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1989 K5 - Gradual Learning

First 4x4 - learning basic maintenance / upkeep and maybe some small mods.
Overview Gallery Discussion
So to figure out if these new shocks will work on my truck I am going to measure the distance from mount to mount on my K5. I figure that is "resting length" and for the shocks to work then that resting length must be about mid-way through their travel to account for full extension / full compression. Does that sound right?
 
You could measure how much room you have between the axle and bumpstops to figure out the up travel need. I would add at least 1/2" to that number because the rubber bumpstops will deflect. Hopefully your shocks will allow more uptravel than what you measure plus the 1/2". I'd be more comfortable an extra 1" more. Of course you can always add spacers to lower the bumpstops if you need to limit the uptravel, just might make for a more jarring suspension if it's bottoming out more often.

The extension is a little harder to figure out because you need a way to articulate the suspension. And you always end up with the axle dropping further on the trail when you have weight and leverage working to add to the travel.
 
mrk5 said:
You could measure how much room you have between the axle and bumpstops to figure out the up travel need. I would add at least 1/2" to that number because the rubber bumpstops will deflect. Hopefully your shocks will allow more uptravel than what you measure plus the 1/2". I'd be more comfortable an extra 1" more. Of course you can always add spacers to lower the bumpstops if you need to limit the uptravel, just might make for a more jarring suspension if it's bottoming out more often.

The extension is a little harder to figure out because you need a way to articulate the suspension. And you always end up with the axle dropping further on the trail when you have weight and leverage working to add to the travel.
Click to expand...

Thanks Scott, you da man!

I guess if I know the up travel distance, then I could figure out the extension too. When one side is fully "compressed", I can assume that the other side is fully "extended". Right? If that's correct then I can just measure the length of my axle between the bump stops and draw it out.
 
Possibly. But if the truck was pitched forward on the front, like going downhill, you might not be on the rear bumps when the axle is articulated.

Are these stock springs? Stock length shackles? I doubt the axle would drop more than 3 or 4 inches. Especially since the shocks aren't at the end of the axle.
 
@shima

Food for thought:

I have 4" to my bump stops. 14" travel shocks, 6" showing at rest (front springs are 52")
That almost doesn't even work, can almost bottom that shock out
 
mrk5 said:
Possibly. But if the truck was pitched forward on the front, like going downhill, you might not be on the rear bumps when the axle is articulated.

Are these stock springs? Stock length shackles? I doubt the axle would drop more than 3 or 4 inches. Especially since the shocks aren't at the end of the axle.
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It's a 4" lift. I believe stock shackle length. I believe stock springs in the back because I have blocks back there. Procomp 11411 springs in the front.

I am tempted to just slap them on and see what happens, but then next time we go wheeling I guess I could do some real damage.
 
shima said:
It's a 4" lift. I believe stock shackle length. I believe stock springs in the back because I have blocks back there. Procomp 11411 springs in the front.

I am tempted to just slap them on and see what happens, but then next time we go wheeling I guess I could do some real damage.
Click to expand...
Are you familiar with the suspension cycle method?
 
Think the fork lift method

Essentially you remove all the springs except the main, and add a spacer to replace the removed springs. Then go all the way up, and all the way down

Take measurements. Always add extra travel on the shocks (1-2”) and extra travel on the drive shafts. Same, extra 2” of engagement and 2” of compression there.

All this accounts for axle wrap, bouncing...

But if your shocks are 12”, set them 6” showing on the rod, and you should be fine with 4” separation from the bump stop
 
Mind you, this is with only 4” from bump stop parked...

7968DC15-CE96-41E3-8E3D-6546DDE65543.jpeg
 
If you wanted to just throw them on and you really want to play it safe you could get limit straps that stop the axle from dropping further than shock length.
 
So, I am installing today. Gotta get some shocks on this thing so that I can drive it again. I've missed it badly.

Here were the rough measurements from before:

Old Shocks
  • Rear
    • 27 and 9/16"
  • Front
    • Outer
      • 23 and 3/4"
    • Inner
      • 29 and 1/8"
New Shocks
  • Short Pair
    • 24 and 1/2"
  • Long Pair
    • 31 and 1/4"
So, my line of thinking was this: the new short pair measures 24.5", and my old rear shocks measured 27+". So there is no way that I could use the new short pair in the back. So I tried putting the new long pair in the back.

I presume that this ain't gonna work :rotfl::
That ain't gonna work...

That ain't gonna work...


That ain't gonna work...

That ain't gonna work...


Those photos are with my floor jack compressing the shock so that it lines up with the lower mount, and it's not even there quite yet. I would have to compress it more to get it to mount up. LOL I don't think that's gonna work.

I guess I could try throwing the short pair in the rear but then I would probably have to extend them just to get them to mount. But I am gonna try anyhow and see what happens.
 
Got the shorties installed in the rear:
Shorties installed in rear

Shorties installed in rear


They were nearly a perfect fit. I had to compress the passenger side just a hair to get it to mount up. I didn't have to compress the driver side at all, it just mounted up pretty much perfectly. I realize now that all of my earlier comments were based on the assumption that my original shocks were a "perfect fit" for this truck. They may not have been.
 
After a lot of hours, sweat, and swearing, I got the longer shocks installed on the front. That being said, I doubt this is correct or a good solution.

Here are some photos of the passenger side:
Front passenger installed

Front passenger installed


Front passenger installed

Front passenger installed


Front passenger installed

Front passenger installed


Comparing these photos with a couple posts back, I think it is compressed worse in the front than it would be in the back.

Thinking I might just throw in the towel and order a set of Bilsteins online once I save up the dough. Should be able to afford them soonish. At least then I will know they are the correct length for sure.
 
I drove the Blazer last night, just went to the dog park and then stopped by O'Reilly's for some motorcycle stuff.

It definitely rode better than before, which tells me my old shocks were indeed bad. We hit a pretty bad pothole heading to O'Reilly's though. The whole truck shut off. Aimee and I were laughing about it because I told her about the shock situation and we thought we might have bottomed out in the front.

If you all were in my shoes, would you swap these? Longer in the rear and the shorties up front? I think if I were to do that, the shorties would have to be mounted on the "outer" lower mount and then the shorter frame mount.
 
You should need to compress the shocks to install them. Any shock I've ever installed would fully extend without a strap around them, if they didn't they were wore out. Usually they will have a plastic band around them to hold them compressed in the box.
 
I talked to Justin on the phone earlier, he said the exact same thing about compression. I am going to swap the shocks tonight. Long in the rear, shorties in the front. I think one of my bigger problems was not knowing whether to use the "inner" or "outer" mounting points in the front. I am gonna swap the shorties to the front and use the "outer" mounting points.

Interesting point about the body being up top... is that to prolong the life of the shock?
 
Just a little less target for rocks. Gets the more vulnerable part of the shock up out of the way. A dent in the body could cause the piston not travel.
 
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