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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Cottonwood, Arizona
Posts: 1,376
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Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Cant remember if I asked this before, but how can I "soften" the ride on my 84 Sierra 2500? The ride is harsh like in a 4wd. It has the 8600lb rear axle. Can a leaf or two be removed to help smooth out the ride? I dont haul anything heavy, except my camper shell.
Thanks for any help or tips |
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#2 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: TN.
Posts: 8,069
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Installing a stack of springs with less springs than you have in your current stack would help. Maybe from a Pick a part place.
Take caution about taking leafs out of the current stack. With leaf springs you should never remove either the bottom or the one right next to the main. Without the bottom one the pack will bend and without the other the main might break. Try removing the leaf right after the bottom one. Adding a Heavier rear bumper would help also.
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________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 84 Chevy K-20 63 Impala (my high school car) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...Crew Cab Build |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Temple City
Posts: 3,586
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Don't C10 leaf springs fit C20 hangers?
If so you can use the 4 leaf pack, and add air bags for weight capacity. Or you can do it to removed leafs too. The 5 leaf pack is not a bad choice either. |
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#4 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Marion, NC
Posts: 851
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Quote:
I guess rough rides are relative depending on where you start. I just swapped out some 12 leaf 1 ton springs on my crew cab for some 7 leaf c20 springs in hopes of a little less harsh driving experience ![]() |
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#5 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Temple City
Posts: 3,586
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Quote:
When I lived in Chino's Hills crossing chino hills Pkwy, on pipeline were a serious set of dips. My son loved to hit them doing 50mph. He would put his hands up, and scream. With the HD suspension we would get hacked into the air something good. Had to stop due to a mild back injury, and threats of lawsuits. |
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#6 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Marion, NC
Posts: 851
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Quote:
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Temple City
Posts: 3,586
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
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#8 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 21,963
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Quote:
C10's could be had w/both length leafs (52" or 56"); long beds or short beds. My '74 swb had the towing/trailer package w/a 56" 6-leaf + overload spring pack. @65chevysub.... Removing leafs or swapping in a C10 rated spring pack from a lighter-duty truck would be the way to go. Then, if you need extra 'lift' w/the camper load, you could use an AOL (air-over-leaf) set-up to re-gain the ride height when necessary.
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67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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#9 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Central MO
Posts: 894
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Tires are also a possibility. I see a lot of individuals running higher ply rated tires and never haul anything. If you do not haul much think about putting "P" rated (passenger) tires on it. I plan on doing this on my 72 C20 - mostly because I have a decent set of BF Goodrich that came off a lighter truck, and I have no plans on doing much hauling. As a matter of fact I have always ran P rated tires on my 1/2 ton 4x4, and pull a 16 foot car hauler once in a while. I just watch pressures, and not get carried away, and never had an issue. 8 or 10 Ply "rated" tires ride rough.
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: North-central Virginia
Posts: 1,099
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
A local tire shop will only install 'P' tires on a 1/2 ton. They refuse to do so on anything bigger. This might be a legal requirement too; I don't know.
__________________
1987 C6P V20 truck, 2010 LMG 5.3, AFM delete, 2010 Camaro exhaust manifolds, 1997 nv4500, 1991 np241c, hydroboost, 2005 14bff axle & driveshaft, drop-n-lock gooseneck, 4.10 gears, stock suspension, rims, and tires. Still a work in progress. Any questions or suggestions are welcome! |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: North-central Virginia
Posts: 1,099
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
A local tire shop will only install 'P' tires on a 1/2 ton. They refuse to do so on anything bigger. This might be a legal requirement too; I don't know.
__________________
1987 C6P V20 truck, 2010 LMG 5.3, AFM delete, 2010 Camaro exhaust manifolds, 1997 nv4500, 1991 np241c, hydroboost, 2005 14bff axle & driveshaft, drop-n-lock gooseneck, 4.10 gears, stock suspension, rims, and tires. Still a work in progress. Any questions or suggestions are welcome! |
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#12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 21,963
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Quote:
My CC 1-ton dually & my CC OBS 3/4 ton trucks both utilize proper load rated rear tires w/LT tires in front. They both ride pretty decent utilizing 2 different set-ups. The dually was changed over to a 4-bar/sleeve style air-bag set-up w/Michelin LTX's & the '99 OBS has the stock 8600# rated leafs w/Kuhmo's (I think that's what they were). I feel the OBS era leafs are more compliant vs the same size/quantity leaf pack from a Squarebody. I know my 3/4 ton OBS has a slightly better ride vs. my old '74 C10 w/the HD leaf pack despite both being lowered the same way (flip-kit).
__________________
67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Marion, NC
Posts: 851
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
I stand corrected, good info to know!
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#14 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 21,963
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
This is also why when the rear on some trucks get lowered, you may/may-not have to trim/clearance a bed cross-sill support to clear the rear shackle. Trucks w/the longer leafs usually clear the mod & don't require the additional effort. The shorter 52" leaf trucks do require the additional work.
__________________
67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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#15 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Central MO
Posts: 894
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
Might be time for a different shop - one that is about customer service, not the dollar, or take wheels in off the truck... I have had to do that before when I tried to buy a battery and they refused to sell me a battery because it was not listed in their system, even though it would fit and was a better battery. I do a lot of my own tires, and I bought a manual changer, and balancer years ago. That and some of those shops insist on replacing TPMS sensors, charge for nitrogen, new stems, etc, whether they need or not. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place to replace some items, but a lot of that is simply about profit.... they price tires - then by the time they have them installed, you owe them double what was quoted.
Last edited by chevmn; 02-14-2022 at 03:16 PM. |
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#16 |
Post Whore
![]() Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: anamosa iowa
Posts: 54,117
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Re: Softening my 3/4 ton ride
If you pull the leaf pack out, round the corners of the one that make contact/rub. Polish the flats & add a strip of Teflon between each leave. Shocks & how much you spend on them should be factored in the equation.
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