Did a search but still unclear..............

I have weak sagging rear leaf springs. They were that way, when I bought the truck with less than 40,000 miles. I have already lowered it. However, I found that, weak leaf springs can contribute to steering unstability. What is the cheapest and easiest way to stiffen the rear leaf springs enough to reduce steering unstability?

A. Additional Spring clamps

B. Helper springs

C. Add-a-Leaf

D. Replace my stock leaf springs with some newer springs from a salvage yard

 

Iron Horse, I just noticed we both live in OK where the wind comes rushing down the plain. Maybe we need to just move to another state... Kidding aside, I tried a pair of Hellwig suv stabilizer helper springs that come with the polyurethane spacer blocks. The truck cornered like it was on rails but it did not solve the wandering problem. Also, they stiffened the ride enough that I eventually took them off. I'm about out of ideas. Ordered a Rancho steering stabilizer yesterday from 4 wheel parts. I'm also going to try a wheel/tire swap with my neighbors truck. Good luck.

 

Iron,

How did you lower the rear end?

JMC

 

Yeah, our Spring storm weather makes for some frustrating crosswinds. Thanks for the info on the Hellwig set-up. I will mark that off my list. I want to order a steering stabilizer too. But, everyone tells me that it is a "band aid" for a fundamental problem in the steering/suspension problem. It has become a puzzle that I must solve!!!!!!!! haha!

However, I have been reading that, loose or worn components in the rear can cause "rear steer", which can cause steering unstability. Supposely, if you can stiffen up the back end, you reduce crosswind effects and unstable steering

 

I replaced the hangers and shackles with DJM components. However, I left the shackle bolts a little loose. I thought that the leaf spring should be able to move some in the shackle, maybe I should tighten the shackle bolts very tight

Stock, you could tell that the rear was lower than normal. After I lowered it to the 4 inch setting, the rear was lower than the fronts 3 inch lowering. It should have been level or a little higher in the back. I have the rear on the 3 inch lowering setting now. However, it looks like a 4 inch lowering.

 

I agree with you about the stabilizer being seen as a band-aid. But I'm ready for a band-aid at this point. I also agree that there could be rear steer. When I put the urethane bushings on the rear leafs and shackles, I measured the spring height and length when they were off the truck, and they were exactly the same, so everything seemed ok. By the way, my wife thinks I'm obcessed over this problem and should just get a different truck. I just reply " piston slap".

 

Iron,

Torque them to fa tory spec. Spring to front hanger 157-212 lbs/ft. Spring to shackle and Shackle to frame bracket 73-97 lbs/ft. I some how don't think that this will cure the problem. I think it has to do with the ball joint angles casued by lowering the A-arms. Did you use a kit with replacement A-arms?

JMC

 

Oh Yeah.............I live in that world as well! After I had bought front and back Hellwig sway bars several years ago, my wife said something to the effect of, "Its a truck, it is not suppose to drive like the Firebird, if you are going to continue to spend time and money on it, I do not want to know about it" I said, "You got it!" .........covert operations began immediately

 

Thanks for the torque info. I will check them tonight.

Originally, I used DJM 2 inch lowering coil springs with lowered toxic shocks.

Then, I used some oem springs that I cutt for a 3 inch lowering with a camber kit with a custom alignment and one new ball joint.

Then, I bought some 03' oem f150 front control arms with less than 5,000 miles on them and the ball joints. I installed polyurathane contral arm bushings in the 03' control arms and changed to new Doestch Nitro active lowered shocks and new yet softer Spring Tech 3 inch lowering coil springs and had a custom alignment with above max caster and slight toe-in.

 

Iron,

I am leaning towards suspension geometry. DJM has replacement A-arms. In one of their blurbs they mentionned having to use replacement control arms to correct handling issues.

"We found on 97 Fords the upper control arms must be changed as well as the lowers or forget the ride and handling. "

Check out;
http://www.djmsuspension.com/Product...7F150Parts.htm

JMC

 

Thanks for taking the time to provide that info. However, what puzzles me, is that, after all that I have done to my steering and suspension, my fathers truck STILL has better "on center firmness and faster steering wheel return to center action.

Here is a brief steering/suspension comparison:

My 99' F150 supercab flareside 4.6 with over 114,000 miles:

Notice sloppy and wandering steering with a loose suspension feeling when I bought it two and half years ago with less than 40,000 miles. After a lot of mods, my steering is much better. It is very sensitive, but my suspension still feels unstable and the steering wheel is very easy to turn and does not "want to stay" centered. I currently have the following steering and suspension mods:

Hard bed cover, new yet "mushy" 3 inch lowering front coil springs (had very stiff cut coil springs but they require expensive shocks to keep up with rebound), rear lowering hangers and shackles for a 3 inch lowering, Doestch Nitro Active lowering shocks, front and rear Hellwig swaybars, 03' oem upper and lower control arms and ball joints with less than 5,000 miles, polyurethane control arm bushings, new inner and outter tie rods, new center link, new idler arm, 03' pitman, 03' steering gear box, 03' coupler and halfshaft, new powersteering pump and hydraulic line, new front wheel bearings, wider yet shorter side wall Toyo Proxes 275/60/17s, camber kit, custom alignment(s) and many steering gear box adjustments.

My father's 99' F150 single cab longbed 4.6 with less than 30,000 miles:

His steering wheel "wants to stay" centered regardless of road crown, crosswinds or bumps. His steering is firmer with equal higher tension that keeps the steering wheel and the truck straight down the road. His steering wheel whips back to center very fast, after turning the steering wheel and then letting go of it. His steering wheel is harder to turn. His steering is very, very good.

I installed a 3/3 BellTech Lowering kit with belltech nitro active shocks. The rest of his truck is bone stock!

 

checked the leafspring to shackle and shackle to frame bolts. One side had about 60 ft. pounds and the other about 40! I torqued both sides to 90 ft. pounds.

I had to try something, so I went several local auto chains and found several types of leaf spring load increasers. One looked like the Hellwig type, it looked like a bow. However, it mainly works when you have a load. There were also some helper type short leafs, but they only worked when loaded. Then I found some helper leaf springs that "work all the time".

I bought a set that bolts to the rear top portion of the leaf springs. It was only rated at 1,000 pounds. It raised my rear end about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. I had less sway in the cross winds and my suspension felt more stable. Even less wandering.

Then I went and bought another set, and installed them on the front portion of the leaf springs. With both the rear and front helper spring installed, supposely you get over 1,500 pounds of load capacity. With both installed my rear end was raised over an inch. Now my rear 3 inch lowering looks like a 3 inch lowering. More suspension stability in cross winds and less wandering. I do not hit bumps harder and I can take turns even better. I am oversteering less and not correcting the steering as much. Very good mod.

.............now if I can just get my steering wheel to return to center faster and have firmer on center steering.