At 329k miles, the leaf springs in the rear of my Ford E250 van are sagging. The van weights around 7500 lbs fully loaded and having trashed springs in the rear contributes to the instability at highway speeds and in corners. (This van doesn't have a rear sway bar). I'd like to get something that firms up the rear end without making it ride like a dump truck.
I see a few different options, but I wonder what you would do.
-Option 1: Add Hellwig helper springs. Pros: Easy to install, cheap ($135 for the 2k lb). Cons: Might not add enough spring.
https://www.suspensionconnection.com/991-ford-van-helper-springs.html
-Option 2: Replace with SD trucks springs. Not sure which ones to get if I go this route, probably the first one in the link below (2775 lb). I think this might be an improvement over stock E250 springs, but I'm not sure. I'd love some advice there.
Pros: new springs, not a band-aid on old springs. Cons: It looks like they are more expensive, depending on the option as I believe these are sold individually, so $162 x 2.
https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&inc_subcat=1&categories_id=4507&year_select=2006&make_select=622&model_select=8171&x=150&y=14
-Option 3: Go to JY and find less saggy E250 springs OR E350 springs. Pros: Probably cheaper. Cons: Not new, maybe wouldn't be getting the upgraded rate from the SD springs. Would E350 springs feel too stiff?
Pull existing springs. Take them to a spring shop and have them re-arched or have a leaf added.
Probably a god bit cheaper than the alternatives.
I guessed that it might be a 2006 van. RockAuto has helper springs listed for $89 before tax and shipping, likely $120. But that is one kit that covers both sides???
Listing says add 1k lb of lifting capability.
John, yep it's a 2006, good guess. E250 extended with the 4.6. I clicked the more info link and it sounds like it covers both sides, that's pretty cheap.
Just for reference, the max on an E250 is 8800 lbs, so I'm heavily loaded at 7500 lbs, but not maxed out. I'm wondering if 1k is enough or I could go for the Hellwig which is 2k for about $50 more. Hmmm.
Buy whichever has the most favorable return policy if you don't like them. Rock Auto returns suck. Does Amazon have them, either?
Vs RockAuto, are you near Parts Authority location to just pick them up?
https://partsauthority.com/locations/
No Time
SuperDork
8/15/22 3:45 p.m.
I'd suggest talking to a local spring shop.
A good shop can recommend solutions tailored to your use case that will get you the ride and stability you want.
Helpers may improve ride height, but won't necessarily help with stability if the factory leafs are worn out since the leafs also laterally locate the rear end.
When my F150 springs snapped a leaf, I just called up a yard and got springs from a low-mileage F250 for $100. It was one more leaf and I didn't really notice much difference in ride or height.
Thanks for the responses so far.
I'll have to see if there's a spring shop around. I'm in Western NC now (about an hour from Asheville) and new to the area. Visited two shops already, one an HD truck specialist (he said it would cost about $700 for new springs) and an RV specialist (who quoted me $700 to add a leaf). Both seemed like a lot of money to me, so that's why I wanted GRMs thoughts.
@No time, that's a good thing to consider about the shortcomings of helpers.
@John Welsh, thanks for the link. Sadly, no Parts Authority in NC.
@Curtis, that's good to know. Thanks. If I go this route, I'm wondering if I should upgrade to E350 springs. My concern is that I once drove an E350 unloaded, and it was pretty rough. That said, my van is a camper van and has a LOT of weight in it.
One other suggestion- change the shocks. On our Ranger leases, most of them dropped in the rear when the shocks gave out (which was really easy to do when you tow and carry stuff). We changed them to air helper shocks and all was well. Your stability issues seem to point more toward a shock problem instead of a low spring problem (the geometry hasn't changed that much unless the bolts are really worn out).
And I LOVED towing with the air assist/leveling shocks.
Aftermarket new springs are pretty cheap. OE Ford stuff might be a bit pricey.
Adding a leaf is certainly a good possibility.
I love air assist shocks in theory, but in practice they've been poopy. They require a minimum pressure or they become damaged, and rest assured they WILL leak at some point. One day you'll go to pump them up to tow and realize one of the bags has worn through. I decided once to go with the urethane bags that fit inside my coil springs. They lasted less than 5 miles. The rust inside the coils shredded them.
The other thing about air shocks is that you're taking weight off the spring shackles and putting it on to a shock mount that may or may not be engineered to take the weight you give it.... or rusted badly enough that it's not up to snuff.
If I ever do air anything again it will be a proper air bag assist - the kind that goes between the frame and the leaves. They're at least designed to be durable and the plumbing that comes with it is pretty beefy.
I feel like a used E350 spring might be a bad idea unless it comes from a wrecked low mileage van. People buy a 350 to use it, and use it hard. By the time they hit the junkyard they've probably been to the moon and back again, a few times, hauling half the moon each time. And then the carpet people get ahold of it and use it harder. I'd buy a new set of E350 springs. I doubt your van would ride rough given the consistent loading of a camper van. The 1 ton vans ride so harshly when they're empty, and yours is never going to be empty.
That said, I don't have to ride in it so I understand the hesitation.
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
The biggest reason I used them was that the original shocks were pressurized. Which is why a corner collapsed in the first place.
With the wandering issue, it does sound like the shocks need replaced.
In reply to CyberEric :
You could potentially find a VIN decoder that could tell you which springs your van was specced with from the factory, and then use that to figure out what the new/rebuilt springs should be rated at.
In reply to thatsnowinnebago :
Nice thing is, Ford puts a code right on the door sticker so you can just google it.
They are all surprisingly similar capacity. You basically get a choice of springs listed at 5560 lb capacity and the F250s got 5580 capacity. They don't list them as lb/in, and capacity is probably something proprietary that Ford came up with that means something like they are extended flat when they have 5560 lbs on them.
Agreed on the shocks, alfadriver. It's on my list as they are tired, but someone on the Ford Truck Enthusiast forums told me shocks don't change ride height. That was counter to my experience in other cars, but this is my first leaf spring, body on frame vehicle, so I believed them. Not true?
Regarding the springs, I looked at the door sticker and it says LLRR, so the rear springs are "R" if I'm reading the code right, and according to SD trucks, the spring capacity is 2775 lbs. (which is the top option in the SD trucks link above). Blue oval truck says 5560, but it says that for every code.
Per car-part, there's a set for $65 at a local JY but no listing of the miles on them. It's a plumber's van. Might not be worth it depending on how many miles. I'll call them tomorrow.
I was looking more closely at the current springs, and they are actually 3/1. Or at least, there are three longer springs inclosed in a bracket, and one shorter spring in the bottom. I was incorrectly counting the bottom leaf as 4. When I look at the unit from SD springs, it has 4/1 which would seem to be an upgrade over even a new set of E250 "R" springs.
https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1560
Edit: But then I just looked at it seems that the 3/1 on SD is the same 2775 lb capacity. Now I'm confused again.
