Axle swap for gear ratio

[77 K20]

Looks good anyway.....

but for something free might take off your sway bar and go for a drive to see if you like that or not. Removing mine was the single best thing I have ever done. The front end rides very nice now. I guess I get a bit of lean in the corners- but do not haul a slide in camper and I do not expect it to handle like a racecar. If you do like how it feels (at least in a straight line) hitting bumps and have an extra $120 or so you can get a sway bar relocation kit. It will level out your bar and allow it to move when hitting a bump. In the stock location when you hit a bump the sway bar is trying to compress- and it fights it.

Also what type of shocks did you get? Something like a rancho 5000? That might be a large part of it also. I put those on a K5 I had a long time ago and hated the way it rode. Since then I've been using Bilsteins. Either the classic blue/yellow for stock height and the 5100/5125s for lifted. I have been very impressed with them.

 

[HotRodPC]

It sure looks nice though. I've heard that about RC lifts, but usually on the 6in and bigger kits. I wouldn't think a 4in should be that rough.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Look at the rear shackle of the front springs and see if it looks like it is close to contacting the frame. When I had a 4" lift mine was contacting and made it ride rough.

 

[77 K20]

Look at the rear shackle of the front springs and see if it looks like it is close to contacting the frame. When I had a 4" lift mine was contacting and made it ride rough.

And to fix it did you install the off road design HD front spring shackles that are 1/2" longer?

 

[HotRodPC]

Yeah, what Curt said !!! Do it !!!


So where the fugg have you been Curt??? You doing alright??? Just life happening or you moonlighting, cheating on us and hanging out somewhere else???

 

[fallguy]

And to fix it did you install the HD front spring shackles that are 1/2" longer?

The link you've provided says the shackles provide an inch of lift...i dont want any additional lift though....just a better ride.

 

[crazy4offroad]

And to fix it did you install the HD front spring shackles that are 1/2" longer?

I ended up buying used 6" Superlift front springs that had Offroad Design HD shackles, which are a little longer than stock...
http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/hdshackles.htm

Yeah, what Curt said !!! Do it !!!


So where the fugg have you been Curt??? You doing alright??? Just life happening or you moonlighting, cheating on us and hanging out somewhere else???

No I bought a 4wheeler a couple weeks ago and been helping my brother-in-law on his farm. Getting geared up for a coyote hunt this weekend, I'll start a thread in the Great Outdoors section about it, cant wait!

 

[77 K20]

The link you've provided says the shackles provide an inch of lift...i dont want any additional lift though....just a better ride.

Very strange- I do not understand what happened. I didn't put in a link. Besides the ones in that link are for a Jeep.

But from what I read starting in '87 GM had 1/2" longer front shackles even from the factory. I bought the off road design HD shackles that are the same length as the '87-'91. The longer length helps to keep the spring eye from hitting the frame. They wouldn't really provide any more lift. Maybe possibly 0.1"?

 

[crazy4offroad]

Very strange- I do not understand what happened. I didn't put in a link. Besides the ones in that link are for a Jeep.

But from what I read starting in '87 GM had 1/2" longer front shackles even from the factory. I bought the off road design HD shackles that are the same length as the '87-'91. The longer length helps to keep the spring eye from hitting the frame. They wouldn't really provide any more lift. Maybe possibly 0.1"?

The forum has a tendency to automagically insert advertisement links into posts. I bitched about this before but was overruled. Maybe management can now see what kind of confusion it creates and will disable it. I consider it spam.

And a 1" longer shackle yields 0.5" lift.

 

[fallguy]

Looks good anyway.....

but for something free might take off your sway bar and go for a drive to see if you like that or not. Removing mine was the single best thing I have ever done. The front end rides very nice now. I guess I get a bit of lean in the corners- but do not haul a slide in camper and I do not expect it to handle like a racecar. If you do like how it feels (at least in a straight line) hitting bumps and have an extra $120 or so you can get a sway bar relocation kit. It will level out your bar and allow it to move when hitting a bump. In the stock location when you hit a bump the sway bar is trying to compress- and it fights it.

Also what type of shocks did you get? Something like a rancho 5000? That might be a large part of it also. I put those on a K5 I had a long time ago and hated the way it rode. Since then I've been using Bilsteins. Either the classic blue/yellow for stock height and the 5100/5125s for lifted. I have been very impressed with them.

RC hydro's are the shocks I have.

Any benefit to flipping the shock upside down??? Ive seen some do that...

 

[crazy4offroad]

That would likely hurt performance, depending on the shock's valving.

 

[HotRodPC]

RC hydro's are the shocks I have.

Any benefit to flipping the shock upside down??? Ive seen some do that...

That would likely hurt performance, depending on the shock's valving.

Yeah, I don't think I'd do that. That sounds like one of those issues similar to installing a glass pack backwards. You're going to get a different affect, but doesn't mean the performance is going to be better.

 

[Chaz]

Alright maybe dumb question but what is upside down with front and rear shocks on a squarebody??? With my bilsteins thy said install em with the bilstein label so you can read it right side up. I have my shocks with the tube end up front and rear. I've seen em both ways, some tube end up and some tube end down???

 

[Chaz]

Oh and I cut off my dust boots,,,someone told me they trap dirt on the inside and its easier to clean the shock off with no boot,,,,wtf??

 

[Chaz]

My apologies for last post getting off topic but ya my suburban rides rough as hell too on my 35 BFG's,,,my wife says it rides like a mechanical bull I'm considerin a front spring replacement,,,