When should I change the stock front leafs?

[Joe T]

On my 87 V10 (K10). They are frowning a little bit.

Truck is ultra original and no bolts have been broken on the bottom side.

I think if I get into the suspension I will be tempted to put a little lift on it as the 235 tires are aged out too.

I will try to get spring pics this morning. But regardless they are frowning which I cant remember being how they come stock or not. Mid 100k mile truck but well taken care of.

This was taken about 5-6 years ago.

Has the hd dual shock front end and no rear blocks if that matters.

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[legopnuematic]

Factory front leafs are negative arched.

They are sacked out when they are riding on the bump stops 100% of the time, like on a plow truck or something. Slight frown is where they should be.

 

[Joe T]

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[bucket]

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Looks how it should.

 

[TotalyHucked]

Yep, that truck sits exactly how it should. If you wanna step up a couple tire sizes, you could put a 2" front spring on it for some more clearance without going too high

 

[Snoots]

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I don't see any issues here.

 

[Grit dog]

Yep, that truck sits exactly how it should. If you wanna step up a couple tire sizes, you could put a 2" front spring on it for some more clearance without going too high

31s stock 33s 2-3” lift is a good “it fits” rule of thumb imo.

 

[TotalyHucked]

Definitely do the lift springs if you wanna go 33s. My '85 K5 Blazer had 33x12.50 mud tires on stock suspension/rallies and it had torn up the front and rear of the front wheel openings

 

[Redfish]

This is what 2" lift and 33x12.50s looks like:

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[Joe T]

Now I need to decide if I should even **** with it at all.

 

[Redfish]

There are so many different opinions here but truly YOUR opinion is the only one that matters. Your truck looks really good to me. There is something special about a stock, all original vehicle that is almost 40 years old.

I knew I wanted mine to look like it would have looked if I had owned it in 1987 and could have set it up properly back then. We didn't lift them to the moon because we used them. They had to get us back and forth to school/work, get us through the mud during hunting season, pull boats, pull trailers and haul firewood, feed, and whatever else we needed to move. About 2 inches of lift took care of what we needed. High enough to put some decent mud grips but not so high we could not USE the truck.

Bring that rig east to Cruisin The Coast next October and see how much attention it gets.

 

[edgephoto]

I would leave it alone. Your truck is nice.

I am someone who prefers things stock. I rarely see a set of aftermarket wheels that look good.

 

[TotalyHucked]

There are so many different opinions here but truly YOUR opinion is the only one that matters. Your truck looks really good to me. There is something special about a stock, all original vehicle that is almost 40 years old.

I knew I wanted mine to look like it would have looked if I had owned it in 1987 and could have set it up properly back then. We didn't lift them to the moon because we used them. They had to get us back and forth to school/work, get us through the mud during hunting season, pull boats, pull trailers and haul firewood, feed, and whatever else we needed to move. About 2 inches of lift took care of what we needed. High enough to put some decent mud grips but not so high we could not USE the truck.

Bring that rig east to Cruisin The Coast next October and see how much attention it gets.

This is exactly what I'd do if it were my truck, a 2" lift and 33s. Redfish's truck is one of my favorites on this site, clean and simple

 

[DoubleDingo]

Now I need to decide if I should even **** with it at all.

Honestly, I'd leave it alone. It will ride way better than any 2" lift you can get, and it looks awesome as it is. When I had Dad's 79 GMC Sierra Grande 4x4 it rode so nice and 4-wheeled just fine.

 

[Redfish]

Honestly, I'd leave it alone. It will ride way better than any 2" lift you can get, and it looks awesome as it is. When I had Dad's 79 GMC Sierra Grande 4x4 it rode so nice and 4-wheeled just fine.

I will have to RESPECTFULLY disagree about the ride quality. I have Skyjacker Softride leaf springs on the front of mine and I would argue that it rides significantly better than any of the 4wd Square Body trucks of my youth. Those negatively arched front springs don't have a lot of travel before they hit the bump stops.

Don't misunderstand me, my truck does not ride smooth by any means but it does ride smoother than the factory setup.

Of course there are multiple threads on here that discuss the stiffness/softness of the various aftermarket manufacturers. I think the Tough Country, the ORD and the Skyjacker are the three softest options.

I do completely agree with you that the truck does look awesome as it is.