my understanding of springs is, the short side for handling/traction, with the long side for height/ride.
don't forget the shocks in whatever you decide for springs.
in car's yes that's true, but the trucks have the axle centered, so it's a tad different hence why I like dual rate (or two stage) leaf springs to get the best of both worlds.
You're dead on with shocks too...in order to have a system that's both comfortable and functional, the shock valving has to be engineered to work with the spring rate.
