Youngster Needing Advice

[K20Elzy]

About two weeks ago I bought my dream truck. A 1975 GMC K20 4x4. I live in California so presuming trucks are becoming a hot commodity lately. I picked the truck up for 2500 bucks but it came with a few issues. It's my daily driver but I also want it to perform on and off the road. I don't have anyone in my family to turn to for advice on 4x4s so I came to you guys for help. The folks I bought I from didn't know a lick about it because they planned on rebuilding it from the ground up.

My questions mainly concern the suspension and 6" lift already on the truck. It has leaf springs in the back with ugly blocks. I'd like to ditch the blocks and do something better to get better articulation and travel. I've heard that I can get a shackle flip kit but I want to know if I can also get different springs to avoid the 1" body lift. I'm running 33s but I'd like to run 35s. I'm pretty positive it has the original Dana 44s as well. If that helps with detail and description.

I'm only 19 but I have machanical abilities as well as fab and welding experience.

 

[firebane]

Shackle flip is super easy to do and depending on the length of your current springs which are most likely 52" you can upgrade to 56" springs with the shackle flip which will give you a better ride AND articulation in the back.

You will need a zero rate spring to fix the movement of the rear axle but those are cheap as well. Take into account you may also need longer shackle hangars to make up for the worn springs as well as possibly needing a minimum 2" block as a shackle flip usually ends up in the -/+ 4" lift area.

I just put a shackle flip into my 74 1/2 ton and the toughest part was getting the rivets out. You can see if you look closely how the rear hangar is hanging differently in this picture.

My plans are next year to get some 56" springs, zero rate, and build some heavy duty rear hangars.

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[crazy4offroad]

Shackle flip will get you much flex out back, I would probably be ok taking a leaf or three out from under the back of mine to get a little more stuff in the fenderwells. Drill the rivets first and you can cut the heads off with an air chisel then pop them through the frame with the punch attachment on the air chisel. Best thing you can do for offroad-ability is lockers. Don't forget to address gearing, find out what ratio it has and if 35s are just going to kill performance. It's an endless thing once you get started. Firebane is right BTW, unless you buy lift springs to add with the rear shackle flip you'll have to run at least a 2" block to make it 6". And Zero Rates help you recenter the axle in the fenderwell since the shackle flip swings the axle forward as well as down.

 

[K20Elzy]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I might throw out the 6" lift for a 3" suspension lift and 1" body lift. I figured 33s are a good size for wheeling and they're also slightly less expensive then 35s. I saw on ORD they have the complete 3" kit. All I would need is the body lift. Unless a body lift is a bad idea.

 

[77 K20]

Why even run a 1" body lift? There should be enough room for the 33" tires with just the 3" lift- unless you are running some strange wide wheels.

 

[K20Elzy]

Oh ok. I didn't really know if they would clear or not

 

[steelburner83]

a little bit at a time, fix it on the weeknights and wheel it on the weekends

 

[theblindchicken]

Welcome to the GMSB Family! Not too many faces on here around our West Coast.


Depending on the backspacing and width of your wheels and tires, some guys can pull off 33's on stock height. But that's usually without a worn out suspension.

I used to run a set of 33" Coopers on a set of 15 x 10" steels. No problem with rubbing whatsoever. But, when I picked up a set of 33" BFG's on a set of 15x10 5 slot mags, they would rub at full turn or when hitting a dip.

Now, with the same rims and a set of 32" Yokohama Geolander A/T-S, no rubbing at all.

Basically, the wider your wheels (or lower backspacing), the more likely you'll rub on the fenders.



Over this past summer, I installed the ORD 4" shackle flip with the 4.5" shackles and a pair of 4" EZ Rides up front. She rides real smooth. A ton better than before and she flexes pretty good for an old gal too.

 

[1973c10]

Welcome

 

[Mr Clean]

from N.E.

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