'pants

Help me overload my 3500 (5.9l CTD)…

I want to use my ‘97 3500 for short runs with massive amounts of soil from a home excavation project. I’d be driving a mile or so at low speed from my site to the points where I’d dump the soil. From hauling ‘normal’ loads, I know the volume I am able to carry while staying within max payload capacity is a bit disappointing—it stays well within the 8’ box. I’d like to move more volume--as much as possible per run-- for obvious reasons of time and fuel economy.

My springs already look a bit flattish, though that's from previous owner’s use…anyway, because of the flat-looking top spring leaves, and my wish to use this truck for the aforementioned wholesale soil-disposal, I'm wondering if either a pre-engineered air-bag kit, or a combination of air-bags customized to this application would let me overload to some shocking capacity without fear of…well, immediate damage to other components, or falling through the Earth’s crust.

What kind of modified payload capacity might I hope for in this application?

What's the next weak link in the overloading scenario, and how weak is it?

Legal issues: I have no concerns over legality of my GVW, since it’s not a commercial registration--it's my personal truck with private plates—anyway, I’d never be weighed regardless from what I've seen, and the one weigh-station I think exists on the island is far, far away from my planned short runs in any case. (I do have some 15-ton-rated bridges to cross, though…)

Anyone pushed this envelope and lived to tell about it?

Mahalo,

Dave

Homer S.

Why don't you rent a dump trailer?

JPR Ram

Heck, any brand airbag system should help. Maybe even get some overload leaf springs. Mine are factory, but I know you can find them in the aftermarket arena.

raychem

Hellwig makes a set of overloads that I have used on a few of my customers trucks and the pre-load is adjustable. They run about 300-400 a set.

Richard

CrazyCooter

Timbrens. Cheap, simple, and most effective. No maintainance is a huge plus. Cost is about $200.

LOGAN

extend your factory bumps stops and make them adjustable so you can drop them so they hit your axle after X amount of droop, and set them back to stock when done, use a small hitch pin to hold them in place.

'pants

great suggestions, all, thanks. I'm leaning towards the timbrens, since they are engineered for this, seem to have a higher capacity than the active airbags (6000lbs, vs 5K max for Firestone or Air Lift) & are cheaper (what's the catch?)

Looks like my next item may be figuring out how to increase the capacity of my dump kit, which now maxes out at about 1.6 tons. Block the relief-valve and let 'er rip?

clutch1

block the relief and start blowing stuff? whats the max psi. on your set up.

'pants

well, I wasn't really serious about that...not sure about system psi, seem to recall 2250-2500 or thereabouts. I have to contact mfr. again, I think. Seem to recall that the 'elbow hinge' of this dump scissors was what they said would be the weak link above 2 tons, and I figgered I'd cook up an overbuilt mod for it if the time came (which it may have).

I'd thought when I bought this "2 ton" dump kit that my "1 ton" truck would NEVER exceed the capacity...naturally, since I was used to 1/4-ton compact trucks that could never approach the payload capacity of the 3500, as things turn out when we read our data plates.