Lowered truck ride quality and payload capacity

95 2wd stepside reg cab chevy 1500. Dropped with a flip kit in the back. 

I use trucks as trucks quite often. This truck has only been with me a month, and its kind of falling down on the job.

Factory 3 leaf +overload in the back, unknown new shocks with no extenders.

I have found already that this thing sags much more with weight than any other 1/2 ton ive ever had. 4 railroad ties had it bottomed in the notch. 

Additionally, it rides like a buckboard unloaded. 

I have shock extenders (djm axle end), and low mileage bilstiens from a 2wd suburban. I also have springs from a 2500 (7+overload)

What im looking for is best ride quality empty, and ability to deal with the weight of lumber, engines, gravel, tow dolly, etc. Only need that capacity once or twice a month. 

Originally planned to just use the 2500 springs, but they are significantly stiffer than what is there now.

My thoughts have been leaning towards pulling the overload in th 3leaf pack, adding the bilsteiens and extenders, and buying an air lift slam air kit now.

Thats an additional $300.

My other idea was air shocks. I used them in the mid 90s to clear big tires on cheap muscle cars with sacked springs, but dont remember much about ride and handling. 

What route woul y'all suggest? 

Typically a spring that rides well unloaded is overtaxed with anything good in the bed. And something that handles extra weight well is usually uncomfortable when empty. My lowered S10 is as low as I can get it and still put 500lbs in the bed without totally bottoming out. Rolling on ~I think~ DJM 3" drop leaf springs and I like them for what it is but this is a much smaller and lighter truck... I would suggest air springs for the extra weight. And good truck shocks. 

Bilsteins are the wrong choice for ride quality IMO.

For me, I prefer a softer spring and a set of airbags to compensate for a load.

Airbags.

So pretty much "suck it up and spend the money ".

Got it. Its what i knew would be the right answer, but didn't want....

The world is chock full of compromises.  Cool generally makes you less useful.

Air bags.

My '77 has a flip, notch, and "Big 10" leafs and coils, plus poly bushings.

It rides rough, and 1000lbs has it bottomed out completely.

I wish I had just gone airride, it would do empty AND loaded just fine.

Load Adjust shocks? Never crossed them in comparison to an Airbag set up, but I know a few construction companies that swear by these for their 1/2 tons in their fleets.

I have Monroe adjustable air shocks in my El Camino. There is a Schrader valve above the license plate so you can fill them up when hauling a big load, and air down for normal driving. They are fantastic. My old Roadmaster wagon had them too. You can use a simple bicycle pump, just carry one with you, put the load on, pump them back up to normal ride height, and drive home.

I don’t know if you could retro fit them but the electromagnetic shocks in my Serra Denali are fantastic. They are expensive. Something like $275-$300  each but they transform my soft riding luxury boat of a truck back in to a 3/4 ton truck at the flip of a button. 

How bout some of them there nivomat shocks? Should be able to snag some out of a junkyard for 'normal' junkyard shock prices. I haven't tried this yet so i can't say it's what you're looking for, but i've been thinking about trying it and would appreciate if you tried it first. 

I run the AirLift helper springs in our Odyssey.  They make a huge difference when we have a full van loaded down with cargo.

Bags are the solution, both for the low and for the load.

maschinenbau said:

I have Monroe adjustable air shocks in my El Camino. There is a Schrader valve above the license plate so you can fill them up when hauling a big load, and air down for normal driving. They are fantastic. My old Roadmaster wagon had them too. You can use a simple bicycle pump, just carry one with you, put the load on, pump them back up to normal ride height, and drive home.

My buddy has air shocks on his LS swapped early 90's silverado that is lowered. He hauls his motorcycles somewhat regularly and just airs up anytime he has a load in it. they seem to work pretty well.

Well, i went ahead and ordered the firestone sport rite system this morning.  My wife put it well: you need a truck for truck stuff. Buy it once and be done.

Good call.

My truck is a tool. I hate having to work on my tools, because that means I can't use my tools for doing other things. So it gets what it needs and is treated with respect and it has repaid me by never, ever getting in the way of doing other things.

I thought the 2500 was torsion beam so there is no traditional spring

In reply to fidelity101 :

4wd front was

Db, are you going to use an onboard compressor, or mount a tire valve and add pressure from external sources?

In reply to pres589 :

Still debating that. Part of me really wants onboard air for the bags, filling tires at the autocross, etc. The other part of me is cheap and says ive done it other waus this long.....

I don't have onboard air for my bags. I always know when the truck's going to be loaded, so I just fill up ahead of time.

The bags do make it easy to drop a trailer. Just extend the jack far enough to support the trailer, then let the air out of the bags. The truck drops down out of the hitch and you drive away

Could always get a half-decent portable for $50 or whatever and call it a day... But then you have to keep it onboard, and with a sub box in a standard cab, you might be pretty space constrained.  

I know this is in good hands, just tapping out thoughts.  The Sport Rite kit looks pretty useful for exactly this kind of scenario.

My thought was a big 12v from harbor freight, plumbed to a spare 5 gallon tank under the bed. Then, hardline to a normal air trrool chuck in the back bumper/wheelwell. Hook up air hose and flip toggle as necessary.  Just haven't made up my mind yet.

Finnegan's Garage just did an install of a hydraulically ride height adjusted coilovers that doesn't effect  valving or spring rate.  Pretty sure they mentioned it was  $5K setup though.