Explain preload to me like I'm 8...

How come preloaded coils ride stiff but when I "preload" my bed my leaf springs ride smoother than when empty? Are the leaf springs meant to be slightly preloaded?

This confuses me greatly, so can someone help me understand better.

I just ordered my Dakar HDs and still need to decide if I'm taking out the 3rd leaf or not. Current daily weight in the bed is about 200 pounds.

Side note, the stock leaf springs can suck a ball sack. They are pathetic.

 

Don’t compare springs to leaf packs. Different geometry and physics involved.

If you compress a coil you add more stored energy at any point in the flexing of the coil. By doing this you create lift when it’s resting or gravity is pushing it up more (obviously), but when the truck goes toward the earth, that stored coil energy is already taken up in the spring so it has that much less to slow and dilute the energy of gravity dispersing back through the truck, toward the earth.

Hence, sometimes the ride is stiffer when gravity is in effect.

Leafs have a set flex based on thickness, curve, and flex of the leafs which dilutes slowly (some...maybe not) over the life of the leafs

 

You both are confused...



I'd leave the 3rd leaf out. I pulled the 3rd leaf on my Dakers and I had a bed rack and a 130lb tent. Rode nice with cheap shocks. Squeaky though.

 

Took mine out too

 

Thanks for the input gents. I'm driving daily with 200 but every other weekend or so I load it up with close to 500 pounds. Will they be able to handle that without sagging?

 

If that’s true keep that leaf in

 

keep that leaf in bud. your ass end will sag like a 40 year old hookers tits.