1990 K5 stock suspension/ride quality help needed

[Tortis]

My "new to me" 1990 K5 has 145k miles showing and rides so rough the wife hates it. She's spoiled by her cushy Buick, but that's another story...

Anyway, staying with STOCK height (ie not lifted) leaf springs, I'm coming up with zero options for new front and rear springs. Even a "local" spring and axle place says best they can do will still be stiffer than stock. Anybody found a set of leafs (front and rear) that ride as good, but hopefully better, than the originals did when the truck was new?

Also, I'm wanting to replace the shocks at the same time. I like the idea of the adjustable Ranchos, but their web only lists a front RS9000XL that's +1.5" (there is a 0.00" rear though). This truck will only be a 99% street ride, only non-pavement I see in it's future is to the barn and back. The reality is I don't need adjustments, but I do want the plushest ride I can get to keep the little lady happy.

And no, I don't have $$$$ for coil over conversions...

 

[jekquistk5]

My "new to me" 1990 K5 has 145k miles showing and rides so rough the wife hates it. She's spoiled by her cushy Buick, but that's another story...

Anyway, staying with STOCK height (ie not lifted) leaf springs, I'm coming up with zero options for new front and rear springs. Even a "local" spring and axle place says best they can do will still be stiffer than stock. Anybody found a set of leafs (front and rear) that ride as good, but hopefully better, than the originals did when the truck was new?

Also, I'm wanting to replace the shocks at the same time. I like the idea of the adjustable Ranchos, but their web only lists a front RS9000XL that's +1.5" (there is a 0.00" rear though). This truck will only be a 99% street ride, only non-pavement I see in it's future is to the barn and back. The reality is I don't need adjustments, but I do want the plushest ride I can get to keep the little lady happy.

And no, I don't have $$$$ for coil over conversions...

Call up ORD and have them make you a custom pack. This will be best ride leaf springs can provide. Then throw on some bilstiens or fox 2.0's. They should make them in stock lengths.

 

[dyeager535]

Shocks aren't likely to help your ride. Generally (depending on how the shock is designed) they do about 30% of their work in compression, 70% is rebound.

If your front axle is contacting your bump stops it will be a harsh ride. Dropping tire pressure might help if you are running it higher than it's supposed to be.

 

[Tortis]

Call up ORD and have them make you a custom pack. This will be best ride leaf springs can provide. Then throw on some bilstiens or fox 2.0's. They should make them in stock lengths.

Just did... Might be awesome, but $680 front and $760 rear for springs is enough to make me pause ($2300 total for springs, shocks, shackles, ubolts, brake lines, etc). The local "spring shop" is at $1000 installed for all 4, but says springs will be stiffer than stock. Chris did say a lift (as he quoted) would give a better ride as it provides more suspension travel (makes sense to me).

dyeager535 has a good point, I had tires thrown on when I bought it 300 miles ago, but didn't think to check pressure yet. Will do that too...

 

[RootBreaker]

tell her to suck it up and put a tight shirt on for you and enjoy the ride!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah were spoiled with newer vehicles... my 2013 on 35's is a beaut of a ride... my 78 not so much... but bias ply tires will do that...

 

[Greg Ducato]

I have 2 inch ez rides on my Burb, a rear shackle flip, Bilstein 5100's and 33's with 35psi, she is remarkably smooth riding

 

[Tortis]

tell her to suck it up and put a tight shirt on for you and enjoy the ride!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah were spoiled with newer vehicles... my 2013 on 35's is a beaut of a ride... my 78 not so much... but bias ply tires will do that...

Yeah, my 2012 F350 4x4 Crew LWB rides awesome, with 10,000 of beef in the trailer! I'm really liking the K5 so it's been my daily-ish driver. Just trying to keep wife happy so I can leave the diesel parked except for ranch use. Sadly, even our old 1985 F350 dually dump flatbed rides better than my K5. Hence, I'm willing to spend some cash to make the K5 "better" for her...

 

[blazinzuk]

If your 85 dually dump rides better you might have issues.

I agree with the lifted springs. Really a 2" lift is not very noticeable.

But a lift spring is still a mass produced spring designed to fit a wide range of trucks. And it has to be the right lift spring.

 

[dremu]

Hate to say it, but you do get what you pay for. I have a set of the ORD custom leafs, and other K5 owners have been surprised at how smooth the truck rides. Now, that's relative -- it IS a forty-year old ladder-framed, leaf-sprung vehicle -- but it ain't bad.

-- A

 

[Snoozer]

You might try swapping out the crusty, rusty stock rubber spring bushings for some poly ones with grease-able hardware. I think it helps, as the leafs are able to cycle better without all the friction of seized up bushings. That, and get some better shocks. But as another member already stated, shocks aren't going to help it "ride better" all on their own. Shocks just control the oscillation of the springs. Obviously, you want the valving to be right, but buying a big brand name shock alone isn't going to fix the ride.

My friend's '72 K5 rode like a Caddy with 4" Tuff Country springs and Bilstein shocks (sourced from Offroad Design). When I say "Caddy", I mean it rode nicer than any modern-day 1/2 ton pickup truck I've ever owned or rode in. It was nice. So if you find that you CAN afford new springs, I'm with the others in saying get some "lift" springs. But you don't have to break your piggy back on custom leaf packs either. I also think the common shackle flip rides nicer than the stock tension shackle setup, because you're supposed to set it up where the shackle has a "rake" to it. So when the leafs compress, they aren't "fighting" the geometry of the shackle swing; the shackle is already in a position to just continue swinging rearward. That's the case for both the front and the rear springs. If you want to pinch pennies, you could do the 2.5" shackle flip in the rear (keeping your stock rear springs, and then I'd add new grease-able poly bushings), and then get some 2.5 or 3" front Tuffy leafs, making sure that they're long enough to provide that "rake" to the front shackles.

Another option for the front would be to do the 52" spring swap. I could regurgitate a lot of CK5 write-ups on that one. But to sum it up, my truck with a 10" lift rides pretty nice, in my book. Its no "Caddy", but its acceptable, given the ride height.... WAY more acceptable than the 20 year old 4" Rancho "lift kit" that it had it on it before I took ownership.

One more thing, you might consider disconnecting your sway bar for a day and see if that makes a difference for you. I know it did for me.

Happy pondering.

Adam

 

[cyclic]

I did a 2.5 front lift and a 2.5 rear flip. New shocks, lubed all bushings during install, and sway bar pivot links, almost as nice of a ride as my 2004 Avalanche. All my friends marvel at how well it rides. This is on a suburban, so it's a little heavier and longer wheel base. When I did the lift I used all lubable bolts so I can continue to grease them over time.
The negative arch stock springs really kill the ride, step up to a simple 2.5 spring and NOT heavy duty shocks, just regular quality ones. The sway bar pivots help a bunch also as the sway bar really limits spring movement. ORD quick disconnects or the Zone Off Road fixed ones I used will work. http://zoneoffroad.com/zone-offroad...-chevy-gmc-blazer-jimmy-pickup-suburban/c5401

You can see the travel increase to the bump stops, just make out the silver sway bar links, and the grease able bolts in the bushings.

 

[cyclic]

Oh, for the hell of it. Here's my rear 2.5 flip from TNA..................

I did move the shackle back a little, this is where I put it back on the ground to figure out where everything would fall/line up with weight on it. Next upgrade for me is some better shackles (same length, really happy with it) and more grease able bolts.

And an overall pic, again 2.5 front and rear lift running 265/70r17 tires (32"). Not too big, but definitely needs some sliders/rails for help with spousal entry/exit.

 

[Tortis]

Man, thanks for everyone's input. Seems a small lift is just what I need for better ride. Now to decide if the big-money ORD setup is the way to spend my money, or???

Sucks too, as I just put 32" BFG KO2's on. With a lift, I would have done 33's... Sigh...

 

[dyeager535]

Man, thanks for everyone's input. Seems a small lift is just what I need for better ride. Now to decide if the big-money ORD setup is the way to spend my money, or???

Sucks too, as I just put 32" BFG KO2's on. With a lift, I would have done 33's... Sigh...

You can fit the BFG 33x10.5R15's with no lift and stock wheels.

A little late, but even with worn springs my truck rides much better with trimmed front bumpstops. Look at the springs. You'll see if the bumpstops are contacting all the time, there won't be rust there. The center one (over the spring perch) is the one in my case that contacted most. You may have the bump stop over the differential, that thing is worthless as far as anyone can tell. If it's contacting, yank it.

The newer GM rigs are using progressive urethane bumpstops which are pretty close in fit/height to what we have in the front, those might be worth considering/trying.

If you are getting springs, and really want it to ride nice, you need to match the spring rate up to the load the spring actually sees. We tend to want to overbuild everything, but in terms of springs, you want the spring rate as low as possible that will still do what it needs to do. Obviously if you expect to tow this can be an issue, but if that is not an issue, going with a good spring that has the proper rate is going to be as good as you are going to get.

At some point if I still have access when I get to it, I'm going to scale my truck at each wheel before buying springs.

Arbitrary judgment, the trimmed bumpstops improved the ride in my case ~25%, offroad, airing the tires down to 20PSI from 35 improves ride 50%. Adam spoke of a Caddy ride, that's what I thought once I trimmed the bumpstops. Before trimming even cruising the highway if there was a slight dip, it would rattle the truck as the springs hit the stops abruptly. Once they were not making contact, the truck "floats" over the same portions of the road. I'm assuming you feel the same thing...teeth rattling is cliche, but it was bad enough (and still is, not aired down off-road) that it makes me cringe how hard the suspension is hitting. Off road, my thought is that ride is much rougher because the dropoff into a pothole or similar is abrupt enough to compress the suspension to the bumpstop even trimmed. Dropping tire pressure allows the sidewall to do a lot of work the suspension should be doing.

 

[JoshHefnerX]

Removing unsprung weight will help also. So light wheels/tires.

 

[Stephen]

Always start with the basics:
make sure nothing is binding or bottoming. Shocks should at least move smoothly and have 3-4" of travel each direction from ride height. Springs and shackle bushings should move freely. Swaybar needs good bushings and they need to move freely. Any extra travel you can get is good but a progressive stop generally feels better than a harsh sudden bottom out. Tire pressure changes are free so experiment with it a little. Let air out till the edges of the tread are on the ground and you can go a little lower from there. Get rid of squeeks and rattles. A car can feel like it's beating you up over audible noise.

Otherwise things are pretty much as everyone else has said, more wheel travel helps and a small lift can provide that. Soft springs are a must, you just can't fix a stiff spring with any other component. 2" of lift and the 32's will work just fine.

 

[Hacksaw54]

I agree with Stephen check the basics first, we had a old hunting truck that was stock it road bad and come to find someone had put front shocks that were to short.
The ORD springs may be expensive at first well worth the investment if you plan on keeping the truck. I went down the road of buying two different brand springs until I bought some ORD fronts and 4" shackle flip in the rear.
To bad we don't live closer you could have a ride in my Blazer.

 

[Tortis]

What's the purpose of the shackle flip in the rear?

 

[Bent77]

What's the purpose of the shackle flip in the rear?

That generally is the easiest way to get 4" lift, as it rotates the shackles down from center

It also changes how the leaf springs tension as they compress, so it rides better if you use a relatively flat leaf spring

 

[my kids took the truck]

Another approach is to ignore your suspension and try to figure out what your wife is actually saying - in my experience this is what is actually going on 9/10 times. She says it rides rough but that can mean a lot of things. Heck, maybe she does not like the color of the truck. First, is she the driver or the passenger?

Then try to break it down into what aspect of rides rough that bothers her such as A) when driving fast (highway), B) when driving slow (around town), C) when driving slow on winding country roads (out here country roads always are winding hills), D) in the parking lot driving slow, E) turning corners, F) driving straight, G) night, H) day. That might breakdown what driving rough means. Maybe she wants arm rests. Could be the seats are too bouncy. How about a better mirror on the sun visor for putting on makeup - too rough to put on makeup would be my wife's complaint.

My '74 K5 was too a lot of things when I first brought it out of mothball and told the wife we can lease a jeep liberty or we can drop a few k into the blazer. Rides rough was one of them but it had more to do with 38" swampers and add-a-leaves lift. Back to near factory springs and she is happy as the passenger. When she is driving, rides rough meant the steering is loose. I tightened up the steering box adjustment and rides rough became rides good. Same for the clutch pedal - the bushings wore out and the pedal was catching on the e-brake pedal. Fixing that went from undrivable to ok. Same for carb - needed rebuild with attention to low speed tuning. I found that (as my nurse wife calls it) 'holistic thinking' and treating the blazer as a bundle worked, fixing a few small things made one big issue 'rides rough' now acceptable. Plus my kids loves the blazer - I don't mind the ride but I know it is not the best because my daughter says it is bouncy.

My wife drives the blazer and I ask her how it is, she says it is fine. Plus she gets comments all the time from everything from kids on bikes, to teenage girls, to other parents, and old retirees, they all comment, as the teen girls said, 'that is sick!.'

EDIT: I asked my wife about this thread. We took the blazer for a drive with the kids in the foothills. She says it is not a late model tahoe and she wouldn't expect that but it is fine. She says it is slightly more difficult to drive (meaning overall and shifting - SM465) than the '88 Jeep Wrangler she had in college. It works.