CTD NUT

One other thing to consider when improving the ride and handling of a heavily loaded rear is shocks. The factory shocks stink and are down-right horrible when heavily loaded - they just won't offer anywhere near enough dampening....going by how they feel in your hand just won't work. Since shocks control the bounce and the rate of rebound speed, it may not matter what method of spring is used, it will likely still handle poorly. I have used Airlift bags for years and have always used them in conjunction with Rancho 9000's so I could always dial in the dampening rate when loaded heavy. When the bags are cranked up and the truck is loaded heavy, the stock shocks simply won't work, period. Bilstein 5100's are another option as they are probably the highest quality progressive rate monotube shock for the money but will not offer the higher rates of dampening that the 9000's can when really heavy. Another shock to consider that is even better than the 9000 for heavy loads is the Procomp MX6. If I had to by shocks today for the rear of my 3500, that is what I would buy.

XLR8R

I just got a set of Bilstein 5100s for the front, and a pair of Rancho 9000s for the back half...

royta

I finally got around to installing the Ride-Rite air bags, p/n 2220, this afternoon. I bought the new brake hose yesterday, shown in TSB 05-04-98, and installed it today. I aired up the air bags to 70 psi and am quite impressed with the ride. I only had time to put about 8 miles @ 70 psi on the truck since the install, and I'll probably experiment with lower pressures later on. Although, the truck sits nice and level, so I might just leave it where it's at. The suspension did not feel overly firm.

FYI - Getting rid of that rear height sensing valve was the best thing I could have ever done. It could just be me, but I swear the truck feels like it's braking better.

XLR8R

I'm not surprised at that!

I never did that TSB on my '98 and it eats up the front pads every 15K miles

.... been doing that for almost a quarter of a million miles.

royta

The rear height sensing valve is kind of stupid, especially on a 4WD Club Cab. Before I replaced the standard bed with the service body, my truck weighed around 6600 pounds. 6600 pounds is exactly 75% of the GVW of 8800 pounds. The height sensing valve is basically limiting your rear braking on a bone stock 4WD Club Cab truck.

sled4fun

Dr. 90210 can lift anything that sags

XLR8R

Yeah, so you'd think the drums would brake more when the truck was heavier... my '98 weighs close to 10K # and I've never replaced the shoes with almost a quarter of a million miles.

royta

XLR8R - Exactly. But because the suspension wasn't compressed at all, the rear brakes weren't getting as much pressure (or perhaps surface area acting against the wheel cylinders). This is despite the fact that the truck was at 75% GVW right off the show room floor, and according to the TSB, should have a fully open valve to the rear brakes.

I already had my doubts about the valve on my truck. Sometimes the truck would stop real well, and other times it seemed to take a little more to get it stopped. This is with cold brakes (not fading) even.

I'd suggest that everybody ditch that valve and put in a regular brake hose.

XLR8R

I don't think the rear drums are very good even when at their best - panic stops in the '98 necessitate subsequently pulling over to yank the seat cushion out of your behind!

DanTana

Have a quality spring shop custom make a few extra leafs and add to your pack. Rubber ballons of any kind on the rear are just a bouncy ride.





3,500#s of mulch on a 2500.

XLR8R

On my '98, I have 7 leafs in the main pack + 3 more in the overload stack... but I've found the 5K# airbags I installed in my '05 to ride better, be more effective, and the adjustability can't be beat!

DanTana

The springs you had on your 98' are much shorter in length than on your 05' .. A much different monster. By design your 05' will ride better. Air bags and Timbrens by design do nothing but hold the body off the spring pack. When your body bounces up off dead center only the original springs and shocks detain the uplift. On the way down the Timbrens/airbags go thru the motion again "get this weight off of me" and bounces back up.
Adding extra properly designed leaf springs have a nuetral point. If body is up "pull it back to neutral-if the body is done push it back up". Springs find the "g" spot much faster.

XLR8R

Yeah, I know the leafs are different lengths - it's why the '05 rides so much better stock and empty.

When you weigh 10K#, there's not a whole lot of bouncing!

That is, if you've got your spring capacity adjusted right, which is far easier to do with the airbags.

p.s. Rancho 9000s don't hurt either

cLAYH

I installed airbags on my old '92 W250 CTD 4X4. I removed the overloads completly. When empty I ran 5psi and the truck rode nicely. With the camper(1800#) I pumped it up to 15psi, this made the rear level with the front. Front had a 2" lift. Add on the trailer with Jeep and then the bags were up to 25psi. Only time I had more than that was hauling a 10,000#, 40ft 5th wheel. I think I had it at 60psi that time. Never needed more. Was very happy with the results. Never missed the overloads and without them the truck didn't "bounce" off them when empty. Never noticed any bounce with the airbags, loaded or unloaded. Don't knock them till you try them.