Are Parabolic Springs Better Than Leaf Springs On A 79 Series?

Parabolic springs are leaf springs built from fewer, thicker leaves that taper along their length, so each leaf flexes rather than relying on a tall stack. Because they use two or three leaves instead of many thin ones, there's far less inter-leaf friction, the rubbing that makes a standard pack ride harsh when unladen. On a 79 Series that gives you a smoother, more compliant rear that still carries a genuine load. 

Standard multi-leaf springs stack many thin leaves. They're simple, tough and load-friendly, but that friction makes them ride firm empty. Neither is wrong; they're built for different priorities. 

Parabolics trade some of the multi-leaf's raw simplicity for a much smoother ride, which is why tourers favour them. 

We fit parabolics in different weight ratings, so you can have a smoother ride and real capacity by matching the rating to how you load the truck. The idea that parabolics are soft comes from comparing a light-rated parabolic to a heavy multi-leaf. Rated correctly, a parabolic carries properly while still riding better than the equivalent stacked pack. If your load is very high and constant, that becomes a capacity conversation as much as a spring one, and we'd look at a 79 Series GVM upgrade alongside it.