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Icon Leaf Pack or Air Bags??

MoodyBlue

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I have a stock 2019 FX4 daily driver with a RSI Cap and RTT ( tent and camping geat not on all the time).
With all gear ond tent on pretty well maxed out payload limit and sags pretty bad - i did try some Timbren bump stops which helped when loaded but dont think is the best solution yet.
Several shops recommended Icon leaf pack and another suggest bags?
Like i said basically stock and dont do any much rough trails mainly forestry roads and easy trails as usually alone with no winch Anyone have a solution?
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AdamHarris

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I have the rear Firestone Airbag kit purchased used but in the box from a member here and am Very happy with them. Able to level the truck no matter what the load is.
 

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I have a stock 2019 FX4 daily driver with a RSI Cap and RTT ( tent and camping geat not on all the time).
With all gear ond tent on pretty well maxed out payload limit and sags pretty bad - i did try some Timbren bump stops which helped when loaded but dont think is the best solution yet.
Several shops recommended Icon leaf pack and another suggest bags?
Like i said basically stock and dont do any much rough trails mainly forestry roads and easy trails as usually alone with no winch Anyone have a solution?
If you are sagging "pretty bad" you may want to get the truck weighed. Springs and air bags will increase load capacity some, but does nothing for your axle rating. check your door sticker for your axle rating see where you are to it. if you are over it, you are looking at wheel bearing or differential damage down the road. Might need to lighten the load. Just saying.
 

Frenchy

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I have a stock 2019 FX4 daily driver with a RSI Cap and RTT ( tent and camping geat not on all the time).
With all gear ond tent on pretty well maxed out payload limit and sags pretty bad - i did try some Timbren bump stops which helped when loaded but dont think is the best solution yet.
Several shops recommended Icon leaf pack and another suggest bags?
Like i said basically stock and dont do any much rough trails mainly forestry roads and easy trails as usually alone with no winch Anyone have a solution?
I understand you say stock but I'm suspecting you might have a leveling kit done? Unless you just have the rear overloaded. I myself would do leaf springs over airbags. The reason being you can get way more articulation with good leaf springs while carrying a good load. Airbags will limit your articulation and make it going off-road a little bit more challenging. What I would do is question how much weight do you have in the back and how much more you might grow in the back and consider going with icon or old man emu. Mind you the basic old man emu leaf springs have no problem holding almost eight hundred pounds on the rear and lovingly in the truck if the front has been raised 2.5 in. The mid-level old many moves leaf springs are meant for a constant 660 lb while keeping lifted height I can still take close to another 800 lb on top of that. Icon on the other hand I thinking takes a maximum of roughly 600 lb? I don't remember right off but I know it wasn't as much as the old man EMU.
 

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Avoid Icon. The medium rate OME springs are probably the right choice for you. May want to upgrade to OME Nitrocharger shocks at the same time.

Hellwig makes a rear sway bar. If you're not hitting the gnar off road, that'll massively improve on road manners too.
 


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MoodyBlue

MoodyBlue

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If you are sagging "pretty bad" you may want to get the truck weighed. Springs and air bags will increase load capacity some, but does nothing for your axle rating. check your door sticker for your axle rating see where you are to it. if you are over it, you are looking at wheel bearing or differential damage down the road. Might need to lighten the load. Just saying.
Thankyou Yes i am keeping an eye on weight as last i checked it was very close to max total weight while still not max weight on rear axle - had made some plywood slides out for all the camping gear but now back on a weight loss program when discovered i was so close to limit of the ranger - guess i was used to the 07 F150 -
 

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Sounds like bags would be more useful to you. You probably don't want to mess with the springs everytime you change up your load.
 
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MoodyBlue

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Avoid Icon. The medium rate OME springs are probably the right choice for you. May want to upgrade to OME Nitrocharger shocks at the same time.

Hellwig makes a rear sway bar. If you're not hitting the gnar off road, that'll massively improve on road manners too.
 

Colo_Ranger

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Avoid Icon. The medium rate OME springs are probably the right choice for you. May want to upgrade to OME Nitrocharger shocks at the same time.

Hellwig makes a rear sway bar. If you're not hitting the gnar off road, that'll massively improve on road manners too.
Why do you say 'avoid Icon'? I've been looking between Icon and OME leaves, but I don't want to raise the rear.
 

Frenchy

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Why do you say 'avoid Icon'? I've been looking between Icon and OME leaves, but I don't want to raise the rear.
I cant speak for Wes but I do know that the Old Man EMU springs will give you more capacity vs the Icon(yes even if you setup the icon for max vs the basic Old Man EMU springs). Also if you.plan on running a load in the rear it is still better to have some extra height in the rear when going OffRoad as it helps you with articulation(if you did a leaf swap) and you have a little more clearance in the rear and center of the truck vs a leveling kit.
 

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One important question is how heavy of off-roading do you do? If you are just overlanding and riding fire roads/light trails, bags will be fine.

If you want to do anything moderate to heavy, bags would be a big downgrade and leafs would be the way to go. You would also have to probably run some sort of limiting strap so you don't damage your bag, and you would likely lose articulation.
 

Frenchy

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One important question is how heavy of off-roading do you do? If you are just overlanding and riding fire roads/light trails, bags will be fine.

If you want to do anything moderate to heavy, bags would be a big downgrade and leafs would be the way to go. You would also have to probably run some sort of limiting strap so you don't damage your bag, and you would likely lose articulation.
I have to disagree a little bit. Even I was going for Overlanding/touring with my truck and there were still trails I hit where a leaf spring upgrade was the way to go. Was I trying to go for stupid complicated rock crawling and obstacles? No but it doesnt mean the trail will have some sort of obstacle.
 

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If you are sagging "pretty bad" you may want to get the truck weighed. Springs and air bags will increase load capacity some, but does nothing for your axle rating. check your door sticker for your axle rating see where you are to it. if you are over it, you are looking at wheel bearing or differential damage down the road. Might need to lighten the load. Just saying.
Indeed, if the author ever saw the Mickey Mouse design of the axle bearings, he'd think twice about overloading his truck...
 
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MoodyBlue

MoodyBlue

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Indeed, if the author ever saw the Mickey Mouse design of the axle bearings, he'd think twice about overloading his truck...
Yes that is my concern that i dont overload the truck capacities - maybe my description of “sags pretty bad” in an over reaction as it just surprised me that the load i was carrying dropped the rear end as much - going to get some measurements unloaded and loaded again and go from there
 

Frenchy

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Yes that is my concern that i dont overload the truck capacities - maybe my description of “sags pretty bad” in an over reaction as it just surprised me that the load i was carrying dropped the rear end as much - going to get some measurements unloaded and loaded again and go from there
Yeah pictures will help. Just so you are aware here is my truck(when I had it) with the Old Man EMU lift. Yes it brought the truck up a fair bit but you could have a fair load in it and still go far in the OffRoad.

I should also add that I installed 285/70-17 Firestone Destination XT's on the factory wheels and no spacers were involved. Gave it the right height for OffRoad and still being able to do just fine on the street.

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