Whats the likely hood that my 1997 ford f150 with the 5.4 4x4 has wore out rear leaf springs? I can notice it squating with even a 100lbs in the bed. Or is that normal?

 

Hey 97, I got a 98 and mine seemed weak also... I just went ahead and added a Hellwig 3000 to it..It raised the rear and made it alot stronger.. Also got a pair of coil over heavy shocks... I tow an 18ft trailer with L3010 Kubota tractor w/ bucket and a 5ft Rhino shredder.. It only slightly squats it..Maybe alittle below level now..

I wouldn't atempt it without the added suspension...Our models seem alittle weak to me!!

 

Weak to say the least. Chances are the springs are just weak. 3 leafs on each side in a 1/2 ton is a joke.......even more stupid on a F150 4x4 reg. cab 5.4l with an 8' bed and tow kit.

Only way to haul anything heavy with my 1998 was to upgrade the rear leaf springs adding 2 additional leafs on each side plus a Hellwig pro helper spring kit on top. It took an upgrade of almost $600 to get my f150 ready to tow and haul heavy loads.

Also watch out for the rear leaf shackles / hangers on 1998 f150's they are super cheap thin metal that likes to rust and fail releasing the leaf and possibly damaging the underside on the bed or other parts. The local spring shop loves f150s, they keep them busy and in business.

 

While I like my '99 F-150, it's certainly not a vehicle you buy to carry any significant weight. I've noticed my truck squats w/ very little load in it (I'm convinced I noticed a difference when I put in a thick rubber bedmat, approx 75lb) ... my '03 F-150 7700 work truck handles loads much better.
I'm wondering if increasing the capacity of the springs might tempt one to overload other components of the truck ...