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Old 08-04-2014, 11:27 PM   #1
775stepside
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Lowering my lifted 77k10

What is the best and cheapest way to lower my truck? It currently has a lift on it and want to remove it. It has a block under the leaf spring in the back but I don't know how it's lifted from the front? What do I need to remove, atleast to bring it to stock height
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Old 08-04-2014, 11:30 PM   #2
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Stock front springs and lose the rear blocks.
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Old 08-04-2014, 11:42 PM   #3
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Stock front leaf springs? That's all for the front? I can't seem to find any lowering kits for my k10 for the front
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Old 08-05-2014, 12:11 AM   #4
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Most k10 owners aren't looking to lower them.
You may need a stock pitman as well.
Pics would help.
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Old 08-05-2014, 12:28 AM   #5
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

We'll I would like to lower it, but if anything at least bring it back to stock height. And in the front I have leaf springs and a shock. No springs
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Old 08-05-2014, 01:26 AM   #6
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Leaf or coils are all springs.
So some stock Leaf springs and no blocks and some stock length shocks.
Would get it back down
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Old 08-05-2014, 02:20 AM   #7
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Do you know how big the lift is on it?
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Old 08-05-2014, 11:03 AM   #8
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

You'll need to correct your steering too. Get a stock pitman arm if yours is aftermarket. Same with the steering arm, if yours is aftermarket. If your truck has a body lift too, take that off and correct the shift linkages. For the suspension itself, stock springs and shocks are all you need.
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Old 08-05-2014, 01:23 PM   #9
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

I believe it has a 4" lift. I just see blocks in the back, possibly with higher leaf springs, and in the front I don't see nothing that would lift it. I'll take pictures today and post them
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Old 08-05-2014, 08:08 PM   #10
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Old 08-12-2014, 11:06 PM   #11
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Just FYI, those are actually lift kit springs in the front. They are not factory. Nothing about the front springs is factory. Factory springs are tapered. they get thinner away from the axle. You could still do as donut said and pull the bottom three springs out and see how it goes, but my fear is that due to the manufacture of that lift kit intending those springs to live their life as they are now with regards to arch, they could fatigue and break over time if they live in a constant nevagtive arch.

Im not saying they will, nor am i saying you will take out a buss full of nuns, but just letting you know it might be better to start with a set of stock springs, which were desgned to live their life in negative arch.
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Old 08-05-2014, 08:40 PM   #12
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Someone more knowledgeable can chime in, I believe you need to remove some leaves from the front. I think stock for a 1/2 ton is 2 leaves. (iirc, my 3/4 had 3, but i don't remember if I added the 3rd.) Obviously pull the block out of the rear.

Front springs will arch up (negative arch.)

Looking at the way the front pack is bundled, they may have pulled 3/4 or 1 ton front spring packs out of the junkyard.
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Old 08-05-2014, 08:46 PM   #13
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Would I just keep the top 2 springs in the front and remove the rest?
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Old 08-05-2014, 09:59 PM   #14
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

4" lift. I'd pull it and put an add on cl. Say swapping 4" lift for stock suspension. What does WORRY ME, is your "steering arm" or swan bar. I have never seen one bent down like that.
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Old 08-06-2014, 01:02 AM   #15
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

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4" lift. I'd pull it and put an add on cl. Say swapping 4" lift for stock suspension. What does WORRY ME, is your "steering arm" or swan bar. I have never seen one bent down like that.
Hard to tell from picture,but I'm guessing the drag link-steering arm is not bent.It's just been lifted without installing a raised steering arm.My 80 K20 looks the same.
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Old 08-06-2014, 11:29 PM   #16
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

How would you lower the front on a k10
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Old 08-07-2014, 12:10 AM   #17
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

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Originally Posted by 775stepside View Post
How would you lower the front on a k10
Lower than stock? Well first you would swap in 2wd components.
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Old 08-07-2014, 04:39 AM   #18
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

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How would you lower the front on a k10
If it were me, remove 3 leaves from the front and see how it rides. It still may be to stiff or tall for your liking, but it is a starting point.

You may want to hit local spring shop. (think dump truck...) U-bolts and the center pins may have to be changed. I lived in the rust belt, so cutting the old ones out and replacing was far easier than trying to re-use them.

May be obvious, do you have a smaller set of tires/wheels to put on when it's dropped?
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Old 08-07-2014, 12:53 PM   #19
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Where do I get the pins at? And yea I have smaller tires and rims for it.
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Old 08-07-2014, 02:39 PM   #20
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

You wil need to replace the front springs with stock units. The springs that are currently in your truck are designed with a positive arc, you will need the 2 leaf pack that is designed with a negative arc. The rear appears to just have the block(looks like 4"). You will need new u-bolts for the rear and possibly the front as well. Last your going to need new shocks as the current one's will be too long. Your steering arm and draglink look to be stock units. If you do this checkto make sure your brake hoses aren't too long (rub or tangle up in chassis parts) when you are done. Why do you want to lower it anyway? The rear fenders will look huge with a stock tire in there.
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Old 08-07-2014, 07:08 PM   #21
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

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You wil need to replace the front springs with stock units. The springs that are currently in your truck are designed with a positive arc, you will need the 2 leaf pack that is designed with a negative arc. The rear appears to just have the block(looks like 4"). You will need new u-bolts for the rear and possibly the front as well. Last your going to need new shocks as the current one's will be too long. Your steering arm and draglink look to be stock units. If you do this checkto make sure your brake hoses aren't too long (rub or tangle up in chassis parts) when you are done. Why do you want to lower it anyway? The rear fenders will look huge with a stock tire in there.
Thanks for the intro, I am in search of stock unit leaf springs, and eventually I will put wider tires, but looks like I can only go to stock ride height without having to swap out my front suspensions with 2wd. So I'm just going to be looking to swap it out to stock.
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Old 08-07-2014, 05:37 PM   #22
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

Pins can be had at the same spring shop that does your U-bolts. All they are is a hardened small round head (maybe allen wrench?) that runs through the center of the spring pack and the head of the bolt fits into a hole in the spring perch on the axle, helps keep things lined up.

You may have stock front springs, looks to me like someone just added extra leaves for the lift. I know with 4 leaves, mine lost the negative arch. Just looked like flat springs.

I'm running on memory here. I modified my stock front springs on my old 3/4 ton. I know with 4 leaves it would only sag 3/4" picking up an 8' snowplow. When I took the truck south, the plow stayed behind and 1 leaf was removed as the ride was way to rough without the added weight of the blade.
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Old 08-07-2014, 07:49 PM   #23
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

A four wheel drive is generally worth more than a two wheel. If you want to go low you could sell it and buy a 2wd, or see if someone wants to trade.
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Old 08-08-2014, 08:08 PM   #24
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

You could really only go 2" lower than stock max. There are really two ways to lower a 4x4 to less than stock. Option A is to re arch the springs at a spring shop, and option two is to swap to spring under. Still cant go much lower than about 2" tho.
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Old 08-11-2014, 11:17 PM   #25
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Re: Lowering my lifted 77k10

2 inches is 2 inches lol, so I started to remove the blocks. What a *****, they are rusted. But for the front does it have a center bolt like the back springs? If so I'll just remove some leafs and see how that goes
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