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01F2504WD Leaf Spring Upgrade

65K views 21 replies 5 participants last post by  tree trimmer 
#1 ·
Ok Gentlemen I will let you all know-->I am very ignorant when it comes to leaf spring knowledge... Hence the reason for my questions...

Since a 4in lift is out of my price range right now, plus the price to have it installed... My problem is my drivers side front is 1in lower then the passenger side... Looking at the front of the truck from 10yards away, it is very obvious...the truck looks drunk...

I have just chosen to upgrade my stock leaf springs with replacements... To help with handling and towing of the families 5th wheel and other work trailers...

Right now I have really have no idea what the stock spring ratings are for the 01 F250 PSD... My rear leaf springs have 6 leafs...The front has these very puny 2 leaf spring set up... Ok... I was recommended to this company and their products and great service... If those who have time, could you take a look at these leaf springs and give me your opinion and advice...

Rear: 6 spring replacement
1999-2007 Ford F250SD, F350SD 2wd 4wd - Leaf Spring (Rear - 6/1 Leaves) - 43-1263HD | $184.95

Rear: 10 spring replacement-would these be a good upgrade?
1999-2007 Ford F250SD, F350SD Chassis Cab 2wd 4wd - Leaf Spring (Rear - 10 Leaves) - 43-1265HD | $206.95

I also have plans on adding a set of Timbrens on all 4 corners to help with leveling of the F250 during towing...

Front:
1999-2004 Ford F250SD, F350SD 4wd - Leaf Spring (Front - 2 Leaves) - 43-818 | $110.95

What are ideas to do with the front end leaf spring setup to help keep the front leafs from sagging over time... I know the 7.3L is very heavy...

Any Thoughts or advice would be appriciated... Looking to do the replacement next spring...
 
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#2 ·
Stock ford springs can be bought for about $100 each. Changing your springs is a very easy job. You can find a helping hand on this site from your area I'm sure.
 
#3 ·
these are the stock options. 2001-2004 F250 Super Duty 4WD Front Leaf Springs

i would suggest goin to a boneyard and getting a set of X code springs. they are naturally a 2" lift to the front. i went from worn out E99 springs to those x code's and the ride is so much better, its not funny.

i went to car-part.com and searched. i put in 02 ford super duty, leaf springs, X code, and found a place that shipped a pair to my door for $130, $50 x2 + $30 shipping off of a 04 f-350 with 35k on it.

Northend Wrecking - QRP USA-IA(Dubuque) 1-800-545-8885 thats where i got mine, and they still had 4 sets 3 weeks ago when i got mine.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Tree Trimmer: Thank You for taking the time to reply... I have read about the x code springs... Do you also need F350 blocks for the rear as well as longer U bolts? I've noticed as the yrs have gone by and the demand for these springs the price has almost doubled... @ the Ford Dealerships... why does this not surprise me... Used might be my only option...

How do they rate compared to the 43-818HD 3 leaf 3,950lb Load Capacity?

The reason for the asking is I'm trying to plan for the future... After the kids are gone to college, the wife and I will upgrade our 5th wheel... I don't know if it will weight much more then our existing 10K lb jayco... I'm sure it will...so I'm trying to upgrade slowly... I really want to upgrade over the weak stock springs... I am planning on adding a set of TIMBRENS on all 4 corners... After the springs are in place...
 
#5 ·
x codes are front springs. and those 3950 will ride like a rock. their for big snow plows.

if you have sagging spring issues, and are looking to replace, there are two options. replace the stock with stock. or replace the stock with 08-11 rear springs. pmf makes a bracket that makes them a bolt on option.

i dont know what timbrens are, but im simply gonna bag mine. complete firestone kit.
 
#6 ·
I understand: Going back with new stock springs would be the easier option, but I'm afraid In a short period of time I would be right back where I am now... I don't know how common this is with these front springs...It just tells me they need to be upgraded...

I will begin a search for some x code springs in my area... if I can't come across any... I will go with the 43-818HD 3 leaf 3,950lb Load Capacity... I just want a one time fix and done with it...

I had no idea what the Timbrens were either... My neighbor has an 03 F250 7.3L--he tows a very nice 35ft 12lb 5ther.... His rear end is always level with the front... I asked him how he kept it perfectly level... He took me over and showed me... These...

Timbren Kit for Ford F250 Super Duty (2001-04) - 2WD/4WD - REAR - FR250SDE | $199.63

He has them on all 4 corners... Took him about 1 hour to install... nothing else to do...

Anyway... Thanks for your time and help... I will start looking more into the upgrade in springs...
 
#7 ·
Hey SyN after looking at the link you put up for the Timbren Kit why not try it w/o R&R your springs. From what I get from the instructions on their site the front would sit on the axle so I'm wondering if they wouldn't take care of your nascar lean.

Just curious & you could always R&R the springs later if what I read was right. You have perked my interest in the Timbren deal, I wonder why they have nothing listed for a 2000
 
#8 ·
I've heard that the timbrens really ride pretty rough unloaded. Think about it, something that does not offer much give at all, in your suspension, like riding on a hard rubber bump stop. Just cause someone has them, and his truck is level, doesn't mean it's smart.

I put new springs on mine from ford summer of last year, and with my firestone bags on the back, I've never had an issue getting something to sit level. I've put a 25k lb gooseneck on the back of my truck with 70psi in the bags and had it sit level-ish, I think the back end was down an inch or two, but the trailer sat nose high, so I was trying to keep the back from scraping on driveways. That set-up rides great loaded and empty.
 
#9 · (Edited)
My neighbors Timbrens have about a 2in gab between them and the axle... they never touch anything until the rear is loaded enough to lower the bed... It has no effect on unloaded ride what so ever...

Steve's front Timbrens had about an inch gab between them and the top of the leaf spring... It might have been a bit more... so I dought they would help any with the drivers side sag... But they will help from damage from occuring if over loaded or close to overload...

These have no affect on ride if the truck is not loaded... when loaded they firm up the ride yes... they are doing what you want them too... Steve said nothing of a harsh ride or rough ride while loaded... and beleive me he is ten times more anal then I am... He would have said so, and not recommended them to me...

Again this all depends on how much load is on your rear... I really can't see the front Timbrens ever touching unless you have a snow plow or something really heavy up front.... or at an extreme angle... I really don't know how come Steve had them installed up front... He just goes that extra mile...

CJ I understand what you were referring too... I appriciate you thinking of my problem and thinking of a solution... If the Timbrens made contact with the top of the leaf spring all the time... It just might help... but since it don't ... My best bet is to do an upgrade to my leaf springs...
 
#10 ·
Oh by the way: Thanks Jason for your advice and input... I have rode with steve a few times loaded and unloaded and I really didn't notice any harshness what so ever... But that was before I even began to ask questions about suspension helpers...Never even thought about it... Of course unloaded you wouldn't feel any difference with the Timbrens installed...

I will have to pay more attention when his 5th is loaded again, and ask him to give me a ride around town and on then highway for a few miles...

I have heard nothing but praise about the air bags... be it Ride Rite-Firestone-ect --->They are an awesome addition... I just want something that I just install and forget about it... Nothing else to worry about... I have plenty of that... Anyway... Thanks again...
 
#11 ·
ok, its later in the day, and im not on my way out the door like i was this morning.

front springs. if you go with x codes on the front end, that will add approx 600 lbs to the front gvw, plus add about 2" of height. plow guys love the springs, and its a "built in" front leveling kit. thats a no brainer.

rear springs. there are so many options of stock springs you can get, its not funny. pick your spring code, and get one. that husky link i provided will assist you on picking one.

for a little more money, you can convert your rear end to 08-11 springs. you will need the bracket from pmf, '08 Spring Hanger Conversion for '99-07 - Precision Metal Fab, or have the ability to relocate your existing perch. i personally am in the process of getting some 08 springs.

timbrens. are nothing more than a more expensive overload spring. i have over load springs on my truck. and i can assure you, there is a ride quality difference in having them, as to not having them. you have 2 inches of travel of normal spring rate. after that, it drastically increases real fast. thats the purpose of overload springs/timbrens. to increas spring rate, thus payload capacity. just get a standard overload spring, its cheaper, and does the same thing.

imo, bags are the way to go. deflated, you maintain normal spring rate/ride quality. nice and soft, all the way through the suspension travel. when you need some additional capacity, add some air. think of air bags as adjustable timbrens. are you goin to need the full 6k capacity of those timbrens you listed, every time you hook up to a trailer, regardless of the trailer? cuz thats what you will get. even if you just want a tad more cuz your hauling a lawn mower in the bed, you still get the max amount.

imo, timbrens are for guys that only use the truck every now and then, like to the lumber yard or the camp grounds, and have another vehicle they dd. they are not for everyday service, for the reasons i listed above. there are much, much better options than timbrens, for everyday service.
 
#12 ·
Aren't firestone bags 5200lb a pc or something like that? They've got a very high burst rate, I know that.

OP-I'm not trying to advise you against them by any means, hope you don't take it that way, just trying to show you different "avenues" you could take for the same outcome. I took off my auxiliary overloads for the fact I didn't like that after that little bit of squat (what it takes to level the truck) you're on the overloads and the ride goes down the crapper. My pressure washer trailer squats the truck just enough to sit on the perches, and on long bridges etc., I didn't like how it would "tighten" up pm downward bounces.

I guess it boils down to what you ultimately want from the truck. Mine just about only gets used when theres something to tow..not haul, as anything I carry is on a trailer.
 
#16 ·
Jason & Tree Trimmer: Thanks for your advice and thoughts! I will seriously consider all that has been talked about here... I have a B&W turnover ball...So I will have to find the correct model... but thanks again... First is my spring issue... I need to correct...

Thanks guys.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Tousely can get me some x-code front springs for $152 ea...going to check the local Ford Dealership... I will bet their price will be alot higher then that?

For any of you who have installed these springs on either a F250 or F350 without the snow plow option, do you need to add any type of blocks to the rear? I have read some where that a person needs too...Or...Maybe I dreamed that...

I will also do a search for maybe used x-code springs... I really don't feel comfortable trusting some salvage yard that I don't know to send me some used springs and give them my hard earned money...And really have no idea what I'm actually going to receive... If any of you have good experiences with buying parts through used parts dealers? Could you share your experience and share their address... My options are open to anything right now... I just have a problem buy anything Used and Unseen...

Thanks SyN {I will do search for used parts dealers... }

Talked to a couple of F250 owners on another Ford Site... whom say adding the x-code springs was a great choice for them... F250 handles so much better...Esp when towing ... as well as does gives extra clearance for larger wheels and tires if so desired... Which as this pt is not important... The ride is more firm... but the sagging front end will never be a problem again...That's my main concern...Ride comfort is not my #1 priority...
 
#18 ·
Tousely can get me some x-code front springs for $152 ea...going to check the local Ford Dealership... I will bet their price will be alot higher then that?
the ford price will be comparable, maybe a tad more. try the sponser here, sunrise ford. he was cheapest of all the dealers when i was thinking about new ones.

For any of you who have installed these springs on either a F250 or F350 without the snow plow option, do you need to add any type of blocks to the rear? I have read some where that a person needs too...Or...Maybe I dreamed that...
x codes are front springs. they have nothing to do with the rear. the only reason to change blocks in the rear, is to make the truck perfectly level. even with the x codes, your rear will still side approx 1-2" high. you really have to look to notice that it is not perfectly lever

I will also do a search for maybe used x-code springs... I really don't feel comfortable trusting some salvage yard that I don't know to send me some used springs and give them my hard earned money...And really have no idea what I'm actually going to receive... If any of you have good experiences with buying parts through used parts dealers? Could you share your experience and share their address... My options are open to anything right now... I just have a problem buy anything Used and Unseen...
and for something like seats, or dash's, ya i would agree with you. your small tear might not be their small tear. that bone yard i posted, i have dealt with them frequently. rear ends, front ends, motors, springs. regardless what bone yard you choose, you have to ask alot of questions. when salvage yards take parts off vehicles, they write on them what it came off of, and in the case of springs, will usually write the spring code on them also. you want to ask how many sets of x code springs they have available, what they came off of, year/make/model. most places will also keep track of the mileage of the vehicle to. you want to know what happened to the truck, to make it end up there in their yard. one of the f550's i was looking at at their yard, hit a tree head on. needless to say, those springs i passed on. probable nothing wrong with them, but i didnt want them. that bone yard i listed, is big. they deal in high volume, high turnover. thats why the prices are so cheap compared to other places. their money comes from lots of sales of cheaper parts, instead of fewer sales of more expensive parts. if the vehicle is there for more than a year or two, it gets scrapped, to make room for the next one.

Thanks SyN {I will do search for used parts dealers... }

Talked to a couple of F250 owners on another Ford Site... whom say adding the x-code springs was a great choice for them... F250 handles so much better...Esp when towing ... as well as does gives extra clearance for larger wheels and tires if so desired... Which as this pt is not important... The ride is more firm... but the sagging front end will never be a problem again...That's my main concern...Ride comfort is not my #1 priority...
as for ride quality, on mine, my front end jarred me everytime i hit a average or larger bump. after the x codes, you can feel its stiffer by a tad, but its so much smoother. there is no jarring, it just glides now. corners better. tows better. tell you in a couple months how the plow likes it.
in red
 
#19 ·
Tree Trimmer I really do appreciate all your help... After doing some checking and pricing... And talking to the local shop... This little adventure will end up costing me way more then I expected... I wish I had the tools to install them myself... but I don't so a local shop would have to do it... And what they want to charge is ridiculous!!!

My question is...The Truck still rides nice it just has that slight lean on the drivers side... and the leaf springs still are holding their normal shape... This idea come to me last night as I was laying in bed... {Don't Ask}... If I installed these... do ya think the lean would somewhat level out? I know it's hard question to answer... I would just like any thoughts... These are what I'm looking at... I can install these easy...

1999-2007 Ford F250-F350SD Super Duty 2wd & 4wd - 3500 lbs Helper Springs - LP-35 [Progressive] (pair) - 3520 | $246.46
 
#20 ·
lemme see if i can recap here.

you need a 18mm socket and ratchet to take off the bumper.

with bumper off, put a floor jack under the tow hook in the front. jack it up, this is jacking up just the frame, till the tire just barely is off the ground. put a jack stand under the frame behind the rear spring perch, making sure that when you set it on the jack stands, the front tire is like a 1/8" off ground. do the same for the other side. this takes all the load off the springs.

take off tire. 13/16 socket.

you need a, like 14 and 15, or 14 and 16 to take loose the sway bar from the front. just the drop links from the bar to frame.

you need a 13/16 socket, and a like 21 or 22mm to take the nut off the front spring bolt.

a hammer and a punch to drive the bolt out.

the rear bolt is slightly smaller. same hammer and punch to drive that out.

you need a 13/16 deep well socket to take off u-bolts from axel/spring.

you might need to put the jack under the tow hook and go up a little more to get one side out at a time.

just do one side at a time, one spring off, one spring on. then move to the other side.

installation is reverse what i just listed.

socket sizes might be a tad off, its been like a month and a half since i did it. i do know, with a jack, a ratchet, 5 sockets, 5 wrenches, and some jack stands it can be done easily.

i used the skid loader to pick up the front of my truck, air impact for nuts and bolts, anti seize, and it took me about an hour and a half. im mechanically inclined. the average person should be able to do it in less than three hours, max.

take a week before you start the project, spray every bolt and nut with blaster, when you leave for work in the morning, and every night when you get home. and it will just fall apart. this is not a complicated project, imo.

and to answer your question, no i do not think those will fix your lean. the rear of your truck should not have hardly any sag, less you tow heavy frequently. its the front thats sagging. carrying around that 7.3 24 hours a day takes a toll on springs.

are you within a couple hours of northern IL? i'd come help if you are. cost you dinner though. :D
 
#21 ·
TT: You are the best: I think I can do this... Thanks to your post above... Question... Once the wheel and tire are off the ground... Is the leaf spring under any type of tension or pressure?

I will invest in a high lift jack... I do have jack stands and 2 small 2 ton floor jacks but they are stretched to their limit raising the tires off the ground...

Believe me if I lived close too You... I would acquire your assistance and afterwords we would for sure fill our bellies full... But I live in a small town in Oklahoma... If you ever recall the Andy Griffith Show? and Mayberry? I will say no more... Anyway... Now the task at hand is to convince the Wife...This is a Well Needed Fix...ASAP... I love sleeping on the couch!!!

Thanks again TT!!
I appreciate the time you took to help...
 
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