Vehicle weight, suspension impact and tire pressure

[nyyankees588]

I've got a couple questions related to vehicle weight and the impact that it has ride/suspension. After 2 months on the road, I finally decided to investigate a fix for how rough the van has been riding on dirt/gravel (nat'l forest & BLM roads). It turns out the leaf springs on the rear axle are over-weighted and basically bottomed out. The ride is super rough and leaves me having to crawl along on bumpy roads.


Van Weight Details vs actual GAW from truck-stop scale
2003 Ford e250 Conversion Van, 118k miles
GVWR: 7900 (actual GVW = 7940)
Front GAWR: 3700 (actual GAW = 3460)
Rear GAWR: 4265 (actual GAW = 4480)

Between my own research and talking with the guys at Boulder Offroad (they specialize in offroad van builds) I've come up with the following options:

1. Have custom suspension (front and back) built for the van & its weight: this would be ideal, but would cost a couple grand (aka more than what I paid for the van). Not an option at this point.
2. Replace the current rear leaf springs (rated at 2,350lbs) with heavy-duty, higher-weight rated springs (rated at 3,750lbs) (I found them here for $170/set). I would also consider replacing the shocks (they don't seem to be too expensive), but my thought is that the current shocks aren't doing anything because the leaf springs are bottomed out. I'm thinking that if I replace the leaf springs, the current shocks may be sufficient for now.
3. Leave everything as-is and just live with it. I plan to be on the road for another four months before deciding if I want to continue doing this long-term. If I do choose to continue, I may sell my current van and start a-new based on what I've learned.

My Questions

1. Has anybody else had issues with exceeding their vehicle's weight rating? I was surprised to discover that I've exceeded my rear axle's GAWR and I know that this isn't supposed to be done... but at this point, I can't really take any weight off of the van. I definitely don't plan to add any weight... I could, at some point, replace some of my van's build out with thinner/lighter-weight wood to shed some lbs.
2. Any recommendations/similar experiences with suspension upgrades?
3. Tire Pressure: for the past two months I have naively been running my tires at 80psi (the max rating printed on the tires themselves). During my suspension research, I discovered that I should actually be inflating them based on the printed recommendation in the door jam of the van. This is 55psi front/60psi rear. The guys at Boulder Offroad said to keep the rear tires at a pretty high pressure due to the weight of the van, but I'm now wondering what the optimal tire pressure would be.

Cheers and thanks for the help!

 

[Weight]

The whole van's weight rating involves springs, tires and wheels, shocks and the wheel bearings. They all must be upgraded or you have to reduce the load. Having your tires inflated to maximum is not bad in itself, can the rims handle the increased pressure? Putting heavier springs can help with the load carrying. Will the wheel bearings take the overload? The tag on the door shows the maximum weight the suspension can handle at the tire pressure recommended. Lighten your load.

 

[bob91yj]

Air bags are another option.

 

[B and C]

You're less than 200 Lbs over in the rear and you're only talking 4 months to make a decision.

If you can shed a few pounds, it would be a good idea but ultimately won't help the ride much if any. You are running at max weight and want a good ride. Those are at odds with each other. This is why 1 ton vehicles are better suited to this lifestyle unless you really are a minimalist. When you put the same weight in it as you have now, the ride would be much better.

I am running about 800 pounds under gross weight in my 3500 (1 ton) at a little more than 9700 Lbs. It is old and the springs have sagged too. When I am on the back roads, I can only go 10-15 MPH on those washboarded roads (sometimes slower) or I would shake it apart (still feels like it though). I used to have 1500 vans (1/2 ton) and 2500 vans (3/4 ton). I liked the 3/4 ton vans the best but they were lightly loaded as in weekend camper, not full time. In those days I could fly down those same roads but I was working and in destination mode. Now I am retired and am not in such a rush. It is nice to idle along in low gear (or second) and be able to look at the scenery as it creeps by rather than the blur it used to be.

My vote is to stick it out (slow down) for the 4 months. You could probably drop rear tire pressure to 65 and be good to go. It will help. When decision time comes you will know that you are going to build version 2.0 (probably on a 1 ton chassis) and sell this one or settle back into the S&B routine and either sell or keep with weight reductions/upgrades what you have for weekend use.

Good luck.

 

[highdesertranger]

good for you for including your weights. I have a lot of experience with suspension systems. if your rear spring are truly broken down you need to replace them, shocks too. going with a 1 ton spring wouldn't hurt but you will not be making your van a 1 ton. you really should lighten your load to bring it under the GVWR. this is why I stress to build lite. there is no reason to use 2x4, or 2x6 lumber for builds. highdesertranger

 

[vanman2300]

The airbag suggestion X 2. They aren't expensive as other options and usually can be installed by DIYs so no labor costs. They are also adjustable so you can make your ride as soft or hard as you want. Adjusting is simple as inflating a tire. Although I would definitely check the tires to make sure they aren't over 5 years old and they are rated for the load.

If you decide to keep the van then make the more expensive repairs.

 

[highdesertranger]

if the rear springs are shot putting air bags on is like putting lip stick on a pig. the OP needs to fix bad parts first before adding accessories. you do realize that adding air bags without fixing the underling problems is going to push the vehicle more overweight. highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

Can you move 200 pounds forward?

Or is that front axle weight measured without driver weight?

For example, if your fresh water tank is mid-ship or rear mounted, can you empty that and carry a couple of 7 gallon water totes in the front passenger seat and floorboard?

 

[vanman2300]

It's likely that the springs have a certain amount of tension left in them. The air bags can handle a lot of weight and assist with what's left in the springs. I owned a 32 foot 14000 lb RV and was amazed at what those air bags could do. 

I would ask a mechanic that is very familiar with this problem about using air bags in the short term (4 months I  believe). It would be a waste of money to get all that work done and then turn around and scrap the van or sell it for next to nothing. I would normally agree that fixing everything is the way to go but not in this scenario.

The entire set costs 280 bucks, you can self install, and the weight added is approximately 100 lbs. If you got expert advice saying you could improve it short term then I'd go with it. At least 280 is a lot less hurtful then thousands would be.

 

[nyyankees588]

Thanks all for the responses:

• I agree that weight should be reduced/moved forward, however there isn't much opportunity to do so unless I make significant changes to my current interior layout. I will make a conscience effort to move things forward that can be moved. One significant aspect affecting the van's rear weight is that in it's previous life it was converted for handicap use, so the front 2/3 of the van's floor was lowered ~6" (to accommodate a wheelchair lift). When they did this, they moved the gas tank to the rear, so 21 gallons of gas now sit directly over the rear axle, instead of in the middle of the van. The two bikes and bike rack on the rear trailer hitch don't help the matter.
• I've heard pretty mixed reviews about airbags. The guy at Boulder Offroad felt that they wouldn't be of much use due to the overweight shocks. He felt that they wouldn't make any difference in the ride, if anything it might make it worse. I can look more into them and try to get a second opinion.
• The tires are within their weight rating, so no issues there, but I will likely air them down a bit to get them closer to factory-suggested PSI and get a slightly smoother ride.
• At this point, my leaning is to make due with the current setup (keeping a careful eye on the leaf springs and overall weight) and evaluate options at the end of the 4 months. That way I could either sell and start a-new with a 1 ton base or make the full weight and suspension adjustments to make things right.

 

[closeanuf]

I think you're on the right track to just tough it out and slow down for 4 months.  Use the money you'd spend putting a band-aid on this van will look good when you start looking for a newer one.  And you'll know better what to look for like the gas tank moved and the wheel chair modification.  This is your learning experience.  Besides, whatever money you put into the van you have you ain't gonna get back when you sell it.