Do I really need Torklift Stable Loads

[bs49]

I am contemplating purchasing these stable loads for my truck. I have a 2008 Silverado 3500 HD Dually Long Bed. I am carrying a 2015 Palomino HS-2902 with a weight I estimate to be between 3,500 and 4,000 wet and loaded (dry weight according to manufacturer is 3,100). I will be either flat towing a Jeep Wrangler 2 door JK or pulling my aluminum Tracker V16 fishing boat.

I am new to truck campers but do seem to have some top heavy sway when driving past rain gutters or turning. However when I look at my leaf springs the lower leaf is very close to touching and some are actually touching already. When I hitch my boat then I definitely see all lower leaf springs touching.

Do I still need Stable Loads if my lower leaf spring activates already? I do not know how to insert pics to make it more clear. I want peoples input before shelling out another $300. MY suspension is stock right now. Thanks.

Here are what they look like with just the camper




and this is after hitching boat

[Grit_dog]

Your truck is easy to put lowers in because there's a hole in the leaf.
If you do that though, the upper overloads may not even engage. Then you're just leaving some spring capacity on the table.
If you're happy with the ride height, get a sway bar , imo. Sway bar will help more with the top heavy rocking than blocking the springs.
You can try some simple lower blocks, or even make permanent ones easily for cheap.
My material of choice is plastic felling wedges. Drill a hole in each one. Countersink a bolt into it and bolt them in.

[Tom_Anderson]

I replaced my overload springs with ones from an F-450 cab and chassis. They not only have more arch so they make contact sooner, but they also have a higher spring rate than the stock F-250 ones, so they make a bigger difference when they do engage. They cost me less than $40 apiece, brand new, and took about two hours to install. Between that and my Big Wig sway bar, excessive squat and roll are just a memory.

[Moose10]

It sits well even with the 24' trailer in tow.

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[Moose10]

I made my own for the overloads using some 2" square box tube. Drilled a single hole through both ends of the spring and bolted those pieces on. Used hockey pucks on the bottom which have held up surprisingly well over the last 4 years. I think I went through about 6 drill bits trying to get through the springs, but overall total cost was less that $50.

[img] Click For Full-Size Image.[/img]

[Ranger_Tim]

The lower stableloads do a lot to improve the handling of my truck (SRW F350) and are easy to swing into place or out of use. The uppers only make contact when the camper is loaded so I leave them on all the time. I have not felt any need to do anything else to the suspension. The truck came with the factory package rear sway bar.

The lower Stableloads are difficult to install without help and the drill kit from Torklift is essential if you must drill holes. It takes three minutes per hole with the kit and forever without. They send nice bits with the kits. Make sure you have a decent jack before getting started. Getting it all to line up and into position is the toughest part -- that's when a helper comes in handy. I also used a long pry bar to get the bolts into the holes.

[Reddog1]

HMS Beagle wrote:
I wish I had invented the Stable Load. $5 of steel plate sold for $300. A license to print money.

The Stable Loads were on my truck when I bought it. All I see is Bumpstops.

[HMS_Beagle]

Blocking the overload spring will bring it into contact earlier and keep it in contact for more of the suspension travel. That increases the spring rate. Anything that increases the spring rate will increase roll stiffness. The overload is pretty wimpy though, adding around 400 lb/in of spring rate. A big anti-sway bar will do a lot more.

I wish I had invented the Stable Load. $5 of steel plate sold for $300. A license to print money.

[Fisher_Bill]

I have the 2006 Dually and before that it was a 2005 GMC DRW and I put stable loads on the lower overload springs, they come with 3-4 plates I think, each a quarter inch thick and all you need to do is pop the plug/pad and install.

I was only able to get one plate between my lowers but it did help on those older coastal roads, the AC is slide side heavy so going around corners and especially rolling dips and bumps, it help with the porpoising front to back.

The newer truck came with airbags and I run the slide side at 60# and the driver side at 40# and it gives good feedback on the road.

For me the stable loads made a lot of difference on a stock set up and I use both loads and bags, YRMV.

Bill

[cewillis]

bs49 wrote:
Thanks for all your responses. All these upgrades are pricey. I think I will start with the Stable Loads since it is the simplest to install. If I still have issues then I will pickup a sway bar. I would like to stay away from air bags. I thought getting a smaller 9 ft camper would save me the added expense of suspension upgrades.

That's good thinking on all three counts - 1)stable loads, 2) sway bar if needed, 3) stay away from air bags.
As you see, you'll get every possible opinion -- some diametrically opposite.

[sonuvabug]

bs49 wrote:
Thanks for all your responses. All these upgrades are pricey. I think I will start with the Stable Loads since it is the simplest to install. If I still have issues then I will pickup a sway bar. I would like to stay away from air bags. I thought getting a smaller 9 ft camper would save me the added expense of suspension upgrades.

IMO you're going about addressing your sway problem in reverse. For sway control, front and rear (first) anti-sway bars are the solution (Hellwig is a fine choice). If the anti-sway bars work, problem resolved.

If you want more more stability, less squat, increased load capacity (actual but not a legal increase) etc, then you move to phase 2 solutions. These include things like Stable Loads, Sumo Springs (I'm a big fan), larger bump/jounce stops, additional overload/supplemental springs, air bags (not a fan) etc.

And yes, all modifications cost money but these are minor compared to the investment you've already made in your set-up and in the end, are worth every penny for the decreased stress/dissatisfaction factors and increased driveability of your set-up.

[Troutguy]

I have Stableloads on my signature truck....they help. However my truck isn't a dually. I would recommend the largest Helwig rear stabilizer bar that you can get.
Stableloads are around $250-300 bucks and a sway bar is a little more and will provide better sway control IMO. You also have to realize that loaded truck camper rigs sway more than an unloaded truck.....it won't handle like a Corvette......you need to get used to this. We've all experienced those "pucker " moments getting used to a new TC rig.

TG

[bs49]

Thanks for all your responses. All these upgrades are pricey. I think I will start with the Stable Loads since it is the simplest to install. If I still have issues then I will pickup a sway bar. I would like to stay away from air bags. I thought getting a smaller 9 ft camper would save me the added expense of suspension upgrades.

[mike_kellie]

Same truck but 1 ton heavier camper. Lower only with Hellwig rear anti sway. Works great.

[MikeJinCO]

+1 to Reddog. I have a 3500 Dually and I installed the standard Helwig sway bar. It goes on easily and does a great job. The other term for them is anti-roll bar ie body roll. Most trucks come with a front anti-roll bar but without a rear as the heavy motor up front particularly a diesel wants to roll in a turn where the lighter/unloaded back end doesn't. So add a camper and the weight distribution is reversed, lighter front than rear and guess which wants to roll more.

For us the rear sway/anti-roll bar should be at least as large in diameter as the front it not a little larger. Keep in mind that the stiffness of it is in proportion to the 4th power of the diameter so a little goes a long way. One to the fourth is 1 where 1.25 to the fourth is 2.44 so it is almost 2.5 times as resistant roll. There is lots of other engineering involved, but it takes full books to explain it all, talk to Helwig.