arched springs

[dee123]

any pros and cons of arched springs to gain 4"

 

[78shortandwide]

Are talking about using leaf springs to get lift vs blocks?

 

[dee123]

need new rear springs and the guy at the spring shop said he could arch them for a 4" lift for free. should i do that or keep them stock and block it?

 

[78shortandwide]

Well I've never done that don't know how it will affect your ride. My 6inch lift on my 78 is all spring and it rides rough. Arching the springs might do the same, you could find some used blocks at kick yard for cheap would keep the ride pretty much the same.

 

[dee123]

talked to guy at spring shop again. he said 3.5" lift with arching wont effect the geometery of the steering. wont need a drop pitman arm or change driveline angles. replace broken spring, add a leaf and arch for $700 canadian. i think thats like $600 american now isnt it?

 

[GreaseDog]

talked to guy at spring shop again. he said 3.5" lift with arching wont effect the geometery of the steering. wont need a drop pitman arm or change driveline angles. replace broken spring, add a leaf and arch for $700 canadian. i think thats like $600 american now isnt it?

and they will sag quicker than a new spring... for $600 you can buy a good quality spring, and the required steering arm... regardless of what he tells you, it WILL change the geometry.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

Personally I would not go that way , (been there , done that) , keep your square nice and sweet . I would go with skyjacker soft ride's.
front springs only = 355.52
rear springs only = 464.12
lift kit , blocks rear = 450.55
lift kit all new springs = 876.51
pro comp steering arm = 68.95
At summit racing
shocks ??? depends on how nice you want to go with.
I would always run a sterring arm with a lift , you want your drag link to be flat as possible for proper steering geo.
Most of the other lifts I have had are to stiff , (superlift , pro comp , rancho , trail master etc...) I myself would only run skyjacker leafs or deaver leafs , but deavers are bank.
I would also run a soft shock , bilstien resovoir's or rancho 9000's turned down. just my 2 cents.
I would also buy the sway bar drop kit from the frame or throw the sway bar in the trash , (trash is what I would do) , your choice.

 

[HotRodPC]

I sure hope not to use blocks on mine, and even if I did, it wouldn't be over 2 inches.

 

[bucket]

For a basic truck that mostly sees street time, I have no problem with rear blocks. Just don't get the crappy aluminum ones, and check the torque on the U-bolts ever now and then. I think a lack of maintenance has helped give blocks a bad name.

Oh, and get good U-bolts from a spring shop, not the little thin ones that come from the parts store.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

I have used 2 " to 6" blocks for year's on a lot of trucks in the back and have thrashed them off road with out one single problem. I just run lift springs in the back now because they look nicer and I have more money to spend on my stuff now that I am older.
Heck dodges still come from the factory with 4" blocks in the back , even on diesel's , ( dodge is still trying to go cheap on stuff)
I would not be afraid of blocks in the back ever.

 

[GreaseDog]

if you're going to buy springs, buy GOOD springs, Rough Country, Pro Crap, Superlift, and Skyjacker are NOT good springs. Tough Country or BDS is the way to go.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

if you're going to buy springs, buy GOOD springs, Rough Country, Pro Crap, Superlift, and Skyjacker are NOT good springs. Tough Country or BDS is the way to go.

I have had 0 problems with skyjacker softrides and with the right shock they ride sweet , (have them on three of my square's right now).As for tuff country , my buddy has them on a 75 square right now and he does'nt like them at all , but he has crappy shocks though , as for bds I have never ran them , but I have heard they make a nice later model truck lift kit. Just my 2 cent's.

 

[GreaseDog]

the numbers don't lie. high spring rate = rough ride.
http://coloradok5.com/springratetable.shtml

BDS also offers a no questions asked lifetime warranty.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

the numbers don't lie. high spring rate = rough ride.
http://coloradok5.com/springratetable.shtml

BDS also offers a no questions asked lifetime warranty.

Sometimes real life differ's from whats on paper , ( kind of like a stated 330 hp motor from summit thats a dog in the real world , maybe 210 hp on a good day) , but to each thier own. Leafs also take some time to settle down after install , I wonder what the rating is then? Anyway I rode many times in my buddies 75 square many times with a tuff country kit (shocks included) and it's crap for ride. He is going to change the shocks and if the ride does not improve his kit goes on craigslist and he wants to go with my set up , skyjacker springs with soft bilstien reservoir shocks for the killer ride and really nice off road as well.
I am not trying to bash but thats first hand of what's going on in our little truck world where I am at right now and like I said I have three square's right now with the same set up , (skyjacker/bilstien) and they all ride better on and off road , better than stock and much better than some of the other square's with other leafs on them in my area. I also have taken some people for a hot lap down the freeway and on a trashed gravel road by my house and they all asked , (What suspension do you have on this thing , I need it).
Again not trying to bash just tossing in my trial and error with different stuff I have ran on my square's

 

[78shortandwide]

I have a pro comp 6 inch lift and yea the ride is stiff butt its not a pavement pounded so no bigger. My buddy has had 2 sets of tuff country front spring buckle on him. Not fun out ing the sticks.