Add heavy duty coil springs to 2500 RAM?

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Irishthreeper

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Adding bags provides zero additional towing or payload capacity. They only mask the problem if you are over the capacity of your truck found on your door jamb. Save your money and future maintenance and correctly set up the WDH.

Assuming you have a Tradesman 2500 4x4 with 6.4 bed your payload capacity is about 2500 pounds (whereas the similar set up Bighorn has only 2000 pound capacity, so important to know exact numbers on your own door, not some number from an online chart). Subtracting the tongue weight plus your gear of 500 pounds and your shell of 200 pounds equals 1740 leaves you 560 pounds of capacity. With a couple people and a pet, you are maxed out.

From your description of the trailering action, you have too much weight behind your rear trailer axle. It is just as important to have weight properly distributed in trailer as it is to be under your max specs.

Best thing is do the math from your door jamb information, then scale measure everything. You also need to know exactly how much weight you put where in the trailer including water and propane. Do you carry stuff on the rear bumper, add that in (including spare tire).
Depending on add on stuff, a typical new 2500 Hemi Tradesman has a PL of 3,000-3,300. Deduct about 900-1100 for a Cummins. My gasser has 3,061 pl
 

Elkman

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I was routinely putting a 4,000 lb load in my 2500 truck and what fixed everything was adding a double leaf set of SuperSprings to the rear. Took one hour to bolt them into place.

Sway and porpoising are the result of not having enough support for the weight in the bed and the fix is to add more load capacity by adding more leaf springs. This is exactly what the truck manufactures all do with their 1-ton trucks where there are two leaf packs installed.

With the SuperSprings the truck was perfectly level whether I only had the 200 lb camper cap on the bed or if I had a 4,000 lb slide in camper in the bed or 4,000 lbs of concrete or lumber. No need to adjust anything and nothing to break.

Worry I had with air bags was that is one of them failed I was in trouble until I could get home and have it replaced. No such worries with the SuperSprings.

With less sway and no porpoising the shocks did not need to work nearly as hard though I did replace the factory shocks with the Rancho XL adjustable shocks. I would leave the front shocks at 50% but increase the resistance for the rear shocks when I had a very heavy payload in the bed.
 
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Thank you everyone. I will explore air suspension, specifically Air Lift, although I will also take another look at Firestone. The Blue Ox addresses sway as well as being a WDH.

I just viewed the suggested YouTube video. Well...crap. Back to the drawing board. I need to mull over the information revealed in the video. The video is air bags vs WDH. I wonder if I can find such an analysis of air bags AND WDH, or maybe HD springs and WDH or ...I have a headache...
I have the Air Lift on my 2012 Ram 3500 Diesel and they work great. I tow a 13k pound 5th wheel and I pump them up to 90lbs and the truck sits perfectly level when towing and when I'm not towing I drop them down to 20 pounds and for a 3500 she rides good.
 

OC455

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I was routinely putting a 4,000 lb load in my 2500 truck and what fixed everything was adding a double leaf set of SuperSprings to the rear. Took one hour to bolt them into place.

Sway and porpoising are the result of not having enough support for the weight in the bed and the fix is to add more load capacity by adding more leaf springs. This is exactly what the truck manufactures all do with their 1-ton trucks where there are two leaf packs installed.

With the SuperSprings the truck was perfectly level whether I only had the 200 lb camper cap on the bed or if I had a 4,000 lb slide in camper in the bed or 4,000 lbs of concrete or lumber. No need to adjust anything and nothing to break.

Worry I had with air bags was that is one of them failed I was in trouble until I could get home and have it replaced. No such worries with the SuperSprings.

With less sway and no porpoising the shocks did not need to work nearly as hard though I did replace the factory shocks with the Rancho XL adjustable shocks. I would leave the front shocks at 50% but increase the resistance for the rear shocks when I had a very heavy payload in the bed.

I honestly do not know if you are aware or not....but Ram 2500 3/4 ton pickup trucks that are newer as in most 4th generation and all 5th generation trucks have a REAR COIL SPRING SUSPENSION. There are NO LEAF SPRINGS on a newer 3/4 ton Ram truck.

1 ton trucks and higher (3500-5500) are the only rear leaf spring Ram trucks.

Also, springs break too. Especially when you overload them. No one is saying use airbags/springs to increase capacity. Most know that air springs/bags help with stabilization.
 

Tmorg

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I hope I can find my way back to this thread to see the responses.

I have 2019 RAM 2500 Diesel 4x4 with a fiberglass camper shell. I also have a 2019 travel trailer, 30' long. I have camping gear in the back of the truck, about 500lbs or so. Weight of the tongue when the trailer is loaded using a Sherline 2000 scale: 1240 lbs. Hitch drop is about +5". Using a Blue Ox Sway Pro WDH. I have not weighed on CAT scales.

First time pulling this year I had severe porpoising. Pulled over and tightened up the bars on the WDH, which basically solved the problem. I then towed the rig about 6K miles from TN to California on I 40. No issues what so ever. Normally drive 60 to 65 on the interstate. However, on this trip pulling the trailer, I hit 86 mph while passing. Frankly I was watching my rear view mirror and did not realize my speed; will not intentionally go that fast.

Prior to this RAM I pulled this trailer with a 2010 Toyota Tundra 4x4 with 5.7L engine. The Tundra did better towing this rig, with less WDH applied. However, I prefer the RAM for the diesel, engine brake and control going down hill.

My thought has always been to get the truck and trailer to be level and pull well without a WDH. Once this is achieved then use a WDH (Blue Ox). I am accepting of a stiffer ride when empty. Does this seem reasonable?

I am wondering if I should have the dealership install heavy duty coil springs and Bilstein or Koni shocks on the front and back. THEN use the WDH to finesse the handling and for safety.

or perhaps just install Timbrens myself. I am not a mechanic or particularly adept at such things.


I had Firestone Air suspension with on board air pump and remote control professionally installed on the Tundra. The remote control was absolutely terrible and was a real pain in the...so I don't really want to install air suspension, but may do so if that is recommended.

I cannot afford to sell the 2500 and buy a 3500, which is what I probably should have bought in the first place.
 
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Rzrbrn

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Sorry I have not been monitoring this post. I have the Firestone Transforce AT Lt 285/60R20 tires. I normally inflate to 65 lbs, but when towing I seem to recall inflating to 75 or 80 lbs. I am trying to reduce the amp of stuff I carry both in the truck and in the trailer. I am considering installing air suspension on the trailer and may do so on the truck, but the dealer said I would void the warranty if I put air suspension on the truck.
 

Lee Pedrick

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I hope I can find my way back to this thread to see the responses.

I have 2019 RAM 2500 Diesel 4x4 with a fiberglass camper shell. I also have a 2019 travel trailer, 30' long. I have camping gear in the back of the truck, about 500lbs or so. Weight of the tongue when the trailer is loaded using a Sherline 2000 scale: 1240 lbs. Hitch drop is about +5". Using a Blue Ox Sway Pro WDH. I have not weighed on CAT scales.

First time pulling this year I had severe porpoising. Pulled over and tightened up the bars on the WDH, which basically solved the problem. I then towed the rig about 6K miles from TN to California on I 40. No issues what so ever. Normally drive 60 to 65 on the interstate. However, on this trip pulling the trailer, I hit 86 mph while passing. Frankly I was watching my rear view mirror and did not realize my speed; will not intentionally go that fast.

Prior to this RAM I pulled this trailer with a 2010 Toyota Tundra 4x4 with 5.7L engine. The Tundra did better towing this rig, with less WDH applied. However, I prefer the RAM for the diesel, engine brake and control going down hill.

My thought has always been to get the truck and trailer to be level and pull well without a WDH. Once this is achieved then use a WDH (Blue Ox). I am accepting of a stiffer ride when empty. Does this seem reasonable?

I am wondering if I should have the dealership install heavy duty coil springs and Bilstein or Koni shocks on the front and back. THEN use the WDH to finesse the handling and for safety.

or perhaps just install Timbrens myself. I am not a mechanic or particularly adept at such things.


I had Firestone Air suspension with on board air pump and remote control professionally installed on the Tundra. The remote control was absolutely terrible and was a real pain in the...so I don't really want to install air suspension, but may do so if that is recommended.

I cannot afford to sell the 2500 and buy a 3500, which is what I probably should have bought in the first place.
My thoughts are the springs are already heavy duty. How much weight can your rear tires and axle handle. And read the weight off the tires, not the door frame. I had AIRLIFT air bags on my 1500 and loved them.
 
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Rzrbrn

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Thank you Lee. I think the Ram 3500 has leaf springs, so these coil springs may be the heaviest available. Dealer said I would void the warranty if I put on non OEM heavier coil springs.
 

bearhomesolutions

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I hope I can find my way back to this thread to see the responses.

I have 2019 RAM 2500 Diesel 4x4 with a fiberglass camper shell. I also have a 2019 travel trailer, 30' long. I have camping gear in the back of the truck, about 500lbs or so. Weight of the tongue when the trailer is loaded using a Sherline 2000 scale: 1240 lbs. Hitch drop is about +5". Using a Blue Ox Sway Pro WDH. I have not weighed on CAT scales.

First time pulling this year I had severe porpoising. Pulled over and tightened up the bars on the WDH, which basically solved the problem. I then towed the rig about 6K miles from TN to California on I 40. No issues what so ever. Normally drive 60 to 65 on the interstate. However, on this trip pulling the trailer, I hit 86 mph while passing. Frankly I was watching my rear view mirror and did not realize my speed; will not intentionally go that fast.

Prior to this RAM I pulled this trailer with a 2010 Toyota Tundra 4x4 with 5.7L engine. The Tundra did better towing this rig, with less WDH applied. However, I prefer the RAM for the diesel, engine brake and control going down hill.

My thought has always been to get the truck and trailer to be level and pull well without a WDH. Once this is achieved then use a WDH (Blue Ox). I am accepting of a stiffer ride when empty. Does this seem reasonable?

I am wondering if I should have the dealership install heavy duty coil springs and Bilstein or Koni shocks on the front and back. THEN use the WDH to finesse the handling and for safety.

or perhaps just install Timbrens myself. I am not a mechanic or particularly adept at such things.


I had Firestone Air suspension with on board air pump and remote control professionally installed on the Tundra. The remote control was absolutely terrible and was a real pain in the...so I don't really want to install air suspension, but may do so if that is recommended.

I cannot afford to sell the 2500 and buy a 3500, which is what I probably should have bought in the first place.
I have 2019 2500 like your with blistein shocks ( is the off road package) tow a 30 feet toyhauler bkue ox wdh 1100 tongue and squat 2 inches after the wdh is connected, surprise me your 5 inches drop , i did install the load lifter 7500 to have the truck perfect leveled ,very happy with those whe not towing the sistem keep the air bags at 5 psi and not afect the drive at all
 
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