Lowering rear 1-2" on a budget: Heating or removing leaf springs?

[slow_c1500]

Hello, I'm looking to potentially lower the rear of my truck around 1 or 2 inches on a budget. I don't care too much about ride quality. As far as I know there are 2 options:

1. Heat up leaf springs with a blow torch to reshape them and lower the truck. I believe you would not jack up the truck at all, just heat them and let the weight compress the leaves into a new shape. Haven't heard of this being done on a GMT400 before but is there any reason it wouldn't work?

2. Removing a leaf or leaves from the spring pack. I know this has been done, but how many leaves (and which ones in the pack) should I remove to get 1-2 inches of drop? And would I need shorter U-bolts?

 

[99xcss4]

what rear leaf springs do you have if you do not tow any thing or put a lot of heavy things in the bed you can swap to a 3 leaf packs with no over load leaf on the bottom

 

[Orpedcrow]

Drop shackles are pretty cheap.

U-bolts shouldn’t be reused and our trucks have a habit of eating them anyway. Most replacement u-bolts are going to be a little long and need trimming regardless.

I’d maybe lean towards removing a leaf. One of the middle ones. And only one of them.

Heating springs is typically advised against. Even among people that have done it. There’s an increased chance of breaking one after it’s been heated. It’s hard to get both sides even. You’re going to need an oxy/acetelyne torch. Propane and MAPP/pro plumbing torches just won’t get you there.

Consider pinion angle differences too.

 

[DieselTech]

Remove a couple leafs, & install drop shackles. That will easily get 2-3" of drop if not more.

 

[someotherguy]

1-2" is a job for drop shackles. Leave all that other nonsense in the trash.

Richard

 

[Das Hatt]

Just install some drop shackles. It's literally four bolts. When I did mine, the lower bolt that mounted the shackle to the frame came out relatively easily, but I had to cut the bolts that were in the spring eye because the bolt and sleeve inside the bushing had rusted together. Had to replace the bushings too.

 

[slow_c1500]

I should mention that my truck has 4in lift blocks and longer u-bolts already (I know, I should have just gotten smaller blocks, but y'all know how ever-changing our tastes are lol). Between drop shackles, removing one of the middle leaves, or swapping to smaller lift blocks, which one is the least amount of work? Cali truck so rust shouldn't be an issue.

 

[fancyTBI]

I should mention that my truck has 4in lift blocks and longer u-bolts already (I know, I should have just gotten smaller blocks, but y'all know how ever-changing our tastes are lol). Between drop shackles, removing one of the middle leaves, or swapping to smaller lift blocks, which one is the least amount of work? Cali truck so rust shouldn't be an issue.

Drop shackles. Did you ever buy a jack stand or a floor jack? You’ll need them to do this job.

 

[ChrisRHC]

Do not ever consider heating up spring steel. Once heated, the heat treat is GONE and you will have a sketchy pos.

Unless you have a forge and you can normalize the steel, requench it, and temper it back to a usable spring hardness. And I'm going to go on a limb and say you dont.

Drop shackles, remove a leaf, anything else, but do not ever heat up spring steel without the ability to re heat treat it.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Heating the coil springs and ruining them although dangerous and ill advised it only works for coil springs.

For heating leaf springs it’s a hard no, you will just damage the springs without getting the drop you want.

As stated some drop shackles and or remove a few leaf springs.

I’m currently running a 92 K2500 with 1500 leafs, 2” lowering front frame leaf spring hangers, 2” Lowering shackles. If I wanted it lower I would remove all the leaves except one, and add helper air bags.