2006 Ford F-250 4X4 Crew cab towing golf cart and 2800BH

**ShellDew** · 09-29-2017, 06:03 PM

Im looking for any thoughts on beefing up the rear suspension will be picking up a battery golf cart next week and towing or 2800 BH looking to tow both

**FT4NOW** · 09-30-2017, 04:24 AM

There are plenty of ways to "beef" up a suspension. However, i dont know that there are any aftermarket parts thats will say in writing they are intended to increase your payload capacity. I imagine its a liability issue. If you dont care about that aspect, you can always swap your suspension to the same setup a 350 uses. A SRW 350 has the same suspension as a 250 except it has an additional helper leaf spring that engages when needed. Have you checked powerstroke.org to see if anyone else over there has done any significant suspension upgrades( other than lift kits)?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

**sande005** · 09-30-2017, 07:17 AM

I believe you also posted this on FB, to which I cautioned a little about payload capacity. I've seen others post about some 250's that had very surprisingly light payloads. My tricked out 150 beat them significantly in the amount of weight it could carry. So take a look at your door sticker for allowable payload, just in case. The 12,500 is the amount it can pull, not what it can carry. That said, without knowing your truck's specifics, the 2006 Ford spec's seem to range from 2600 to 3200 capacity, which should be just fine. So it all depends on how heavy that golf cart is....
I have the Firestone airbags on mine, which helped a bit in leveling the old fifth wheel. With them pumped up to even just 30 lbs, the rear became very solid (my wife would call it "very harsh"). The only pain is when not towing/loaded, is to remember to check occasionally to maintain the minimum 5 lbs pressure that all air bags seem to require. Of course you can get fancy with an on board air compressor and dash gauge so you can set them on the fly.....

**Second Chance** · 09-30-2017, 08:06 AM

As has been said in dozens of other posts about payload capacity, nothing you can do - no modification or after market "helper" parts - can legally increase the payload capacity of a truck. Those specifications are set by the design engineers and listed on the door sticker in accordance with Federal regulations. You can do things to help prevent sag (Timbrens, air bags, etc.) and decrease the bouncing (upgraded shocks). The most dangerous limit to exceed is that of the rear tires of the truck. A truck I recently saw up here in New England had a large ATV in the bed with enough weight behind the rear axle that had, before a trailer was even hitched up, unloaded the front wheels so much that I wondered how they were able to steer... not safe!

The only way to know for sure where you stand is to fill up the truck, load all occupants, "junk," and hitch and head for the nearest CAT scales. Subtract the rear axle scale weight from the GVWRR (rear axle weight rating) on the door sticker to get your actual left-over payload. Now subtract the full weight of the golf car (assuming you are going to put it in the bed of the truck) and use 10 - 12% of the trailer's GVWR (NOT empty weight) for an estimated tongue weight. If subtracting these numbers from your payload per the scales puts you over the rear axle capacity - or especially the rear tire capacities - of the truck, it's a no-go. If it's within, you'll be OK. Most folks underestimate just how much stuff they load in a truck and/or trailer for camping. Better safe than sorry.

Rob

**ShellDew** · 09-30-2017, 08:06 PM

Thanks for the info I hadn't even thought about the mileage on my truck 178000 miles Ive never changed the shock's the brakes yes, I was cutting grass today thinking about the bounce I experienced while towing the new larger 2800 BH home. Im going to replace my shocks but would like any info on the replacement shocks and possible add a leaf or air bag additions.

**Second Chance** · 10-01-2017, 05:52 AM

Originally Posted by ShellDew

Thanks for the info I hadn't even thought about the mileage on my truck 178000 miles Ive never changed the shock's the brakes yes, I was cutting grass today thinking about the bounce I experienced while towing the new larger 2800 BH home. Im going to replace my shocks but would like any info on the replacement shocks and possible add a leaf or air bag additions.

There are several really good aftermarket shock absorbers out there. I've had Bilstein 4600s on two trucks now and really like them. Air bags are expensive and have lots of parts. Check out the Timbren suspension kit(s) for your truck. The Timbrens are rubber "springs" that replace the bumper stops on the rear suspension. They don't affect the empty ride, really help when loaded, and are a fourth (or less) the cost of a good air bag kit.

Rob