mechrisme

I got some leaf springs off a 1998 Dually 2wd and I was gonna put them on my 2001 2wd because I messed with my mine some and I thought it may be easier instead of taking mine apart to put them back to factory. The dually leaf springs have something stamped on them unlike mine and I was wondering why mine had blocks at the bottom unlike the dually. Both of them have overloads too. If there isn't much of a difference, I'm just gonna swap them as a whole. Does anyone know if there is a difference?

Tate

Is it about a 1" block? My dually has those. The springs between my 2500 and 3500 look the same, but I've never given them much of an inspection, looking for numbers, what have you.

Hodge

They have to be different, because of the different load rating. I would imagine that if you install them, your 3/4 ton will ride like a 1 ton...

Tate

Load rating would be more to do with the GVW. Could very well be the same springs. FWIW, my 2500 and 3500 don't ride much different. The 3500 is actually smoother, but its a 2wd and a longer wheelbase.

mariner

If installed properly, I would think the ride would be good and certainly no worse than the 2500 ride (3/4 ton). On my 3500 the ride is actually much better than on my '86 F250. The 3500 springs are progressive - they get harder as the weight increases - at least that is how I see it. Of course, six wheels on the road is going to be a bit softer than four wheels, but even so, I am sure the ride you will get will be just fine.

mariner

ellerman

The 2500 and 3500 leaf packs should be the same. The only difference I know of is some 2500's don't have the secondary overload at the top of the pack, I believe it has something to do with the camper package. I would install them and see what happens.

Hodge

I very well may be showing a stupid side, but here goes. If the spring packs are the same between a 3/4 ton and a 1 ton, then where does the extra weight capacity come from? My 2500 has more spring than a 1500. Not only is the drivetrain heavier, but it will carry more. By the same reasoning, the 3500 may have the next step up in axle, but for it to be rated 1/4 ton more, it has to have more spring, or different rate springs. They can't be the same. They may look and feel the same, but when you load both with a considerable weight, one set will support the weight more than the other.
If I am wrong, be nice. I am here to learn, just like everybody else.

gorms

Many 2500's come with Dana 70's, all 3500's come with Dana 80's. GAWR is higher on the 80, then you consider an extra set of tires/rims I could see them having the same springs. That extra wheel makes a heck of a difference at max capacity!! I had an 8' bed FILLED heaping over the top with 3/4 gravel a few weeks back, and it's not like it was on the stops or anything, but the tires were a little squishy. It was over two yards and they estimated it at over 3,000 pounds, not sure if that's accurate but dam it felt heavy. Springs handled the load fine and it handled fine in general, not like when I did that with my 1500...felt like I was steering a boat!

bcbigfoot

The limiting factor in this case I believe are the tires and rims, the 2500 can only support around 6100lb on the rear because the tires are only good for 3050lbs each so it has a GAWR (Gross axle wieght rating) of approx 6100lbs. Where a 3500 has a gawr on the rear of 7500lbs and is acually over tired and is limited by something else like brakes, axles, springs, or by beans counters and marketing execs.

Another example is a 3500 rwd Cab and Chasis model with a straight axle and 4x4 pickup box 3500 is rated for gvwr of 11000lbs and my rwd 3500 is rated for only 10500lbs gvwr, I suspect the limiting factor on the 3500 2wd's is the front end.

Tate

Like I said before, the limit is on the GVWR. The truck is legally registered to 8800 lbs for a 2500, and 10500 for a 3500. Its just what its 'rated' at, not what it can handle. In fact, my 2500 has more spring than a friends '95 3500. Everything else is the same except the year, and the duals. Another example is the Ford F250's and F350's. You can get heavier springs in a F250 than whats standard in an F350, and vice versa. GVWR's still remain the same for those, though.

Hodge

That's not true, at least in the case of Fords. My dad bought a 2003 F350 4WD, single rear wheel. It is rated at one ton, and has carried heavier loads than his previous 3/4 ton Ford, without settling as low. Both had the same rated tires and rims. At least in that case, the one ton had the same rims and tires as a 3/4 ton, so the tire/rim does not increase the load rating, as the truck comes stock.
I'm dense, I know, and while I am not trying to be argumenative, your explanations don't make sense to me. A 1500 has a set of leaf springs, which probably are the same length as a 2500, and may be the same in number. But, they aren't the same spring, and the 1500 will not carry as heavy a load, at the same heighth, as the 2500. The springs are not the same. A 3500, because it is rated to carry more weight, has to have different springs, to carry the additional weight. My brother has 2 3500's, and both will carry a full load of tile better than my 2500, meaning that my truck rides lower with the same load. That has nothing to do with tires, rims, or GVRW. The 3500 simply carries more weight. That has to do with increased spring rate, or spring number.
I have a friend who works in the parts dept. at the local Ford dealership. I will call him on Monday, and see if the part number for a leaf pack is the same between a 250 and a 350. I may very well be wrong, which is fine- I will have learned something new, and I am not too proud to admit that my thinking was wrong.

bcbigfoot

Your 2500 truck may not have the camper option overload springs. That camper option takes the GVWR of the truck up to 8800lbs (check your trucks gvwr) and gives it the same springs as the 3500. Typically the limiting factor is the tires, if you check the rear axle gross rating on most SRW trucks it will be the same as the tires load capacity.

mechrisme

Well I haven't replied on here since I started it but I didn't notice number on it until today when I swapped them out. I'm unsure of the number but they were in orange and after changing the springs out, there's a 5 inch difference then the front and I think that's more then the stock height I think and the funny thing is that it seems to ride a little bit smoother.

Hodge

Mine is 8800 pound.

mechrisme

I was wondering if the front coils would be the same too, I'm gonna pry try and swap them out, heres a pic of it with the springs swapped.