Last month, due to a change in plans\logistics, I ended up "hauling" 1200 lbs of bikes and about 1000 lbs of people and personal gear.
Would have been nothing for the Super Duty. (F350). And even the old fishing truck, 2003 Ram 2500, would have carried it fine. (Although cramped)
But I was in the comfort truck. A basic F150.
The OEM suspension wasn't adequate for the amount of weight that was placed over the rear axle. As a result, the rear squatted and the front was light and raised.
You could see it. You could feel it. You were forced to compensate for the negative affect it had on the handling of the truck.
Stopped in at a few (3) Off-Road truck shops. (Lots of them in Colorado)
Got the same advice from each one.
Finally Roxworks in Montrose had the time to get to it quickly.
They just added a set of FireStone Air Bags. Pumped about 40lbs of air in them and got the truck back to proper "sag". Front and back.
A HUGE and immediate impact on look and feel.
All for ~$350 parts and a couple of hours labor.
The guy said he has done "a million" 1/2 tons that need to be able to carry max loads.
He explained the airbags were like adding springs and even had increased damping.
He suggested if I desired more improvement, he had shocks to recommend.
Didn't seem so controversial when the concept was applied to a 4 wheel vehicle.
Nobody tried to talk me out of it. Nobody said I wouldn't really notice the improvement. And nobody acted like it wasn't worth it.
I suspect the fact that on 2 wheels it is ironically much more expensive to apply the same improvements, and thus drives the passionate debate.
If $500 (parts n labor) would transform the Tenere, these threads wouldn't have near the fuel.