KeithS
Full Access Member
I had already been thinking about adding a new secondary leaf, and this thread pushed me over the edge. Just installed the new leaves today. I just went with the leaves, no re-arching of the factory leaves.
I needed to add some spring to the rear to compensate for the 253 lbs. of gear that I always haul in the bed of the truck. I hadn't hit them hard yet, but I was hitting the factory bumps gently but regularly during even casual offroading.
I chose this route over Deavers or Nationals for two reasons: cost and weight. Cost of these leaves with new center bolts, plastic anti-squeak pads, and tax was $167.67 US. They weigh 20 lbs. each. My local spring place in Michigan looked the Raptor up in his catalog and said that I needed part number SXL-4310 Booster Leaves. He had them in stock. These leaves are 3/8" thick and 58.25" long, which is exactly what I was after. The center holes were punched perfectly and everything; all I added was paint.
My father and I were able to do this job in my garage in about 2 hours. We started by jacking up the truck and putting stands under the frame ahead of the rear axle. We then took the wheels off and lowered the axle to the end of the shock travel. We then removed the u-bolts, the center bolts, and the bottom leaf.
Next we used a large pipe wrench to open up one side of the clamps on the factory second leaf. Once this was done, we removed the second leaf from the truck, while leaving the main leaf on the truck.
Once out of the truck we opened up the other side of the clamps and removed the stock plastic pieces (no room for them with the new leaf).
I bought extra long center bolts (4" vs. stock 2.5") just in case the arch of the new springs was significatnly different. It wasn't, so 3" center bolts would have been more than sufficient, but the longer bolts don't hurt anything. Putting it back together was just a matter of reassembling the spring pack with the new leaves between the stock mains and stock second leaves. Closing those clamps back up was the hardest part of the whole job, requiring creative use of a hammer, c-clamp, and pipe wrench in the limited space available. A torch would have made it easier, but I didn't have one handy and there are a lot of plastic anti-squeak bits nearby that likely would have suffered. I also didn't feel like removing the mains.
I gained a little more height that I was estimating, so I hope they settle in a bit. The truck currently sits 2.25" higher at the rear tires and 3" higher at the hitch. I neglected to take "before" pictures, but here are some taken afterwards. The gap below the bump stop is noticeably larger.
Believe it or not, the truck actually rides a bit softer both on and offroad. Before installing these new leaves, the bottom leaf (what I would call an "overload" leaf on any other truck) was always engaged. Now it isn't. Suprisingly I can't even feel when it engages.
I took it out for a spirited offroad run this afternoon that included some large whoops, and the bumps stops didn't touch at all, so mission accomplished.
It sits a bit tail-high now, so if the new leaves don't settle like I expect, I'll likely go up to the middle perch in the front. I seem to be forgetting that my goal was to leave this one stock...
I needed to add some spring to the rear to compensate for the 253 lbs. of gear that I always haul in the bed of the truck. I hadn't hit them hard yet, but I was hitting the factory bumps gently but regularly during even casual offroading.
I chose this route over Deavers or Nationals for two reasons: cost and weight. Cost of these leaves with new center bolts, plastic anti-squeak pads, and tax was $167.67 US. They weigh 20 lbs. each. My local spring place in Michigan looked the Raptor up in his catalog and said that I needed part number SXL-4310 Booster Leaves. He had them in stock. These leaves are 3/8" thick and 58.25" long, which is exactly what I was after. The center holes were punched perfectly and everything; all I added was paint.
My father and I were able to do this job in my garage in about 2 hours. We started by jacking up the truck and putting stands under the frame ahead of the rear axle. We then took the wheels off and lowered the axle to the end of the shock travel. We then removed the u-bolts, the center bolts, and the bottom leaf.
Next we used a large pipe wrench to open up one side of the clamps on the factory second leaf. Once this was done, we removed the second leaf from the truck, while leaving the main leaf on the truck.
Once out of the truck we opened up the other side of the clamps and removed the stock plastic pieces (no room for them with the new leaf).
I bought extra long center bolts (4" vs. stock 2.5") just in case the arch of the new springs was significatnly different. It wasn't, so 3" center bolts would have been more than sufficient, but the longer bolts don't hurt anything. Putting it back together was just a matter of reassembling the spring pack with the new leaves between the stock mains and stock second leaves. Closing those clamps back up was the hardest part of the whole job, requiring creative use of a hammer, c-clamp, and pipe wrench in the limited space available. A torch would have made it easier, but I didn't have one handy and there are a lot of plastic anti-squeak bits nearby that likely would have suffered. I also didn't feel like removing the mains.
I gained a little more height that I was estimating, so I hope they settle in a bit. The truck currently sits 2.25" higher at the rear tires and 3" higher at the hitch. I neglected to take "before" pictures, but here are some taken afterwards. The gap below the bump stop is noticeably larger.
Believe it or not, the truck actually rides a bit softer both on and offroad. Before installing these new leaves, the bottom leaf (what I would call an "overload" leaf on any other truck) was always engaged. Now it isn't. Suprisingly I can't even feel when it engages.
I took it out for a spirited offroad run this afternoon that included some large whoops, and the bumps stops didn't touch at all, so mission accomplished.
It sits a bit tail-high now, so if the new leaves don't settle like I expect, I'll likely go up to the middle perch in the front. I seem to be forgetting that my goal was to leave this one stock...
