[Ivan D.]

Slugish, most C10s came with 4-leaf rear springs, but there was also an option for a 7 or 8-leaf springs, those are known as "heavy half" trucks. Going through dips and such creates certain amount of force the springs have to absorb, which in yer case can't be completely absorbed cause yer travel is limited. The so-called "helper bags" you mentioned might work because they effectively stiffen up the rear suspension, but that also reduces the amount of lift you have at the rear. The real trick is to stiffen up the suspension without affecting ride height, that's normally achieved by installing shorter and stiffer coils. In yer situation since we're talking about rear springs what you need would be the leafs off a 3/4-ton truck, yer ride height should be about the same but the springs are stiffer so you won't bottom out as easy. One thing tho - stiffer springs require heavier-valved shocks, or you'll end up like me cooking the police shocks on my car with some superduty springs.

Also do not even think of using shock travel limiters to prevent bottoming out, you'd be much better off by welding some new bump stop mounting pads to the axle so that they contact it just at the end of the travel and like a 1/4" before the axle hits it.