Axle swap for gear ratio

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

77 K20

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Posts
3,101
Reaction score
3,119
Location
Montana
First Name
Mike
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
K20 5" lift
Engine Size
HT383 fuel injected
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.
 
Last edited:

HotRodPC

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Posts
47,114
Reaction score
9,266
Location
OKC, OK
First Name
HotRod
Truck Year
85 K20 LWB
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
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

Equal Opportunity Destroyer
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Posts
8,479
Reaction score
1,105
Location
West BY-GOD Virginia
First Name
Curt
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K-10
Engine Size
350/SM465/NP205
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

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Posts
3,101
Reaction score
3,119
Location
Montana
First Name
Mike
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
K20 5" lift
Engine Size
HT383 fuel injected
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?
 
Last edited:

HotRodPC

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Posts
47,114
Reaction score
9,266
Location
OKC, OK
First Name
HotRod
Truck Year
85 K20 LWB
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
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

Full Access Member
Joined
May 11, 2011
Posts
189
Reaction score
49
Location
Minot, ND
First Name
Jamie
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
Silverado K10
Engine Size
350
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

Equal Opportunity Destroyer
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Posts
8,479
Reaction score
1,105
Location
West BY-GOD Virginia
First Name
Curt
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K-10
Engine Size
350/SM465/NP205
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

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Posts
3,101
Reaction score
3,119
Location
Montana
First Name
Mike
Truck Year
1977
Truck Model
K20 5" lift
Engine Size
HT383 fuel injected
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

Equal Opportunity Destroyer
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Posts
8,479
Reaction score
1,105
Location
West BY-GOD Virginia
First Name
Curt
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K-10
Engine Size
350/SM465/NP205
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

Full Access Member
Joined
May 11, 2011
Posts
189
Reaction score
49
Location
Minot, ND
First Name
Jamie
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
Silverado K10
Engine Size
350
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

Equal Opportunity Destroyer
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Posts
8,479
Reaction score
1,105
Location
West BY-GOD Virginia
First Name
Curt
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K-10
Engine Size
350/SM465/NP205
That would likely hurt performance, depending on the shock's valving.
 

HotRodPC

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Posts
47,114
Reaction score
9,266
Location
OKC, OK
First Name
HotRod
Truck Year
85 K20 LWB
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
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

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Posts
192
Reaction score
13
Location
USA
First Name
Chaz
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
V1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350 tbi/th400/np241c
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

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Posts
192
Reaction score
13
Location
USA
First Name
Chaz
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
V1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350 tbi/th400/np241c
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

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Posts
192
Reaction score
13
Location
USA
First Name
Chaz
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
V1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350 tbi/th400/np241c
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 :wtf2::wtf2: I'm considerin a front spring replacement,,,
 

Forum statistics

Threads
43,936
Posts
946,044
Members
35,982
Latest member
jake26104
Top