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

[Orpedcrow]

Cali truck so rust shouldn't be an issue.

The spring/u-bolt plate is cup shaped around the bolts and holds dirt and moisture. They should still be cleaned and inspected from time to time.

I think lift blocks can get a little sketchy, you’re making the axle a lever arm. For a parking lot princess it’s probably ok but smacking a log or a rock could be pretty catastrophic.

 

[Cadillacmak]

How about 2 inch lift shackles and get rid of the blocks?

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Also lift blocks are a bad idea anyway and should be avoided. Remove the tall blocks and use some shorter ones.

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.

 

[someotherguy]

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.

I've seen a set of leafs that were heated to drop the truck. It wasn't pretty. Leaf springs aren't supposed to have an "S" shape in them..

Richard

 

[slow_c1500]

I've had no issues with axle wrap, and she doesn't do any hardcore offroading. If that wasn't the case, I would definitely avoid lift blocks and do the shackle flip instead. I'm just looking for a quick, easy, cheap way to drop the rear 1-2 inches, so I'll most likely do drop shackles. Plus drop shackles are easy to swap back to the stock ones if I wanted that lift back (my tastes change all the time)

 

[INW-Iron-Steel]

I think lift blocks can get a little sketchy, you’re making the axle a lever arm. For a parking lot princess it’s probably ok but smacking a log or a rock could be pretty catastrophic.

How about 2 inch lift shackles and get rid of the blocks?

Also lift blocks are a bad idea anyway and should be avoided. Remove the tall blocks and use some shorter ones.

These guys are giving you solid advice! I'll go a step further and say lift blocks cannot just get sketchy, they ARE sketchy. IMHO I would never run them on anything. Either shackles or proper lift springs, those should be the only options. I like Cadillacmak's idea of ditching the blocks and just running a 2 inch lift shackle. How much are you lifted in the front? Please tell me you're not dropping the back and leaving the front high like some sort of squatted truck.

 

[Tomahawk 309]

These guys are giving you solid advice! I'll go a step further and say lift blocks cannot just get sketchy, they ARE sketchy. IMHO I would never run them on anything. Either shackles or proper lift springs, those should be the only options. I like Cadillacmak's idea of ditching the blocks and just running a 2 inch lift shackle. How much are you lifted in the front? Please tell me you're not dropping the back and leaving the front high like some sort of squatted truck.

Well....I have a 2023 trail boss that the factory put 2" lift blocks on the rear.
In today's litigious society, I highly doubt GM would take the chance of losing multi million dollars in a civil suit if they are "sketchy", but what do I know...

 

[INW-Iron-Steel]

Well....I have a 2023 trail boss that the factory put 2" lift blocks on the rear.
In today's litigious society, I highly doubt GM would take the chance of losing multi million dollars in a civil suit if they are "sketchy", but what do I know...

Lift blocks are cheap. Why didn't they do it the proper way and use lift springs? I'll tell you; using lift blocks means they can use the same spring across all trims. Also, not many guys purchasing a new pickup are actually going to use it like a pickup. They just want "the look."

4 inch lift blocks are sketchy, it's simple physics.

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[slow_c1500]

These guys are giving you solid advice! I'll go a step further and say lift blocks cannot just get sketchy, they ARE sketchy. IMHO I would never run them on anything. Either shackles or proper lift springs, those should be the only options. I like Cadillacmak's idea of ditching the blocks and just running a 2 inch lift shackle. How much are you lifted in the front? Please tell me you're not dropping the back and leaving the front high like some sort of squatted truck.

Don’t worry, it has a 4” spindle lift in the front and 4” rear blocks, I’m just potentially wanting to lower the rear 1-2” to get it level. I hate squatted trucks

 

[Sean Buick 76]

It’s a 2x4. So yeah it would be a good idea to lower the rear end to help with traction.