Harder springs or bags

Hi ken w4,

I have a 120 Prado diesel with airbags.

I don't load it to the roof and my van is a 4.4m Windsor Rapid. I take note of the loading and keep the front weight down too.
Ball weight, measured on the bathroom scales!, is around 150kg.

I only put 5lb in around town and up to 10lb when towing.

I find it a better compromise than HD springs in the back as when empty the HD springs are too hard and bouncy.

I have new gas shocks fitted too.

bill

X2, airbags, deflate when not loaded, much nicer ride when the load is removed, doesn't bounce around.

X3 on the airbags, with sensible adjustment of pressures. I have a 2" lift but the rear springs are not the heaviest they could have been, for the reason HKB posted. Supplemented with airbags when loaded, they are great.

Also have adjustable shocks all round.

Cheers

Turbo 1 ... We buy these 4x4s ,load them to the gunnels then wack a fully loaded camper trailer(maybe another three tonne )on the towball and serprise! the ass and is sagging. Well i'll just wack some air bags in,takes the load of the springs they say.
So wear dose the load go ???
straight on to the chassis
This is not a fair comment on the air bags, even if you were to put in stronger springs ,were does the load go???? same place. The car should not be overloaded in the first place.

"This is not a fair comment on the air bags, even if you were to put in stronger springs ,were does the load go???? same place."

Yes, but at two spread out points . . . crew cab utes are the ones to watch apparently, maybe the Prado's fine with air bags used sensibly.

"The car should not be overloaded in the first place."
True, and maybe that can be worked on.
As a bushwalker, I can go out for ~ 10 days carrying everything (bar all my required water) in my backpack, shelter, food, cooker, warmth.
I have done an 8 day walk with everything across a desert though, inc water, being ruthless on other items.

When we drive somewhere we usually take way too much stuff, and most of it un-used.
When walking, the only thing I take that I don't use (in general) is my first aid kit.

Oh, for the OP, leaf spring pack can be boosted with extra shorter leafs (but ride will be harsher unladen, and articulation less offroad), a couple of longer springs might do the same thing but with more comfort.

Something like http://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/SuperSprings/SSA15MTKT.html might be an answer too.