Trying to understand my rear suspension options

Hello!

I have a 2019 DCLB and my leaf springs are flat and tired. I'll put a couple hundred pounds in the bed and I am starting to sag in the rear. I often find myself with 300-500lbs in the bed hauling around steel parts for work and on occasion 800-900lbs. Once or twice a year I'll haul a loaded utility trailer, that's about all I do for towing. I am getting a tonneau cover that weighs 125lbs so that is going to be additional weight that I will always be dealing with going forward. I don't drive on offroad trails but am on a gravel road filled with potholes everyday.

My truck suspension and tire size is all OEM. I have come to the conclusion I either need air bags, add a leaf or new leaf pack or some sort of new bump stop system like a Timbren. Here is a how I see things and please correct me if I am wrong.

Timbren SES - I was looking pretty hard at this option. After looking under my truck, I'm almost certain the frame of my truck would be resting on the Timbren 100% of the time due to how flat my current leafs are. I can't figure out if that's a bad thing or a non issue. I don't want to buy the Timbren and have to buy new leafs to keep the frame from resting on the stops, due to cost.

Airbags - Am I correct in my understanding that I can run air bags with my tired leaf springs? Ideally I don't want to replace leaf springs in addition to installing air bags, again, due to cost..

New Leaf pack - I am a little lost on what route to go here. Lots of info about leaf packs adding lift and stiff ride if I don't constantly have weight to offset the springs. I have no idea what amount of lift is too much since everything is stock..

I am looking for guidance on the best way to move forward so I am not always sagging and hitting my factory bump stops.

Thank you!!

 

So the leafs are pretty much flat from the factory. Will your only constant weight be the tonneau cover?

 

Yep that's correct

 

My needs are a bit different from you, but I went with a full leaf pack.

Airbags might be good depending on how frequently you load up the bed. If it’s very frequent, I’d replace the leafs.

something like an Icon RXT stage 2 or 3 could be good in my opinion. I have 275lbs of constant weight in the bed plus rock sliders and went option 3, the truck rides better than stock with Bilstein 5160’s on the rear as well.

 

In this scenario I'd go airbags, variable load settings, I enjoyed it when I used to have a utility truck and crazy different loads every week.

Ideally you'd run a new leaf pack as well, maybe a bit bigger, but the airbags will help reduce wear on the rear springs.

 

Sub'd
I have the same question! (Especially on the rear leaf pack topic) seeing similar circumstances...

My specifics:
PRO suspension. (Working great on and off road). Steel sliders and smartcap are on permanently.
Weights: 120# + 180#= 300#

Front spring seem well suited.
I''ve upgraded bumpstops in Front and these are working great!

Load consists Mostly of myself, 2 boys - and sometimes wife (550# total) + camping gear. (Say another 250#).

Front seems fine. - Rear leafs are working hard. Could use more active bumps in rear for harder bumps..

I also want to keep a plush ride when 'empty'...

 

Thank you both for that input. I will dive deeper into my airbag research.

 

For leaf packs, the most common brands I see are ICON or Deavers. Icons have different stages, which if I recall are adjustable by removing and re arranging the leafs. So you would only need to buy the initial pack and figure out which stage you need based off your weight. For deavers they are fixed packs that aren't designed to be adjusted. So yould have to figure out the weight you have and find the correct pack accordingly.