Icon Tremor Leaf Springs

[Thegoatman]

I’m going to do some work on this when I swap to snap rings this weekend. Im going to dry cycle without the spring if the hats come off easily and the spring compressor doesn’t scare me to the point I don’t want to leave the spring compressed for an extended period of time. I don’t have the tremor struts on hand tho.
I do have regular f150 struts.
So we’ll know f150 struts and Fox snap ring travel at the wheel.

Edit: I couldn’t get the hat off. So maybe next time

 

[metallikatz3]

I’m going to do some work on this when I swap to snap rings this weekend. Im going to dry cycle without the spring if the hats come off easily and the spring compressor doesn’t scare me to the point I don’t want to leave the spring compressed for an extended period of time. I don’t have the tremor struts on hand tho.
I do have regular f150 struts.
So we’ll know f150 struts and Fox snap ring travel at the wheel.

We already know the ratios, so we can hand calculate this already. If you take (2” / (actual height of a 2” puck)) * (strut shaft travel) = wheel travel. Given no binding.

Do you know the ratio of shock travel to wheel travel? The Icon coils have 3" of travel it looks like based on what I measured before I installed them.

 

[DMK]

Do you know the ratio of shock travel to wheel travel? The Icon coils have 3" of travel it looks like based on what I measured before I installed them.

Based on the measurement photos you shared on the Icon thread, it looks like the 3" was only to the start of the rubber bump stop. The bump stop can compress another 2.5-3" by the looks of it. So maybe closer to 6" of total shock travel.

Also, I ended up jacking up the rear of my truck until the tires lifted off the ground and measured almost 10.75" from the rear bump stop to the axle. So I think we are getting about 11" of rear travel stock, which sounds about right with the additional 1.5" of rear travel that Ford claims.

 

[CAMDENN]

$$$$$$!

 

[GKTremor]

Based on the measurement photos you shared on the Icon thread, it looks like the 3" was only to the start of the rubber bump stop. The bump stop can compress another 2.5-3" by the looks of it. So maybe closer to 6" of total shock travel.

Also, I ended up jacking up the rear of my truck until the tires lifted off the ground and measured almost 10.75" from the rear bump stop to the axle. So I think we are getting about 11" of rear travel stock, which sounds about right with the additional 1.5" of rear travel that Ford claims.

One thing to keep in mind is that full travel is not the straight up and down motion of both wheels together. The shocks on the tremor have a little more than 11 inches of travel (limited by the springs on droop and the bumps on compression). The wheel however is not connected to the same location as the shock. When one wheel is in full droop the other will be compressed (if you are articulating). The tires arc is actually more than the travel of the shock.

It’s the same idea with the front suspension. The stock strut travel on a gen 1 raptor is 7.5 inches but the front suspension travel is 11 inches.

 

[DMK]

One thing to keep in mind is that full travel is not the straight up and down motion of both wheels together. The shocks on the tremor have a little more than 11 inches of travel (limited by the springs on droop and the bumps on compression). The wheel however is not connected to the same location as the shock. When one wheel is in full droop the other will be compressed (if you are articulating). The tires arc is actually more than the travel of the shock.

It’s the same idea with the front suspension. The stock strut travel on a gen 1 raptor is 7.5 inches but the front suspension travel is 11 inches.

Makes sense! I was only thinking about straight up and down travel and didn't account for the wheel arc when articulating

 

[Thegoatman]

The oem tremor rear shocks are 18.1” collapsed and 30.5” extended. Idk where everyone is getting these numbers. Take 5 mins and zip one off and measure it.

 

[GKTremor]

The oem tremor rear shocks are 18.1” collapsed and 30.5” extended. Idk where everyone is getting these numbers. Take 5 mins and zip one off and measure it.

True those are accurate measurements. What you aren’t taking into account is the stroke of the shock is not (most of the time) dictated by the limits of the shock but by the truck. The maximum extension in the rear is going to be limited by the leaf springs and the bump stops will limit the compression. While the specs for the shocks are more like 12.4 inches the real on the truck travel is more like 11.4.

 

[Thegoatman]

Yes shock length doesn’t equal wheel travel. Static droop doesn’t equal full travel in all conditions.

 

[Alex Tasch]

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2020/12/08/all-new-2021-ford-f-150-tremor.html

Motortrend copied the official Ford media release which states the 1.5/1 inch increase with no official numbers. I forget what the DR2 was specified for originally for actual numbers.

When I was researching the Tremor before I finally ordered one I do recall seeing travel numbers but I just can't remember where. There were just so many articles and as you know some just contain basic specs and others contain off roading capabilities. Thanks for the post.

 

[Thegoatman]

Do you know the ratio of shock travel to wheel travel? The Icon coils have 3" of travel it looks like based on what I measured before I installed them.

Edit: regular 2022 F150 strut 21.5” extended (Fox measuring method)
16.44” collapsed
5.06” travel

 

[traymore]

Edit: regular 2022 F150 strut 21.5” extended (Fox measuring method)
16.44” collapsed
5.06” travel

so 5.06in travel, anybody knows the ratio so we can calculate wheel travel?

 

[GKTremor]

so 5.06in travel, anybody knows the ratio so we can calculate wheel travel?

Can’t get under the truck right now but this is the resource I was given.

 

[Thegoatman]

so 5.06in travel, anybody knows the ratio so we can calculate wheel travel?

Idk what I was thinking the other day but the calculation isn’t this simple. The easiest way is to measure.

 

[traymore]

Anybody else installed those leaf springs and can report?

 

[AlpRunner]

Anybody else installed those leaf springs and can report?

I finally have some real miles and trails on mine and have a few observations. I set mine up in option 3 and I’m just about level with 800-900lbs in the bed. I should note I’m on the new Halos and run Timbren off road bumpstops.

On a recent trip running moderate trails with the occasional challenging line, and towing an off-road trailer, the leaf springs were silent and performed as they should. Not sure how else to relay performance. They’re leaf springs.

I’d recommend a lowering shackle per Icon guidance. My oem shackles make contact with the exhaust. Before setting out for my trip I tested articulation in light of contact, see pics. Articulation didn’t suffer much and contact is light, but eventually may be problematic. Returning home from my trip I threw an emissions code. Probably an unrelated O2 sensor (exhaust and hangers appear fine) but worth noting.

 

[mm22tremor]

I finally have some real miles and trails on mine and have a few observations. I set mine up in option 3 and I’m just about level with 800-900lbs in the bed. I should note I’m on the new Halos and run Timbren off road bumpstops.

On a recent trip running moderate trails with the occasional challenging line, and towing an off-road trailer, the leaf springs were silent and performed as they should. Not sure how else to relay performance. They’re leaf springs.

I’d recommend a lowering shackle per Icon guidance. My oem shackles make contact with the exhaust. Before setting out for my trip I tested articulation in light of contact, see pics. Articulation didn’t suffer much and contact is light, but eventually may be problematic. Returning home from my trip I threw an emissions code. Probably an unrelated O2 sensor (exhaust and hangers appear fine) but worth noting.
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Looks legit, I'm trying to figure out my suspension set up and leaning to the Icon leaf pack in option 1 since I'm generally unloaded, with some OR bump stops and new shocks; however maybe I don't understand based on your pictures - wouldn't the shackle actually lower the leaf spring itself so it would end up making more contact?

 

[AlpRunner]

Looks legit, I'm trying to figure out my suspension set up and leaning to the Icon leaf pack in option 1 since I'm generally unloaded, with some OR bump stops and new shocks; however maybe I don't understand based on your pictures - wouldn't the shackle actually lower the leaf spring itself so it would end up making more contact?

Somewhat counterintuitive but a shorter shackle pulls the leafspring eyelets closer to the mounting point on the frame. This produces less lift but allows greater travel of the spring before hitting the exhaust. Whether a lowering shackle would prevent all contact in all cases I can’t say, but in my case the contact is light enough I think it would.

 

[Cranbery]

Somewhat counterintuitive but a shorter shackle pulls the leafspring eyelets closer to the mounting point on the frame. This produces less lift but allows greater travel of the spring before hitting the exhaust. Whether a lowering shackle would prevent all contact in all cases I can’t say, but in my case the contact is light enough I think it would.

To add, the springs are SIGNIFICANTLY more arced than stock. I have the additional leaf on mine and it raises the rear almost 2", about the same as the stock block which I took out. It makes sense to pull it down when you see the arc those leafs have.

 

[MacHugh]

Even more counterintuitive, but lowering/drop shackles are actually longer and not shorter. They raise the rear mouting point of the leaf up, which raises leaf higher or further away from axle, resulting in the chassis lowering. I have to visualize in terms of removing and reinstalling leaf to get it to click in my head. But this explains why there's less interference with exhaust also since it will now be hung higher than stock.