4x4 Looking for comfortable ride

[Ben_Yeaton]

Looking for some help with the suspension on my boss' truck. I've only owned 2wd C10's so this is a bit out of my league.

Truck is a '66 Long bed sitting on a later 4x4 chassis. 350, th400, geared very well for the 33x12.5's it sits on. Not positive on the frame details but I gather it's mid 80's? Looks like a 3/4 ton chassis as there are 8 leafs in rear?
Maybe pics will tell the story.

Truck obviously rides very rigid and it's only used as a daily locally on the street, never abused or worked hard. The most it will ever tow is a jet ski trailer. He is looking for much more comfort in the ride. I have mentioned just buying a stock 2wd truck to enjoy but this truck has been in the family and has sentiment.

What are the options at this point? Are there aftermarket leaf packs to swap in that ride very soft? Should I begin removing leafs? All suggestions / real world experience welcome (other than swap to a 2wd chassis lol).

Truck:


Front leaf packs:




Rear leaf packs:




Thanks in advance!

[74CustomK20]

They make aftermarket leafs, but might provide a little lift. I like tuff country ez rides. You can get a custom leaf pack made...removing leafs in the back since he won't tow much is a good option, and cheap

[geezer#99]

You can change your springs, shocks etc but it won’t make much of a difference.
For a much better ride you need to change to tires with a softer side wall.

[Ben_Yeaton]

Originally Posted by 74CustomK20

They make aftermarket leafs, but might provide a little lift. I like tuff country ez rides. You can get a custom leaf pack made...removing leafs in the back since he won't tow much is a good option, and cheap

Thanks for the reply. Removing a couple leafs in the rear may be a good option? If it ends up lowering the height I can always add a block ya?

Originally Posted by geezer#99

You can change your springs, shocks etc but it won’t make much of a difference.
For a much better ride you need to change to tires with a softer side wall.

New tires are definitely on the list as well. I'll be changing from the 16.5's to a 16 or 17" steel wheel (hopefully with stock hubcap). Anything you would recommend? A 33" A/T tire with a soft sidewall?

[geezer#99]

Search for LT type tires.
Or p-metric.
Tire rack has all kinds of them.

[Ben_Yeaton]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Search for LT type tires.
Or p-metric.
Tire rack has all kinds of them.

LT tires are much stiffer than a P rated tire aren't they? Didn't know if anyone had experience with a certain brand/ model of A/T tire being softer.

[geezer#99]

Check and compare load ratings.
And tire pressure too.
I had some 265 70 16 bfg k/o at tires. Previous owner ran them like p-metrics’s. Had 30 lbs in them. Bounced all over the road. I put 60 psi in them. Smoothed them right out.

[Ben_Yeaton]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Check and compare load ratings.
And tire pressure too.
I had some 265 70 16 bfg k/o at tires. Previous owner ran them like p-metrics’s. Had 30 lbs in them. Bounced all over the road. I put 60 psi in them. Smoothed them right out.

I'll definitely do my homework when it comes to new tires as well.

Back to suspension; is pulling leafs a better alternative to new leaf packs that would be softer? Are the EZ ride springs much softer or no?

[Ryan Hubbard]

You might want to contact Deaver Spring in Santa Ana, CA. THey can make custom springs for the truck. They made a set for my 3/4 Ton Suburban and it smoothed out the ride beautifully. I am also running some 33" Nitto Terra Graplers that are "d" rated LT tires. The "d" rated tires are softer than E rated tires LT tires. This should smooth out the ride.

[Dead Parrot]

Nothing wrong with pulling a few leafs out and see if you like the result. Even if you eventually go with a custom pack, you would have a better idea of what to order. That looks like the heavy duty pack on the rear. My 75 HD C10 has 8 total leaves.

No clue on judging the front springs, 2WD only experience here as well.

Don't overlook the seats. When I switched from the low end bench seat to a custom bucket setup, the ride got a lot better.

[Ben_Yeaton]

Originally Posted by Ryan Hubbard

You might want to contact Deaver Spring in Santa Ana, CA. THey can make custom springs for the truck. They made a set for my 3/4 Ton Suburban and it smoothed out the ride beautifully. I am also running some 33" Nitto Terra Graplers that are "d" rated LT tires. The "d" rated tires are softer than E rated tires LT tires. This should smooth out the ride.

Thats great advice thank you, I was thinking terra grapplers actually. And I'll call deaver and see what they think.

Originally Posted by Dead Parrot

Nothing wrong with pulling a few leafs out and see if you like the result. Even if you eventually go with a custom pack, you would have a better idea of what to order. That looks like the heavy duty pack on the rear. My 75 HD C10 has 8 total leaves.

No clue on judging the front springs, 2WD only experience here as well.

Don't overlook the seats. When I switched from the low end bench seat to a custom bucket setup, the ride got a lot better.

I agree. It may be worth the time to pull a few and see what changes. Thanks for the help.

[stanski]

My previous truck was a 2013 2500 Duramax. Nice but it had a stiff ride from new even with the soft factory tires. Replaced it with a new 2015 Duramax, same truck, same tires but immediately noticed how much smoother it was than the 2013. Both had the Z71 package. Then found out GM started using Rancho shocks in 2015, this was the change that made all the difference in the world. I have since come to appreciate contribution shocks can make to a comfortable ride.

[Justins76]

I have 33" Terra Grapplers on 18" rims, load E. Ride is rock hard. I air them down to 35psi when unloaded and the ride is much better on some of the bad roads I drive daily. Still its harsher then what I like. Unless LT tires are required for the load, I suggest Pmetric if available in the size you want.

How are the bushings? If they have been replaced with poly, change back to rubber. I did and it helped.

Also check the shocks. From the pics, it looks like yellow Monroe HD gas magnums. That will give a stiff ride. I use Bilstein, but that also makes the ride stiff since they are a performance shock. I'll probably try monroe spectrums in the future to try to smooth things out further. Adjustable Ranchos would be better, but they are around $100 a piece.