I have had a question put to me and here is probably the best place for a true experience owner.

A friend finally got his flat deck with cabinets put on the back of his new 4500. He's freaking out before it even has any tools loaded. It is resting on the overloads. Not sure if they are well into the overloads or just touching. Lets say 'resting'.

Anyone, is the use of the overload springs during travel something to expect as normal on a 4500? Did he just under estimate his expectations? He used to complain that he had to slow down for frost heaves on his old 3500 C+C.

Does it take much to move to the overloads, and is that to be expected?


Thank you for any help!

Jerith

 

He will be fine.. The more weight it has the better it will ride.. If he does max out the system(which I seriously doubt he will) air bags are always an option..

 

I wonder if I should find pictures of what the springs look like under acceptable but close to overload weight. Might be hard to find but how can you prove something like that to someone?

He hasn't had the truck weighed yet. I think he doesn't need to be freaking out yet.

 

Closing my own post

Apparently while changing tires he asked the mechanics at a Fountain Tire shop and they said it was very common and that they put in extra leaf packs as a solution. So it wasn't just HIS truck, its all 4500's.

Would you expect the dealership should have to split the price of the extra springs with him? Greedy?

 

No, I wouldn't expect them to pay for anything. This is what happens when everyone cries to the manufacturers about how bad their trucks ride and they want them to ride like cars. Well, now they ride like cars, which mean longer spring leaves and less of them.

We HAD trucks like the 4500 and 5500 back in the 60's. They were called 'one ton' trucks.

 

Did the customer read the literature on truck? It has all of the ratings in it.. Did he run the numbers on his tools and bed prior to the truck selection?

 

All the literature was available to him but did he go that far? He's that kind of guy who expected the 4500 to be perfect maybe?

He is pretty picky as he is a owner/operator but I don't know if it was time that was an issue, and he rushed into the sale. Or settled on it because of price and a presumption that the 5500 would be more than he needed to pay for.

How can a long time owner/operator oilfield maintenance waltz into a 4500? Something his life and job will revolve around.

At least the situation with the springs is understood.

 

a little more information on this would be nice.. You say he use to own a 3500 and he's upgrading to a 4500 is he transferring the same tools over or is he adding more? What type of bed / boxes did he go with?

I think I would do airbags before the spring pack as springs are a set rate and airbags can be adjusted.. with my bed of 2400lbs and tools/cargo of another 2600 I'm into the overloads about an inch.. This is where it starts to ride smooth..

 

That's what they're there for. More like "heavy load" springs. You should see how much weight we used to run in our 91 F-350 CC with flat bed at work. I used to run three 2200 lb reels of wire on almost a daily basis for months in that thing.

Our neighbor has a 09? I think Dodge 4500, with 10' utility box with welders, plenty of tools, hasn't had any problems or complaints.

 

I have a 5500 with a hooklift, an empty 10yd container and i'm at 12000lb and the helpers are just getting close, I have to admit I thought it would have carried the load better myself, I allmost allways have the springs arched the wrong way with a full dumpser.