Deaver J59 or General Spring HD leaf springs?

Hey guys,

I've been reading through posts for the last few days and although there is plenty of info on each option, why would one go with one versus the other?

Here is the info I have gathered:

• Both Deaver J59 and General HDs give the same ~1.5" lift.
• The Deavers are almost twice the price of Generals ($650 / $360).
• The Deavers are 8 leafs, the General HDs are 4 leafs.

My biggest question is how will these two leaf spring options compare to one another in terms of ride, etc?

I am not planning on carrying heavy payloads on a regular basis. My goal is to replace my worn out leaf springs with an option that firms up the ride, reduces axle wrap, and gives me enough lift to go bigger with my tires in the future (265/75r16 or 285/75r16).

Thanks to everyone in advance!

 

You may find that the generals will sag more over time. Deaver is pretty highly spoken of here. I went with cheap leafs from SD springs, and I wish I'd bit the bullet and got something a little more high quality.

 

This was my line of thought, I'm worried about "getting what I paid for" by buying the cheaper General HDs when Deavers are still technically in my budget.

 

Yeah buy once cry once. I wish I did. But it is what it is. Ive already had to install an extra leaf to get them to not sit flat.

 

Here's mine with fresh general HDs put on.
In my opinion you pay up if you expect to own your truck for a looong time. If not these general HDs will give me 150k+ km's (Canadian) .

That is more than enough for me. I tow the trailer 4/5 times a year. Rest of time is logging roads. The general HDs feel fine off-road compared to oem. I did toss on some 5100s so that may be helping the feel as well

 

I have the general SD and HD springs on two different trucks..

The SD's suck, axle wrap sucks
The HD's sag to stock height after about a year of solid use

 

Having the same lift doesn't mean they are comparable leaf packs.

Deavers are far and away a higher quality spring.

More, thinner leafs = better ride, better articulation, etc...

Also, the reason the General HD springs provide "lift" is because they are stiffer (not unlike adding an add-a-leaf) so they don't sag as much. If you don't put weight in your truck, the ride will suck. If you put weight in the truck the ride won't suck but you won't see that "lift" either.

The Deavers are designed to offer a better ride and are ideally shaped to provide the proper lift because of the shape, thickness and material properties of each leaf. You can do fully custom packs, too. If you want the lift AND load carrying capacity, there are solutions for you.

I'd go Deavers, all day long.

 

Wow your truck looks great, and thanks for the info on the HDs. What size tires are those?

I agree with your point, I'm thinking I'll bite the bullet and go Deaver.

 

Thank you. They are 265 75 16. Liitpe bit of rubbing.

 

That’s my plan, too. Was considering some OME dakars to save a bit of coin, but I figure I should just go for it.

 

The dakars are appealing because they are designed to couteract the driverside lean right out of the box. Thing is I'm not ready to go that big on the rear lift...

After speaking to Wheeler's off-road, they recommended the Deaver J59s with a 1/2" shim on the driverside to counteract lean. I was glad to hear that suggestion as I bought a shim long ago and never used it, now is finally the time.

 

One important note on the Deaver J59 springs, they are designed to have significantly less negative arch at full bump compared to stock, and ARB/OME Dakars.
They are built with a reverse front eye (instead of standard eye _O) and an english eye -O (instead of standard eye _O)