I have a 98 chevy 1500 ECSB 4x4
I don't like how the rear end squats when hauling heavy loads (snowmobile or ATV)
What would be the best; an add a leaf helper spring or an air bag leveling kit?
Have any recommendations?
I live in MN so harsh winters need to be considered.

 

there are many different ways to go about doing it, depends on how much you want to spend and how much lift you need.

Air bags will do it
add a leafs will do it
air shocks will do it
load helpers will do it

cheapest and easiest route to try would be some load helpers. You can get them at about any parts house. It looks like a shock with a coil spring wrapped around it. It goes in place of the factory shocks. Might not be the best route, but will probrably do exactly what you need, without have to worry about anything killing them.

 

If you add leaf springs your stuck with them loaded or not.
Air shocks are not going to be heavy duty enough with any kind of load.

I run Airlift Company air bags. A killer video explaining them is HERE.

I have ran the same set of bags on several trucks over the years taking them with me as I trade trucks. You can go simple at first or get the incab controls with the little compressor or like myself, I added a very nice Viair 450 heavy duty pump with a place to hook a hose to fill flats.

You will absolutley love this setup. No more folks being blinded by your low-beams and flashing you back.

Firestone makes the very same thing but with their name on it.

 

?


My brother's truck with 6000 lbs of lawn mowers in the bed, and still not bottomed out, with nothing more then cheap helpers. I don't see anything he listed weighing anywhere near that, maybe 1500 lbs tops.

I am looking at it from a cost perspective. Your talking about a $500-$1000 system easy. My route for spring helpers is $80 and for air shocks $120. For $500 or $1000 he could simply buy a small trailer to pull them on.

 

Heh! You do what you can with what you got. The airbags will do 2000 pounds and 6k my a$$. Unless I seen that on the scales I'm taking it with some salt.

 

I just put a set of the air lift bags on, the slam air ones. They are great for towing with, i pull a 25 ft toy hauler and it will level it without the springbars loaded they are pretty strong.

 

his user name is "mybigwarwagon" feel free to drop him a PM if you question the weight of his load.

He told me he was going to move a bull dozier with his half-ton suburban. I told him he was nuts and it wasn't going to work. Then he sent me this







I worked at a salvage/scrap yard for 3 years and saw a full size chevy truck 1/2 ton come in with 12,000 lbs in the bed. He had huge I beams cut in 15 foot section in his bed. When he stopped, the truck would fall back and lift the front end of the ground. It put so much stress on the frame, it shattered the back glass, and twisted the entire truck. He made 10 runs with the same size loads then scrapped the truck. The poor little 4.3L had given all it would give.


We had a kia sephia come in with 4000 lbs of automotive core parts in the interior and trunk. My point, big weight doesn't always look that big. If you don't believe me, we can ask "mybigwarwagon" to start taking pictures of his loads.

And sometimes, heavy weight looks HUGE






Notice it is a full trailer in the bed, and the truck is looks high in the back, barely squatting.

 

That's a 3/4 ton Suburban

 

[QUOTE=cttandy;4218774]

If you don't believe me, we can ask "mybigwarwagon" to start taking pictures of his loads.
QUOTE]
lol. From what ive seen on here air bags are the way to go.

edit... for that weight I would just find a different alternative....

 

count the lug nuts, and read the door my friend.

It only looks like a 3/4 ton because of the sport trim package that was available in 94. Simply factroy fender flares like a 3/4 ton would have.