Too low, need advice making it a daily driver

[VTX-Black]

I think that is the only practical idea if a person wants it to sit real low but still drive it a lot ( our hotrod driving season is June to sept so for such a short season we want to use it lots)

We don't do shows or cruise nights with it so the only time it would be real low is when my wife is inside the building at work where she wouldn't see it anyway

Good idea though

[VTX-Black]

How low can you go on stock shocks?

How high can you go on short shocks?

After I add taller springs to bring it up out of the weeds, what are the chances that I will have to replace the short shocks?

I'll be raising it up to what sounds like will be a 4-6 drop

Thanks in advance

[Jonboy]

At 4/6, I would run stock shocks with the extenders.

[VTX-Black]

Thanks

By the time I toss the heated shortened springs,
I will have

Proper 2-1/2 drop spindles
New 2"drop springs
Flip kit on the rear
Stock rear brackets

I will be doing it at my buddies shop and have to drive home
No time to get new shocks before then

Do you think my existing drop shocks will be ok for the trip home?

[BigMike608]

Originally Posted by Jonboy

At 4/6, I would run stock shocks with the extenders.

ditto what Jon said... he's installed my drop on my truck and it rides great

[VTX-Black]

It sounds like good advice, but that isn't really my question.

I am running low. Real low with dropped spindles and cut and heated springs.
I'm raising it back up to a 4" drop on the front and am wondering if I my existing drop shocks will work, or if they are only required for extreme drops?

If I was riding at stock heigh right now the advice given would be good though.

[Jonboy]

Give it a shot. Worst case, you can come back and replace them. I don't think it will be an issue to get the truck home. I like the stock shocks better as they are easier to find.

[VTX-Black]

Thanks

I was afraid that I might have to disconnect them to make it home.
I have no problem replacing them later if they are no longer ideal for the new ride height, as long as they get me home.

[VTX-Black]

Well, good news and bad news.

GOOD NEWS - Raised the rear by replacing the leaf spring lowering brackets with stock brackets.

BAD NEWS - Couldn't find the wheel lock key. Front still sits as is.

GOOD NEWS - MUCH better ride. The arc in the rear springs was obscene before I did that. Even doing just the rear really helped, and it is still nice and low with the axle flip kit. (Thanks TX!)

BAD NEWS - I found that I have a blown rear shock.

GOOD NEWS - my shock question was pre-answered in this thread. I'l go for stock length with shock extenders. (Thanks JonBoy!)

Here it is as it sits right now. I'll update once the front is done. Note the difference between the top of the rim and the bottom of the wheel opening in the fender.

[69chevytrucker]

i like the rake looks good like that gives is the 70s kinda look

[VTX-Black]

Yeah, for people like me if a certain generation that rake is familiar and lately more unique.

Raising the front soon

[BigMike608]

Looking good

[INSIDIOUS '86]

On the rear when I got some nice quality shocks for my truck and added shock extenders the difference in ride quality was night and day overall smoother and not bone jarring over big bumps. The shock extenders will put the rear shocks at a much better angle and they can do their job better.

I daily drive a 6-8 drop truck but my major diff is I run 18s and not 22s. Good shocks can make the difference between a bus ride and a Cadillac ride.
If the wheels rub the inner fenders still there's a guy on the forum here that sells inner fenders clearanced for large wheels that pretty much bolt right in. Do a search for slosh tubs.

As for shocks bilsteins are a great choice. A cheaper alternative is the monroe sensa trac wich operate much like bilsteins and monroe reflex that are a little bit better and are pretty much copies of bilsteins.

[VTX-Black]

Thanks for the advice.

When I removed the extra drop brackets from the rear springs that really relaxed them and has made a huge difference in ride quality. If it was one or the other I would definitely recommend an axle flip rather than spring brackets. Mine had both.

Following your advice, I think shock extenders will be on my shopping list soon along with new rear shocks to replace the blown one. At this point I can't imagine it riding any better than it does now compared to how it was, but I need shocks anyway so I'll get to find out.

As far as slosh tubs, I debated that solution for a year but with so much stuff under the hood that I would have to move including the air conditioning (and the fact that it would only solve on of the rubbing problems) after a year I decided to just raise it up a bit.

[VTX-Black]

I have been driving around with the rear raised. It ride a LOT better!

Here is my theory:

The rear was lowered the proper way that should preserve ride (a flip kit)
The front was lowered properly as well (drop spindles)

But then the builder lowered it even more using other available means (cut and heated front coils, and used lowering shackles on the rear. This compromises ride quality.

The rear leaves were so badly bound with the lowering shackles, that I believe every bump to the rear was transferred to the front suspension since the rear wouldn't compress much more.

Now, with the rear freed up to move properly (by going back to stock rear mounts), the FRONT seems smoother as well (I believe because it is only having to deal with its own job instead of helping out with the job the rear is supposed to do.)

This is counterintuitive since, with the rear now raised more than the front, there is more static load on the front. But apparently that is less than the dynamic loads transferred whenever the rear used to hit a bump. At least that's my conclusion based on how the truck rides now.

The front inner fenders haven't rubbed once even though the front is still low.

These mounts were 2" longer than stock. The rear springs had a lot of tension on them. The new stock ones are 2" shorter and the springs are now much more relaxed.

[J Knight]

I don't get your theory of the drop shackles effecting the leaf spring tension. They are installed on thousands of trucks with no issues. Can you explain how you came to this conclusion? I still think these shocks bottoming out was the problem from the start.

[VTX-Black]

Maybe you are right about the shocks, but maybe there is more to it.

While thousands of trucks run extenders, remember that mine had an axle flip kit as well.

What I noticed that lead to my theory (not a definitive conclusion) is that with the spring extenders, the springs were positioned in a very tight arc.

With the stock extenders removed, the springs sat at a more relaxed angle. I mean a lot more relaxed.

Imagine taking a spring, holding the middle down and then bending the end up another two inches. most of the bend was between the axle and that one end of the spring. I suppose they could have been fighting the shock, but they were definitely fighting something.

In the end, whatever it was in the rear also certainly made the front ride better, and gave extra clearance for the headers to boot.

For a few bucks it was a quick gain that I am pleased with so far.
I'm happy with the height using just the flip kit.

Just ordering shock extenders and new shocks now.

[VTX-Black]

Here it is with the stock length mounts back in place.

Maybe since the spring has to wrap around the axle after flipping it that makes a difference? I don't know.

[VTX-Black]

Does anyone have a specific brand of rear shock extenders that that would recommend for this 84 GMC?

[tlmoore2501]

I personally would buy drop shocks for the rear.Extensio
ns is usually a word used in lengthening something.You need shorter shocks in the rear.The front didn't change alot because most of your drop is in the spindle(shock mounting points didn't change)BUT on the rear The axle shock mount moved up the about of your drop in the rear THUS a stock shock will be long.

[VTX-Black]

Good point

I don't know why they call them shock extenders.

The 4x4 guys use shock extenders to make then longer

I have recently found that the lowering guys use extender brackets that move the mounts on the frame. The manufacturers also call these extenders but totally different it seems

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by VTX-Black

Good point

I don't know why they call them shock extenders.The 4x4 guys use shock extenders to make then longer

I have recently found that the lowering guys use extender brackets that move the mounts on the frame. The manufacturers also call these extenders but totally different it seems

They are called shock 'extenders' because they extend the distance between the upper & lower mounting points by dropping the lower point thus allowing the shock more travel. Your shocks in the above pic have excessive angle to them because of the combination of drop parts. Swapping the OE length shackles helped reduce the amount of angle the shock had & increased its travel which helps the shock do its job.

Imagine taking a spring, holding the middle down and then bending the end up another two inches. most of the bend was between the axle and that one end of the spring. I suppose they could have been fighting the shock, but they were definitely fighting something.

The shackles added to the rear flip won't change the ride quality since the spring rate still remains the same as it was before any mods. If the spring rate is altered (leafs added or removed), there will be a change or if the shackle was in a bind (hardware tightened while suspension was extended vs compressed). The difference noted was most likely something limiting travel or binding which had an impact on the ride quality since the leaf pack isn't 'bending' any more using one shackle vs the other.

[Sodell]

I had the same problem when I purchased some used rims and tires. I got a great deal and the front tires are practically new. They are 20" rims but the front tire is 29" tall. I had to go up, so I bought some 1 inch drop coils. It brought the truck up too much by 1 inch, but there are no issues now. I drove it about 30 miles to a cruise this weekend and beat on it while there, no problems at all. I will eventually get some 2 inch drop coils and lower it back down one more inch. I think if you have the drop spindles and 2" coils you wont have any problems with the 28" tall tire. This is how she sits with the 1" drop coils and 3"spindles. You will also have to get an alignment done when you put the new springs in.

[IMG][/IMG]

[midnight rambler]

Originally Posted by VTX-Black

Does anyone have a specific brand of rear shock extenders that that would recommend for this 84 GMC?

Western chassis

[BigMike608]

bought mine from Summit.... http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ws...et?prefilter=1