Panaraptor
Member
I just finished upgrading the rear with Deaver springs and the RPG stag 2 bump stop kit. My goal was to be able to tow an offroad trailer(3500lbs max) without sagging and without sacrificing the inherent Raptorness that I've come to love after setting up base camp. Nothing on this forum was helpful so I called Deaver directly. They convinced me to buy a custom set of rear springs that they made specifically for my application. Interestingly they said I should keep the stock spring blocks. I tried purchasing one of their stock spring packages...either the SD or HD +3 or +4 but they said I would not be happy. I already have the KHC torque arm installed so I wasn't worried about axle wrap and deferred to their expert advice. Turns out the custom springs were about $400 cheaper than their standard leaf packs.
Now that I've got it all installed and had a few weeks to try it out(only pulled a 2klbs trailer a couple of times) I can say it pays to listen to the experts at Deaver rather than the foolish advice you'll get on this forum when it comes to your specific configuration. Eibach/ Geiser and SD/HD +3 or +4 is the standard answer and probably works fine in a lot of situations but when your trying to have it both ways (towing/Hauling AND retaining/improving stock Raptor unloaded performance) then do yourself a favor and talk directly to the experts at Deaver. For reference I carry about 150lbs of recovery gear in the bed at all times and plan to carry an additional 150lbs when out on the trail plus the tongue weight of the trailer until I drop it off at base camp. Without the trailer the truck sits about 1.5 inches high in the rear without the trailer and performs at least as well if not better than stock. With a 2klb utility trailer it sits about 1 inch high in the rear so when I eventually hook up my 3500lb max offroad trailer I have no doubt there will be enough room to prevent squat and may even retain a little rake for additional load.
I couldn't be happier with the loaded and unloaded ride of the truck and am extremely grateful to Deaver for an amazing custom product. BTW...The rear suspension in our trucks is considered a two stage rear leaf rather than a straight progressive. The new custom spring is also a two stage design. They started with a stock spring, added 2 leafs on each side with custom bends to derive the final result and 1 inch higher than stock. The pre-packaged SD/HD +3,+4 that Deaver offers is a progressive spring and according to Deaver is not appropriate for towing(obviously you can tow with them). Suspension modification is ALWAYS a trade off between this and that and finding the sweet spot in between was my goal and I'm happy to say that...with Deaver's help...I think I've found it. I also switched to a Camburg shackle(stock) for the heck of it since the springs were being replaced anyway.
I've not done anything to the front of my truck at this point but if I had Eibach/Geiser's installed then the configuration of the rear leaf's would obviously be different. There's a whole other discussion related to the pros/cons of front suspension modifications taking into account what your trying to achieve, impact/additional stress to stock upper/lower control arms, ball joints, etc, etc that is best left to the experts at places like RPG...who by the way talked me out of upgrading the front springs(a stock 2017 did finish the baja 1000 with stock springs after all). Sometime in the future I may take on the front but for now the truck is a beast off road and the tow/haul has been improved. Your individual driving/style/goals/wants/desires/needs/thoughts may vary. My wants/needs was to have my truck perform the same or better than stock while improving the tow/haul capabilities. How close I came to that goal is my own opinion with the help of the experts at RPG and Deaver. I've got my eye on the Bolt kit from RPG although for my needs/wants I can't justify the 5k at this time.
Nothing on this forum was helpful?
Foolish advice you'll get on this forum?
Personally I like forum advise 100x more than the “expert advise.” You don’t have to deal with all the marketing BS and potential dishonesty when they need to move inventory or promote a new product, for example. Nothing beats real world experience from actual owners.
