Lift Kit For 70 K-10

[ClintC]

I bought a 70 K-10 that had a 6" Skyjacker suspension kit on it. Somehting I do not like about it is that the truck does not sit level. It looks as if the back in 3-4 inches to low. Has anyone ran into this issue with their kits? I called Skyjacker and they said it shouldnt be like that. Well, i'm here to tell you, IT IS. I verified with SKyjacker the numbers that happen to still be on the spings and they are the correct part number.

I REALLY dont want to block the rear since it has an expensive lift kit on it and I would think it wouldnt need them.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Clint

[18436572GMC]

If all the part numbers are correct and it sits wrong, somebody overloaded the truck and stretched the springs. Your best bet would be to have your rear leaf springs re arched.

[ClintC]

I honestly do not think this truck has ever hauled anything since the restore and lift kit was installed. The previous owner said that it was like that when they were first put on.

[DreamRyder1963]

We deal alooot with lifted trucks at work. The higher end trucks run skyjacker kits and I have never heard a complaint about them. I would bet that one of a few things has happened 1) it was installed wrong by the previous owner 2) it was overloaded or 3) you happen to get that 1 in 1000 defective part.

[dbash]

Did you verify that all the leafs are in the spring pack some people remove one or two to adjust ride/height.

Does it have a tow hitch? Could have pulled an overloaded trailer without leaving any sign do it. Just thinking out loud...

[ClintC]

I thought the same thing. I verified everything was installed correctly and that the springs were installed in the correct direction front to back. The kit was installed by a 4x4 company in his town so I "assume" they knew what they were doing. The truck does not have a tow package on it. He showed the truck and did not drive it often.

Have any of you installed this exact package on a truck?

The previous owner complained of it sitting lower so I would say he didn't remove the leafs.

[BrianG]

I put a 4" Skyjacker softride all spring kit on my 69 swb. It sat about 2" low in the back in my opinion. I added 2" blocks. I do think that the body lines and the height of the back wheel arch compared to the front make it look worse than it really is. I had the truck for about 10 years like that, then sold it. Bought it back a couple of years ago(about 10 years after I sold it). The truck had definitely seen its better days. Last owner had lots of fun with it I guess. Its all torn down now in the process of a complete rebuild. Anyhow, I'm digressing.... When I bought it back, it seemed to sit more level, and the last owner took the 2" block out. Maybe its just me I don't know but I don't think I'm adding any blocks back in when I put it back together. I do have to say, that this was my only complaint about the skyjacker soft ride kit. Well, maybe that and that I didn't really get a good full 4" out of my lift.


edit.. by the way NICE TRUCK!!!! I have the same rims and tires. I've been thinking about a silver or charcoal color when it goes to paint this spring. This helps me confirm that I'll love the way it looks!

[sdailey]

First off, nice truck. I'm building a '69 K10 with a 4" lift.

Like others have mentioned the truck could have been put in a situation that caused the rear springs to sag. Who knows?

My opinion is to take a look at the front springs. Maybe they are "stuck" together from the paint job they got at the factory and haven't settled yet?

My lift instructions mentioned driving the truck through small dips/ditches that would cause the truck to twist in order to help the lift kit "settle".

Just another opinion.......

[RANDY COX]

I think it looks fine..my .02cents.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by BrianG

I do think that the body lines and the height of the back wheel arch compared to the front make it look worse than it really is.

I agree with this. It's easy to focus on the distance from the top of the tires to the top of the wheel arches. Problem with that is, the front wheel arches go higher up into the fenders than the rear wheel arches.

Park the truck on a flat, level concrete slab and measure from the slab to the bottom of the frame. You may find the front-to-rear difference isn't as great as you think it is. You say 3-4 inches, but to me it looks closer to level than that. Hard to tell just by looking at one pic though.

I also agree with Randy's comment above. Even if the front is a bit higher than the back, I think it looks just fine.

[ClintC]

Thanks guys for all the help. I plan to tear the suspension all down and verify everything is good and then reinstall it and see what happens. I hate blocks and really don't want to use them but I am not crazy about how it sits. Maybe I can add a helper sprint in the stack.

Thanks again.
Clint

[too much stuff]

Looks close to stock stance. (not including the lift) They seemed to sit low in the back from the factory. I put a small lift in my 70 and added an extra 3/4 " block in back to help level it out. Made a big difference in looks.

[special-K]

I think trucks look better setting like that. They definitely handle and ride best that way. To me it's the classic 4wd stance. Higher in the rear looks cheap,like someone took the easy route,since lifting the rear is the easy part

[mjjjracing]

The best way to solve that problem is to sell it to me then you won't have to worry about it bothering you anymore $$$$ HA HA ,Very nice truck

[ClintC]

LOL, mjjjracing

Looks like you have too much junk the way it is. You don't need this pile sitting amongst your other trucks n such..

BTW: how about selling me one of those 4 Blazers you have.. ?

CC

[badpeanut]

Your truck looks level to me. The issue with these trucks is the rear wheel arch is lower in the back than the front. My Blazer looked like your truck until I put 1" zero rate lift blocks in the back; now it looks spot on.

[derotoreut]

Check out some of these posts. Maybe you can get some info from them.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=598263
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=599446

From what I've found, the lifts seem to level the truck, so you're going to get that appearance that the front is a bit higher. Personally I don't think there's a problem with your lift.

[dbash]

I was finally able to stand far enough away from my own lifted truck today and I immediately thought of this thread because its raked up a bit in the front as well. Its on 4" lift Deaver springs and all new bushings, shackles etc. and it has not been driven more then a hundred yards so nothing is wrong. Its just how it came out. I am sure the front will settle more then the rear but not much. You can tell in the last pic on my build thread.

I think your truck looks great and I would not worry about anything being wrong with it. especially if all four corners are consistent with each other when measured on a flat surface....... That was the first thing I did verify.

[6600DURAMAX]

If your not happy i am looking for a Shortbed just let me knlow what you want for it

[D.PASSMORE]

I've always have used Skyjackers (SJ) kits, usually order them through 4 wheel parts. When you order a kit, you have an options of which rear springs you would like - if requested. On my blazer, I have SJ - 2.5" - with 4" rear leafs (standard kit). It sits slightly higher in the rear, but I tow with it. On the kit that I ordered for my SWB K10 build, I ordered a (SJ) 4" lift with (SJ) 3" rear springs. I want the "Bulldog" stance, or as the kids around here say "The Palatka Lean". I can play with the stance with small rear blocks.

Hey! its just a hobby!

[LockDoc]

-
I guess I would find the most level spot I could find, put a 4 foot level on the ground for a reference point then put the level on the bed rail to see where it is actually at....

LockDoc

[burnin oil]

Add a thick spring to the rear that is about a foot long or so. Should level it and not effect the ride but also resist the spring wrap associated with lift blocks. Your truck looks about an 1" low in the rear for a level stance. I hate the prerunner look.

[AirSpeed]

Beautiful truck! It looks pretty level to me, have you measured it to be sure it's sagging?
Again, your truck is beautiful!