HD rear Coil Spring "Upgrade"

[bpd138]

Hello, Back in December I bought a 2023 RAM 2500 diesel with the Laramie package. I was looking for something to pull our Grand Design Toy hauler. The toy hauler has a GVWR of about 16800 fully loaded. I know I should have bought a 3500 but this was too good a deal to pass up and I'm not planning on trading anytime soon. I added Air Lift 5000 air bags and to be perfectly honest, this setup tows and stops the trailer just fine. We just did a 3000 mile round trip to Florida and a lot of the time I didn't even know it was behind me. That being said I'm looking at upgrading the rear coils to the CARGOMAXX HD coil springs. My reason for doing this is, I'm just looking to add a little more insurance while towing. I have to put 90psi in the airbags when towing, the max is 100psi and I don't want to risk an airbag blowing out. Supposedly, the Cargomaxx HD springs give you 35% more payload capacity. Has anyone installed them or something similar? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[crash68]

Have you weighed the trailer while fully loaded to see where your weight is at? Might be worth running over the CAT scales to be able to adjust the cargo in the back to alleviate excess pin weight. Toy haulers are nose heavy when empty in anticipation of cargo acting as a counter weight.


A note to others the OP has already acknowledged the truck is a 2500 and doesn't want to replace it at this time. The payload police and armchair lawyers need not reply to this thread.

 

[huntergreen]

A few folk have posted over the years they have upgrade with tuftruck coils. Might be worth a look. Can’t speak from experience though.

 

[White six four]

A note to others the OP has already acknowledged the truck is a 2500 and doesn't want to replace it at this time. The payload police and armchair lawyers need not reply to this thread.

Aww man I was just getting my popcorn ready lol.

Sorry to the op I can't be of any help, but if you do replace your rear springs please post up your experience with them. Hard to find reviews on stiffer springs for the 2500s since I assume most people just get airbags and call it good enough.

 

[zrock]

I have never installed but i have friends that have and they liked them and really did not notice any ride difference. I cannot remember where i was looking the other day but i had found a set of bags that would take double the PSI. You could also switch over to a big truck bag they have a double convoluted that is roughly the same size and way more durable than the automotive bags.. Could not tell you the PN i just remember having a set on the shelf and thought one of my guys had ordered bags for someones pickup.

Personally i would carry a spare bag in the camper, they are not hard to change out on he side of the road or a parking lot.. Its one of those things that if you're looking for one on a vacation no one has it in stock.

 

[crash68]

Aww man I was just getting my popcorn ready lol.

Is that fresh movie theatre style? or microwave? ...LOL
As entertaining some of these type of posts when the payload police chime in go, they usually go sideways and infuriates the OP to which they don't bother with the forum anymore. It's one thing when the OP doesn't know their truck is under capacity but that's not the case.

 

[White six four]

Just microwave with extra butter lol.

 

[OC455]

A few folk have posted over the years they have upgrade with tuftruck coils. Might be worth a look. Can’t speak from experience though.

The only thing they have are front springs available for 2-2.5 inches

 

[tron67j]

Have you weighed the trailer while fully loaded to see where your weight is at? Might be worth running over the CAT scales to be able to adjust the cargo in the back to alleviate excess pin weight. Toy haulers are nose heavy when empty in anticipation of cargo acting as a counter weight.


A note to others the OP has already acknowledged the truck is a 2500 and doesn't want to replace it at this time. The payload police and armchair lawyers need not reply to this thread.

Well, with a GCWR that is at least 3,000 pounds over the specified maximum for 2023 2500 Laramie, maybe the extra insurance to be considered isn't upgrading springs (which won't help OP's problem) but maxing out his vehicle accident and death benefits so that the injured parties he leaves in his wake get something more than the warm fuzzie of knowing that the grossly inadequate tow vehicle was a smoking hot deal.

It's one thing to be pushing the envelope. Quite another to be grossly beyond the capabilities of the truck. I think those that want to feel safe on the roads by educating people shouldn't be prematurely silenced just because someone barely acknowledged the huge mistake they made, all to save a buck at the potential expense of some unsuspecting traveler.

 

[crash68]

with a GCWR that is at least 3,000 pounds over the specified maximum for 2023 2500 Laramie, maybe the extra insurance to be considered isn't upgrading springs (which won't help OP's problem) but maxing out his vehicle

You might want to go check the actual weight numbers, so your saying that that his truck has GCVWR of only 13000 lbs or less? It's posts like yours that starts off the dumpster fires that threads like this turn into.
If you bothered to do the homework and look up the truck spec you would see the PowerWagon, Rebel and a couple 6.4L Hemi trucks don't have enough GCVWR to pull the OP's trailer. The Cummins MegaCab and Rebel are within 2K lbs of the OP's trailer max weight. Even taking into account the extra weight a Laramie trim might add the OP's trailer is with Ram SAE J2807 specs. The week spot that the OP needs to watch is the rear GAWR.

 

[Choupique]

Did you find the bags made a big difference? I've been kicking around getting some for mine. I know they made my half ton farm truck (which always got very dramatically overloaded) a whole different truck.

 

[2Tallguy]

Hello, Back in December I bought a 2023 RAM 2500 diesel with the Laramie package. I was looking for something to pull our Grand Design Toy hauler. The toy hauler has a GVWR of about 16800 fully loaded. I know I should have bought a 3500 but this was too good a deal to pass up and I'm not planning on trading anytime soon. I added Air Lift 5000 air bags and to be perfectly honest, this setup tows and stops the trailer just fine. We just did a 3000 mile round trip to Florida and a lot of the time I didn't even know it was behind me. That being said I'm looking at upgrading the rear coils to the CARGOMAXX HD coil springs. My reason for doing this is, I'm just looking to add a little more insurance while towing. I have to put 90psi in the airbags when towing, the max is 100psi and I don't want to risk an airbag blowing out. Supposedly, the Cargomaxx HD springs give you 35% more payload capacity. Has anyone installed them or something similar? Any input would be appreciated.

90 psi is way too much to have to inflate the bags. Depending on air pressure to tow is spooky. Those coils might work well for you.

 

[olyelr]

You might want to go check the actual weight numbers, so your saying that that his truck has GCVWR of only 13000 lbs or less? It's posts like yours that starts off the dumpster fires that threads like this turn into.
If you bothered to do the homework and look up the truck spec you would see the PowerWagon, Rebel and a couple 6.4L Hemi trucks don't have enough GCVWR to pull the OP's trailer. The Cummins MegaCab and Rebel are within 2K lbs of the OP's trailer max weight. Even taking into account the extra weight a Laramie trim might add the OP's trailer is with Ram SAE J2807 specs. The week spot that the OP needs to watch is the rear GAWR.

Not knowing all the specific numbers, my guess is where he is most likely way overweight is the payload. Not necessarily the total trailer weight.

 

[N0NAMETOGIVE]

I use a local spring shop that matches needs to custom rates for your truck. As for overweight issue, wheel bearings may fail.

 

[Scottly]

A note to others the OP has already acknowledged the truck is a 2500 and doesn't want to replace it at this time. The payload police and armchair lawyers need not reply to this thread.

I'm neither...But I'd pay attention to pin weight, as referenced by other posters. The 3500 had a different rear axle assembly, for a reason.

 

[runamuck]

I have a '22 laramie 2500 4x4 ccsb with the 6.7 cummins and tow our 32' 10,000# 5th wheel with it. lighter than yours and it tows fine and I added airbags to it. hooking up the trailer only lowers the backend of the truck less than 2" so I havent even added air the last few times I towed it and that seems to ride smoother that way. I have the factory puck setup and a B&W hitch and all is good. my son has the same truck and the same 5th wheel and he goes with 60# I think. his rides rough that way so he bought an air ride pinbox to make things smoother. my way was cheaper and the ride is fine. maybe consider the spring swap or air ride instead of going stiffer, go springier..BTW my cargo cap. is just 2060#

 

[oledirteh]

whats your trailer weigh empty? I wanted to go bigger and glad i didnt cause on my 2500 i know im pushing the limits. as i do tow it fine, im also making the changes to make it safer all around.

 

[Riccochet]

I'm sorry, but in my own opinion there isn't a 3/4 ton truck on the planet that can tow that toy hauler safely without being extremely over on every rating. Especially a Ram 2500 diesel with a payload of 1900-2200 lbs. That 16k 5th wheel toy hauler with nothing in the garage is going to have a pin weight of around 4000 lbs. Toy haulers have extremely high unloaded pin weights to offset the weight of a vehicle in the garage.

That is 1 ton dually territory.

 

[nlambert182]

First off... I don't think any mod should warn posters (who are remaining civil) that they shouldn't really speak on something that is outright dangerous for the OP. This is the exact reason that forums exist. For members to share their experience and knowledge. It shouldn't be limited to only sharing information that benefits a poster even if that information is false.

We all know that too many believe that these trucks will pull the space shuttle because uncle Bobby's nephew Tom's son Billy Joe has a 2500 that he hauls yachts with. It's our responsibility as a forum to help guide members down the right path and sometimes that requires telling them what they may not want to hear. It would be a disservice to forum members and our Ram brethren if the common answer is "Yep... that'll do just fine" when the reality is that it won't. The fun part about today's society is how quickly everyone has to clam up so as not to offend others with the truth. We need more truth, and less feelings. I want the OP to enjoy his truck... and I want the OP to have many years of fun camping and exploring the outdoors. It's my family's favorite thing. But that also means that I may have to share the road with him and I don't want to put my family at risk over a "good deal". How good is it if something goes wrong?

Anyhow... off my soapbox.

While I think this is an extremely overloaded combo and while I would absolutely never under any circumstances recommend trying to "make" the truck do something it was never intended to do.... here we are and I'd rather try to help keep the guy right side up. There may not be room in the garage to move the cargo back to alleviate pin weight.

First things first... airbags do nothing to help payload and you've got probably close to 4k on the truck with the garage empty, and depending on what you're hauling in the garage that might come down to ~3,300-3,400 lbs. All of that weight is still sitting on the axle, so keep that in mind. There are no HD coil springs to correct this much issue. If you "really" insist on keeping this combo (which I adamantly advise against), I would suggest swapping over to a 3500SRW leaf spring suspension.

Both the standard output 6.7 with the 68RFE 2500/3500 SRW come with the 11.5" AAM axle. You get a 12" axle in the HO/Aisin combo. Upgrade to the Hotchkiss (factory) leaf spring assembly, ensure that your tires are capable of handling the weight, and then consider airbags if necessary (they likely will be). I would even consider adding the DRW helper spring and spring perches. This is 100% dually territory all day long but you can "make" the truck do it a little safer than the band aids you're trying to put on it now. All assuming of course, that you stay under the RAWR.

I would still say that you need a dually, but this alternative is much better and safer than what you're currently attempting. More costly, yes... but if you're going to do it at least do it right.