Increased payload capacity for camper.

[mjamesreuter]

Hey guys,

Looking to increase the payload capacity of my ranger AND add a leveling kit/improve ride quality. I am looking at kits like the Fox 2.0 from stage3 but these kits don't seem to pair well with springs that actually offer increased load capacity. I am regularly carrying my 2016 FWC Fleet camper (around 1,000 lbs loaded).

Many of the rear leaf spring options on the market don't seem to actually improve load capacity but create a more progressive spring rate. Anyone out here with a similar setup that want to chime in? I know I won't be doing 60 mph dessert runs so I don't need to go all out. I have to drive about 6 hours to get anywhere where the truck/camper can go off road so on road performance is important as well and when the truck is not in camp mode it is being used for work regularly carrying construction tools and loads of solar panels. Could I pair the Fox 2.0 kit with the 1.7" OME leaf spring and be okay?

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[P. A. Schilke]

Hey guys,

Looking to increase the payload capacity of my ranger AND add a leveling kit/improve ride quality. I am looking at kits like the Fox 2.0 from stage3 but these kits don't seem to pair well with springs that actually offer increased load capacity. I am regularly carrying my 2016 FWC Fleet camper (around 1,000 lbs loaded).

Many of the rear leaf spring options on the market don't seem to actually improve load capacity but create a more progressive spring rate. Anyone out here with a similar setup that want to chime in? I know I won't be doing 60 mph dessert runs so I don't need to go all out. I have to drive about 6 hours to get anywhere where the truck/camper can go off road so on road performance is important as well and when the truck is not in camp mode it is being used for work regularly carrying construction tools and loads of solar panels. Could I pair the Fox 2.0 kit with the 1.7" OME leaf spring and be okay?

There is one part of this equasion that is not easily fixed...GAWR of your rear axle....

best,
Phil

 

[mjamesreuter]

There is one part of this equasion that is not easily fixed...GAWR of your rear axle....

best,
Phil

Hey Phil,

Good catch. Luckily the goal is not actually to "increase" the payload capacity rather improve handling and vehicle feedback at or close to GAWR. Don't worry, I'm under on GAWR and under on total payload with the camper fully loaded including myself and girlfriend. That's why we buy light campers. I'd just like the truck to handle the weight better when we are off road.

-Michael

 

[JohnnyO]

Firestone makes an airbag kit for Rangers. I would use that.

 

[Frenchy]

I can tell you right now I do not recommend whatsoever using mix match components when it comes to suspension. The reason being is the fact that they're not designed to force together versus a kit that is designed to work together. If you want to go with the old man emu Springs that's fine but I highly suggest using the old man emu suspension as well. I can guarantee the old man emu suspension will do more than enough for what you're doing even on the basic kit. Just be aware you will most likely want to go to the medium Springs at minimum in the rear. The reason I say this because I have the basic Springs and roughly 780 lb will level the truck out.

 

[mjamesreuter]

no advice on the suspension, just a curious question....can you see well enough with your mirrors?
i'm guessing the blindspot indication is a bonus here.

Yes the mirrors still work well with just a small amount of increased blind spot. I do not have blind spot detection on this truck but I am used to driving construction vans with no rear/side windows with massive blind spots... (Nissan NV2500 highroof)

 

[Frenchy]

Just to add this is the leaf spring I'm talking about where you would be ok with.load capacity. The shocks I.still recommend going with Old Man EMU as they are designed for the springs. Fox may work but was not designed for the Old Man EMU springs

https://www.stage3motorsports.com/s...-old-man-emu-2-2in-lift-rear-leaf-spring.html

 

[D Fresh]

I'd go with Icon front and rear.

Way better, and more versatile than the OME.

 

[Frenchy]

I'd go with Icon front and rear.

Way better, and more versatile than the OME.

Please explain for findings with you claim. I wont argue that icon made a difference when they added rear leafs but I doubt they are "more versatile then OME. Are they close to one another? Very possible but doubt more versatile

 

[D Fresh]

Please explain for findings with you claim. I wont argue that icon made a difference when they added rear leafs but I doubt they are "more versatile then OME. Are they close to one another? Very possible but doubt more versatile

The Icons can be configured multiple different ways.

By buying one set of leafs you have 3 options for lift/load.

.375" lift unloaded.
1.125" lift unloaded/0 w/ 350lb
2" lift unloaded/0 w/ 600lb

By changing the installed leafs you get the different configurations all for $760. With the OME springs you get one configuration for roughly $690.

More versatile.

As far as better, if you're matching components, the Icon offerings are MUCH better than the the basic OME kit. BP-51s are a different story, but the basic OME kit is not ideal.

 

[Frenchy]

The Icons can be configured multiple different ways.

By buying one set of leafs you have 3 options for lift/load.

.375" lift unloaded.
1.125" lift unloaded/0 w/ 350lb
2" lift unloaded/0 w/ 600lb

By changing the installed leafs you get the different configurations all for $760. With the OME springs you get one configuration for roughly $690.

More versatile.

As far as better, if you're matching components, the Icon offerings are MUCH better than the the basic OME kit. BP-51s are a different story, but the basic OME kit is not ideal.

I give you the fact that if you buy one spring it can be configured in such order.... If you are not lazy.

With icon set at its highest it can only take up to 600 lbs of load before leveling the truck out(assuming you did actually lift the front). Old Man EMU on the otherhand with just the basic sping set it takes almost 800 lbs to level out the truck. Want to bring it to the next load level without buying a complete leaf spring again? Old Man EMU does have the parts available to make this happen. At the second level it will take closer to 1,500 lbs to level the truck out and it can take 660 lbs of constant load while retaining the 1.6 inches of lift the lift kit was intending.

As for shock matching, if you have not ran on the Old Man EMU suspension(which i know you havent for the Ranger) then you clearly know nothing about the basic lift kit from Old Man EMU. Just because it uses twin tube shocks does not mean it is inferior compared to the competition. The ride quality is far superior compared to factory and unlike certain competitors(Fox, Bilstein, Eibach and any that only level) Old Man EMU has been engineered to give you not just more ground clearance but also more travel on all 4 without compromising safety along with giving great ride quality both on and OffRoad. They even have different rear sping sets so you can determine what you need before you buy.

Once you get to the BP-51 shocks it does get into another realm where thr only shocks that would compare are those of similar design(even if the shock.doesnt have the bypass like the BP-51).

If you look at icon one thing they did because they noticed it is needed with leveling(but uet not needed when lifting) is add upper control arms to the package. Dont get me wrong, some of the control arms available are nice looking but if you can get a suspension that allows you to get back into factory alignment specifications without changing control arms then that is the way to go.


So.as much as you.might want to think thay icon is better than Old Man EMU in reality they aren't.

One last thing I will add, Icon has only been around since 2008. Old Man EMU has been around since 1970 and has been designing thier suspension for constant on and OffRoad use in the Outback. With all that said I can guarantee Old Man EMU is way better then you belive.

As for the OP @mjamesreuter. Assuming you arent trying to go OffRoad much at all you will do just fint with the Old Man EMU basic suspension with the mid level rear leafs. You might get a little extra bump in the rear for height due to the extra weight capacity. Could it work with Fox? As long as the shocks can take the maximum height then yes but understand that the shock valving isnt designed for Old Man EMU suspension.

 

[D Fresh]

I give you the fact that if you buy one spring it can be configured in such order.... If you are not lazy.

With icon set at its highest it can only take up to 600 lbs of load before leveling the truck out(assuming you did actually lift the front). Old Man EMU on the otherhand with just the basic sping set it takes almost 800 lbs to level out the truck. Want to bring it to the next load level without buying a complete leaf spring again? Old Man EMU does have the parts available to make this happen. At the second level it will take closer to 1,500 lbs to level the truck out and it can take 660 lbs of constant load while retaining the 1.6 inches of lift the lift kit was intending.

As for shock matching, if you have not ran on the Old Man EMU suspension(which i know you havent for the Ranger) then you clearly know nothing about the basic lift kit from Old Man EMU. Just because it uses twin tube shocks does not mean it is inferior compared to the competition. The ride quality is far superior compared to factory and unlike certain competitors(Fox, Bilstein, Eibach and any that only level) Old Man EMU has been engineered to give you not just more ground clearance but also more travel on all 4 without compromising safety along with giving great ride quality both on and OffRoad. They even have different rear sping sets so you can determine what you need before you buy.

Once you get to the BP-51 shocks it does get into another realm where thr only shocks that would compare are those of similar design(even if the shock.doesnt have the bypass like the BP-51).

If you look at icon one thing they did because they noticed it is needed with leveling(but uet not needed when lifting) is add upper control arms to the package. Dont get me wrong, some of the control arms available are nice looking but if you can get a suspension that allows you to get back into factory alignment specifications without changing control arms then that is the way to go.


So.as much as you.might want to think thay icon is better than Old Man EMU in reality they aren't.

One last thing I will add, Icon has only been around since 2008. Old Man EMU has been around since 1970 and has been designing thier suspension for constant on and OffRoad use in the Outback. With all that said I can guarantee Old Man EMU is way better then you belive.

As for the OP @mjamesreuter. Assuming you arent trying to go OffRoad much at all you will do just fint with the Old Man EMU basic suspension with the mid level rear leafs. You might get a little extra bump in the rear for height due to the extra weight capacity. Could it work with Fox? As long as the shocks can take the maximum height then yes but understand that the shock valving isnt designed for Old Man EMU suspension.

As I said. More versatile.


And 1970 called. They want their shock tech back!

 

[slowmachine]

Hey Phil,

Good catch. Luckily the goal is not actually to "increase" the payload capacity rather improve handling and vehicle feedback at or close to GAWR. Don't worry, I'm under on GAWR and under on total payload with the camper fully loaded including myself and girlfriend. That's why we buy light campers. I'd just like the truck to handle the weight better when we are off road.

-Michael

This sounds like a good candidate for a rear sway bar. I know that Hellwig makes one, but have no personal experience to contribute.

 

[Frenchy]

This sounds like a good candidate for a rear sway bar. I know that Hellwig makes one, but have no personal experience to contribute.

Depending on what the OP plans to do that may be a great idea in general.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Folks,

Back in the day when Campers were all the rage, Ford Light Truck Engineering developed a Camper package. We owned several huge camper inserts into the pickup box bed and used them to test for ride and handling. Also outrigger brackets to chain the camper to the pickup box. Camper handling required a substantial revision of rear springs, bushings etc. Then there was the durability testing of the equivalent of 150,000 miles of usage...

So today as I know it....Ranger does not offer Camper Option. So if you do the Helwig rout or OME springs etc.... You are on your own...

When Ford develops something there is a ton of testing and analysis...not so when you embark on bolt on stuff.

A rear bar, in my estimation will be a good add to rear weight stability of some thing that raises the CG of the rear of the vehicle...but...you are on your own and if you experience an incident that requires evasive action....you are along for the Ride and hopefully it ends well, but....?????

Off the soap box and retreating to the flameproof bunker for shitting in your punch bowl.

Best,
Phil

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