Lowering an F350 4x4

[Ironman03R]

I know what your thinking...

Heres the deal, I know someone that has a 97 F350 standard cab longbed 4x4 w/ an 8in lift. He wants it back to stock or lower than stock, I have a 92 250 w/ 265/75 tires on it and he likes that height. I'm thinking of swaping the rear 250 blocks, and either finding stock 350 leaf springs for the front or using the 250 ones with an add a leaf.
He wants this lower than stock to pull a gooseneck and be able to get things in and out of the bed easier.

My concern is that he uses it to plow snow in the winter, so will stock 250 springs w/ an add a leaf work ok? Also, will the truck sit funny with F250 rear blocks and stock rear springs with stock F350 front springs? I think it has 6 springs in the rear w/ 1 overload. How many should be in the front Stock?
Hes ok with going back to a 265/75/16 tire size.

 

[9073]

I put a dana 60 axle on the front of my f-250. At that time we replaced the springs. I went with the highest rated springs for a ford pickup, which was not a one ton diesel, my f-250 had a higher rated capacity springs. I don't remember the exact numbers, but they were significantly higher.

The 250 springs will be more than strong enough for plowing (I plow with mine) It does not sag at all, but if they did they would hit the timbrens I have on it.

It will ride HORRIBLE though. It's not to bad with a plow on it, but unloaded it seems like my molars might come out somtimes, but its a work truck so I don't care.

 

[riotwarrior]

Well stock or near stock springs in front with air bags for extra loads (plow) could provide for a nice ride and add capacity when needed. So long as one does not go over the axle's capacity.

8" of lift is pretty significant. so a drop to stock would be decent for a goose/5'er

 

[Ironman03R]

I thought I remember hearing something about the F250 front springs and the F350 springs being different. Are they both reverse arch?

 

[tractorman86]

i think a 350 has a slight pos arch, hence a 1ton usually being taller than 3/4tons. not poaitive though

 

[82F100SWB]

Yep, 1 ton springs are flat or slight positive arch, where as F250 ones are negative, and nearly double the spring rate. That's due to the way the TTB loads the springs individually instead of sharing the weight across the axle... With a solid axle, they ride horrible.

With an 8" lift, that truck probably has non stock rear springs also, at the least an add a leaf. Stock, a F350 shoudl ahve a 4" block in the rear.
How big of a tire is on that truck? 8" should have it clearing 40's or 42's with ease. I run 38's with no issues on my 460 truck with stock F350 suspension and a 3" BL, which equates out to about a 4" suspension.

 

[Ironman03R]

There are 6 springs in the rear with 1 over load and the stock 4" block stacked with a 3 inch and a 1inch angle block (8" total) to set pinion angle, there are about 5 springs in the front with triple shocks. It sits a little higher in the front. It is a trailmaster lift, and it was on the truck when he got it so he dont know how high it really is. The tires on it are 33" tall, and at least 13" wide. It has a ton of clearance in the wheel well, I'd say at least 10" to the top of the fender opening from the top of the tire.
Normally Id say its only like a 4" due to the way the rear blocks are, but it sits WAY to high for only 4" of lift.
The way it looks now we're gonna swap the 250 suspension to it and go from there.