the compressor will sense the ride height change accordingly and always pressurize/deflate the bags automatically to put you at normal height, no matter what the load is. Just like the big rigs.
Manual kits you fill up yourself work fine, but they can be a pain in the butt to maintain proper pressures in--the volume of air they hold is so small that the slightest air release or temp change can affect the height a good bit. I had manuals on my last vehicle, I won't get bags for the 150 unless I get the onboard compressor. Good thing is, most manual setups can very easily have a compressor setup added to them later at any point.

 

thanks inbred for your knowledge!

 

I just received my Hellwig LP-1500's from Summit last week. I won't be able to put them on for a couple weeks due to a floor install project in the house but I think when I start hauling rock for my driveway addition I expect the *** end should be more stable then without them!