Words by Trevor Klassen
It seems like more and more people are choosing ½ ton pickup trucks for their towing and hauling needs than ever before. With modern ½ ton pickups capable of hauling most reasonable loads can you blame them?
As a long time member of the heavy-duty club I decided it was time to give a ½ ton a try and to be honest once I towed my first load, I was a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of power, but I expected better handling. With a load that was about 800lbs in the truck bed and a 6500lb trailer utilizing a distribution hitch, the back end of the truck felt like a marshmallow compared to what I was used to. I immediately started looking into what I could do to improve the handling. After doing some research I figured the Hellwig EZ-990 Helper Springs could be the answer to my problem. With a rating of up to 2000lbs of level load carrying capacity they should be more than enough for my needs.
There are several reasons these appealed to me:
- The side-to-side load control can be adjusted separately. Often when hauling material for work I have a load of tools positioned to one side and even with a one ton there was noticeable sag of the leaf springs on that side. In less than 10 minutes I can easily torque one side higher than the other to compensate for this
- You can’t beat the ease of installation!
- Made in America
- You can’t beat the price
Initial results are better than I had hoped. I had fears of kidney crushing back road driving trips but instead I was pleasantly surprised. I am getting the load levelling I had hoped for and still have a ride that is not far from stock and nowhere near that of a ¾ ton.
How easy is the installation? I’m glad you asked. Install time 30-60 minutes.
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Chris Klassen
Support the vehicle with jack stands rated high enough to support your vehicle and chock the front tires. Remove rear wheels.
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With the axle supported remove the factory U-bolts (only remove one side at a time!) and place the Hellwig Helper Spring on top of the existing spring.
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The hole on the helper spring will slide right over the bolt head on the existing spring for proper alignment.
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Replace factory bump stop and U-bolts and torque to factory specifications. Repeat process in the other side. Reinstall wheels and then lower the vehicle down so the wheels are slightly touching the ground
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Install the adjusting U-bolts, crossbars, washers and nuts and lower the vehicle all the way down. Adjust the U-bolts until you have found the desired tension. Maintain at least a ¼” clearance between the truck spring and the helper spring. Once adjusted double nut the U-bolts. That’s it - now it’s time to enjoy the ride.