Shocks and springs?

[Rollin]

My van is a Ford E-150 half ton. With all the extra weight of the conversion and all of my other stuff combined&nbsp;I'm&nbsp;wondering if I may need overload springs or a heavy duty shocks. What do you all think?<br /><br />

 

[josephusminimus]

Ought to be able to find out by weighing the vehicle loaded and look at the GVW sticker tacked inside the door.

 

[Rollin]

Good&nbsp;answer! If I do happen to be overloaded would the overload springs or shocks help?

 

[josephusminimus]

Always.&nbsp; Mightn't make it perfect, probably won't, but will help.&nbsp; Probably extend your tire life and reduce the wear to your steering and frontend, as well.

 

[Moby T]

You could add overload springs but don't exceed the GVW. &nbsp;The heavier the vehicle is, the more wear and tear on the driveline components and mpg will be affected also. &nbsp;Go light!

 

[Rollin]

Thanks for the&nbsp;replies&nbsp;gentlemen.&nbsp;Hopefully&nbsp;i'm&nbsp;not overloaded!&nbsp;Will have to take a trip to the landfill and see.&nbsp;

 

[wrcsixeight]

Rearend sag will have other motorists flashing their lights at you at night thinking you have your high beams on. &nbsp;The Van will really lean heavily in turns and might get pushed around more by winds and big rigs that pass you at freeway speeds.<br /><br />I am not sure how ford attaches it's rear shocks to the frame, but on many vehicles, adding a spring loaded shock can tear out the upper shock mount and make a mess of things.<br /><br />Adding a leaf spring to the pack, buying a helper spring like Helwig, and air bags are all good options to increase rear spring.<br /><br />I went with airbags for the adjustability factor.<br /><br />Less options exist for increasing front spring rate. &nbsp;Timbrens apply to some models,usually coil springs are the only option to improve front ride height.<br /><br />Shocks make a huge difference in handling, &nbsp;basically the stiffer the shock the better the handling but the less comfy the ride.<br /><br />My KYB gas a Justs are stiff, and I very much like the way they improved handling and would not sacrifice handling for a squishy feel over bumps, but ultimately is is a personal choice and one hopes they like their choice after install. &nbsp;I did return a pair of sensa tracs that irritated me with their lack of road feel.<br /><br />As others said, more spring does not mean you can stuff more weight into the vehicle. &nbsp;the drive train and frame and brakes cannot handle any more weight. &nbsp;More spring rate means better handling when loaded down, and less comfort when unloaded.

 

[Rollin]

Thanks for the&nbsp;information&nbsp;wrcsixeight good stuff!

 

[SoulRaven]

Look into airbags they make a world of difference, cheaper, and adjustable.... I put a set om my 1/2 ton Ford and they worked great....

 

[Ballenxj]

My van is a Ford E-150 half ton. With all the extra weight of the conversion and all of my other stuff combined&nbsp;I'm&nbsp;wondering if I may need overload springs or a heavy duty shocks. What do you all think?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

Look into coil over shocks for the rear. I last purchased a set at Midas Muffler many years ago. They went on just like a regular shock, and helped carry the extra weight just fine. No fuss, no muss.
-Bruce

 

[Rollin]

Thank you SoulRaven and Ballenxj.
I will check into both solutions.

 

[MrNoodly]

Is it workable to replace E150 springs with salvaged E250 springs? Would it be a straight swap or are there other complications?

 

[Van Tripper]

Swapping springs and shocks will solve the ride problems, sagging rear etc., but I would be worried with the transmission, bearings and other major components failing with a significant chronic overload.

 

[StainedGlassGuy]

With due respect ...<br><br>Shocks and springs will "not" solve your overall problem. Yes, heavy duty ones will be a stop gap measure, but you open yourself up for a real type of problem should you ever be involved in any kind of a wreck or even a traffic stop with an over energenic police officer. If your vehicle is rated as a 1/2 ton, although the exact weights vary slightly by state as to the exact "total weight" of your vehicle, it is around 1000 pounds Of cargo. Even if you have heavy duty everything on it (which add greatly to the total weight of the vehicle) and the police insist they weigh it and you are overweight, you are in deep do do. The last that I heard, in Virginia, the overweight fine was $50.00 a pound over weight. <br><br>You may be much better off buying a heavier weight vehicle where you can legally haul more weight than to beef up a lighter one. AND,&nbsp; just so you know .... the only physically difference usually between a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton vehicle is the price of the state registration. <br><br>Something to consider.<br><br>Respectfully

 

[Rollin]

Thanks StainedGlassGuy for that info,&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;something&nbsp;to ponder (law issues)... I don't think I have&nbsp;anywhere&nbsp;near 1000 pounds of stuff and my rear is not sagging. Not sure how much the conversion add's? I have removed all the seats except the driver/passenger. &nbsp;Honestly I don't have any plans on selling my van for awhile, hoping to have it for a while. She run's great!<br><br>I guess the weight restriction will keep me from gathering to much stuff. I need to get to the landfill soon and do a weigh in.<br><br>Curious&nbsp;about the 1/2-3/4 ton comment, care to&nbsp;elaborate?

 

[Les H]

"AND, just so you know .... the only physically difference usually between a 1/2 ton and a 3/4 ton vehicle is the price of the state registration.

Something to consider.

Respectfully"

You are joking, RIGHT!!?!?
As the owner of 40 some odd vehicles in my lifetime, including over a dozen trucks of all sizes, I can assure you that this is incorrect. A 3/4 ton will have a heavier frame, drive shaft, universals, brakes, rims and hubs, tranny , springs and just about any other part you can think of. And they are more expensive parts, too, though you do get to carry more weight legally for the added expense. For example, my 04 F150 is a five lug, 6 cyl half ton truck. It weighs about 3900 lbs. Its gvw is 8000lbs. That's people, gas and cargo. It tows 5000 lbs max. The 99 Ram 3/4 ton I had was 4500 lbs and was rated at 9000gvw. The 2000 GMC Savana one ton van I own weighs 6000 empty and is rated 10000 gvw, and has a tow capacity of 12000. The 91 F450 super duty dump I owned weighed 9500 empty and had a 15000 gvw, AND a 15000 tow rating. And I have used and driven trucks up to 10 wheel dump trucks. The series or badge number (1500,2500,3500 etc) has next to nothing to do with load capacity. I was at a dealer earlier today having a spare key made and looked at a Ram 3500 with a gvw of 13500 and the truck weighed nowhere near 10,000

 

[MrNoodly]

Yeah, for example, 3/4 and higher vehicles have full-floating rear axles vs. semi-floating axles on 1/2 ton vehicles. (Look for 8-bolt wheels with a protruding center hub.) Full-floating axles can handle higher loads.

 

[bee]

Since you say the back of your van is not sagging then you do not need to upgrade your springs.&nbsp; Also since the van isn't sagging then odds are good you are not over your weight limit.<br><br>You may still benefit from some new quality shocks.<br>With heavier loads you should also make sure your brakes and tires are in top condition.

 

[Van Tripper]

Truck stops have scales, can weigh front and rear axles individually, last time I scaled was $10.

 

[StainedGlassGuy]

When you register a truck or van that is a 150 (half ton), most times you will be asked, or you can ask, if you would like to register it a 3/4 ton. If you say yes, all you have to do is to pay and extra $35.00 and presto chango, you now have a legal 3/4 ton. Of course, your insurance bill will also go upward by 75 plus dollars too. <br><br>Years ago when I was first starting out in the business, I went this route. Have heard several times since then, that things are still the same.<br><br>Of course, every state is different. Most inspections garages can tell you the specifics of your state.<br><br>Hope this helps.<br><br>Respectfully,