The Stupid Lowered Questions Thread

[1badgmc]

so my question is how would a drop leaf with the hanger-shackle combo ride...and keep in mind i'm 40 and don't need the firm sport truck ride any more

The shackles and hangers don't change your truck's ride any. All they do is relocate the leaf spring higher into the body, but your ride will be the same since you're using the stock leaf springs. If you have drop shocks your damping rates will change, but not your spring rates.

Drop leafs are a little softer and somewhat bouncier than stock leaf springs, but not in a bad way. I had a 5/8 on my '91 and drove it that way for a good 100,000 miles. I used shackles, hangers and 4" leafs in the rear to get the 8". I liked the setup. It rode and handled extremely well.

...and whether i should use spindles up front or get the upper and lower control arms...I know what i'm getting with spindles, I guess I just really like the idea of brand new upper and lower control arms and wonder what other than the lca being closer to the ground are the negatives of that set up?

If you're wanting a 4/6, then you're going to have to combine your spindles or control arms with drop coils as well. Since this is the case, I would recommend sticking with spindles. Running drop arms with drop springs is a recipe for balljoint failure. I ran 3" arms with 2" coils on my truck. I replaced my lower balljoints once, but I count myself lucky that I never had a failure. I know several other guys who ran the same setup and all had a balljoint failure at some point. Spindles and springs is a tried and true setup with the best reliability.

 

[fishstick]

Ok thanks that's actually good news I guess for simplicities sake. 2 more questions, what shock should I use for comfort's sake would you recommend? Only one I've used are kyb and they are real stiff. And I plan on using my stock steel wheels w/ 235/70/15 and 255/70/15's and don't plan on rolling the lips so which spindles should i go with? Beltech and risk rubbing outsides or the others and have to grind off that much more of my lca? Thanks again

 

[1badgmc]

Ok thanks that's actually good news I guess for simplicities sake. 2 more questions, what shock should I use for comfort's sake would you recommend? Only one I've used are kyb and they are real stiff.

I've always been a fan of Doetsch Tech drop shocks. The Summit Sport Truck shocks are re-branded Doetsch Techs for 2/3 the price.

If you want to go more OEM, you can order rear shocks for a ~'92 Cherokee Sport and fronts for a ~'98 Dakota and buy whatever brand you like.

And I plan on using my stock steel wheels w/ 235/70/15 and 255/70/15's and don't plan on rolling the lips so which spindles should i go with? Beltech and risk rubbing outsides or the others and have to grind off that much more of my lca? Thanks again

I'd stick with some DJM spindles and trim the arms.

 

[ccreddell]

Im 53-and still building trucks-so I'll tell you what you dont want to know. First of all, as long as you have a truck suspension, its going to ride like a truck no matter where the suspension attachment points are located. Theres no free lunch, (i.e. no quick and easy way to make it magically ride like a Caddy). But, there are ways to do this-just not quick and easy. The quickest and easiest thing you can do with your suspension is to find a stock front spring hanger for your rear leaves, get a flip kit and lose the shackle and hanger kit. Find a set of upper and lower tubular CAs that you like, get some non-Belltech spindles, a 2" spring (or cut the stockers), a good set of shocks (I like KYB Gas-A-Just), and admire your new stance. It wont ride any better (well, the KYBs might make a little difference), but being lower to the ground, it will corner better.

Now, if you want it to ride better, the easiest way to do that is with air bags. A complete airbag suspension system-one whose components are designed to work together (and not pieced together)-will do wonders for your ride. Along with the ride you will also gain the ability to adjust your ride height to match the terrain/weather/mood. You can scoot around at 3" off the ground and bump it up to enter a driveway or go over a speed bump. And when you air it out, it makes it real hard to steal. Oh, and with the right system it will handle even better than option one.

If you dont want/like bags, then there are kits to put a 'Vette suspension under the rear (just like the Van Hauler). You get coil springs (or coil overs) and disc brakes. And if you decide you have to have option twos adjustability, you can add bags.

There are kits to put the trailing arm type suspension used on 60s era pickups (that was later adapted to NASCAR). They ride well due to coil springs/coil overs/bags also. They also launch real well and handle.

There are variations to all of the above, but that pretty much covers it.

 

[fishstick]

I'm not opposed to doing a flip kit but it sounds like it's not going to change my ride whatsoever. I like the idea of adding a 2" lowered spring to soften the ride in the rear....I realize a truck will ride like a truck but when i ride in my buddies stock 01 it's night and day. Is it better technology or my old leafs? I know there's a solution whether its the lowered springs or new stock height leafts and a flip.....

 

[Pierced]

I am gonna be that guy for a moment.

You could just bag it lol. Then it will ride like a caddy :-D

When mine was static dropped I had 2" springs, 2" spindles (belltech), and the summit shocks which are rumored to be re-branded doestechs. The front rode really good although it did require rolling the fenders and trimming of the LCA. The rear when it was static always rode like a dump truck because I had a flip kit and shackles (8" drop) and only a mini notch so it bottomed out quite often. I highly recommend getting the Super C-notch from AVS for more clearance without cutting into your bed if your going to do a 6" or more drop in the back.

I would say go with a 2" spring and spindle combo, 4" drop leafs with 2" shackles, and summit shocks all the way around and you should be pretty happy.

link to the notch I mentioned.
http://www.avsontheweb.com/product.php?productid=149&cat=482&page=1

 

[ccreddell]

If im not mistaken, your buddies '01 has coil springs in the back. If not, is it an extra cab? They ride a lot better then the SCSBs.

 

[1badgmc]

If im not mistaken, your buddies '01 has coil springs in the back. If not, is it an extra cab? They ride a lot better then the SCSBs.

All GM fullsize pickups have rear leafs since '73 to current models. They started using rear coils on the fullsize SUVs in '00, but not the trucks.

 

[fishstick]

I have never even looked, i just assumed they were leafs....But looking around on the web it looks like 99 up leafs are readily available so I imagine that's what they are and no its a reg cab short bed.

what would be the advantage be of 4" drop leaf - 2"shackle vs. 2"drop leaf -shackle-hanger combo?

 

[fishstick]

yeah what he said so I guess its just a case of newer components....and a new stock height or lowered leaf spring could do nothing but improve my ride...