My new to me factory 89 K5's spring are worn out and the 33s rub all the time just making sharp turns. This is going to be 90% city driving so I am wanting the best ride possible. My plan is new springs and Bilsteins all around. I have no plans of going larger than 33's which I believe a 2" lift will clear just fine, but are there any potential problems with going with 3"? I know I will need extended brake lines and drop pitman arm, but are there any other issues I should be expecting? And the main question I have is for mainly street driving are the ORD springs worth the money over Tuff Country, I do not mind spending the extra money if it is worth it. Thanks for the help. My plan is to get this stuff in June or July when work slows down a bit for me to get it installed.
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2" vs 3" lift and ORD vs TC springs
- Thread starter TXJP
- Start date
H20 Toie
1/2 ton status
With a 3" you shouldn't need new brake lines or drop pitman arm ( but not a bad idea )
the ORD springs are worth the money, period.
the ORD springs are worth the money, period.
After getting a set of ORD springs, I will never buy off the shelf ones ever again.
I believe that you have a small chance of needing to play with the rear driveshaft angle to get it right with a 3" lift, but no huge issue.
I believe that you have a small chance of needing to play with the rear driveshaft angle to get it right with a 3" lift, but no huge issue.
I vote 2"
No need for more.
Tire gap in wheel well should be nice.
Getting in and out, loading stuff, etc will be nice.
I know it's only an inch difference, but the flatter spring will ride smoother.
Always check brake lines. I run ORD's 12"+ lift brake lines on my 5" lift. They are just barely long enough
No need for more.
Tire gap in wheel well should be nice.
Getting in and out, loading stuff, etc will be nice.
I know it's only an inch difference, but the flatter spring will ride smoother.
Always check brake lines. I run ORD's 12"+ lift brake lines on my 5" lift. They are just barely long enough
Carcinogen
1/2 ton status
I'll 2nd the checking the brake line thing. When I bought my truck it had a 4 in lift and the original brake lines were the "limiting straps"...
I am happy with my tuff country 3"hd fronts . . reason for hd is snow plow that is HEAVY over 800lbs .
as to drop pitman or raised steering 2-3" rnage tend not to need correction . you want small down to rear slope . Stephen ( member here ) just did a nice writeup on steering in the garage section here . its a good read for sure. here ya go found it . https://ck5.com/forums/threads/stoc...robably-should-not-use-what-you-think.329820/
if your doing 33" tires and new lift I would just do 2" my self and prob be safe for street use.
as to drop pitman or raised steering 2-3" rnage tend not to need correction . you want small down to rear slope . Stephen ( member here ) just did a nice writeup on steering in the garage section here . its a good read for sure. here ya go found it . https://ck5.com/forums/threads/stoc...robably-should-not-use-what-you-think.329820/
if your doing 33" tires and new lift I would just do 2" my self and prob be safe for street use.
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You can do that by using ORD's heavy duty shackles. It gives a little lift, along with being stronger than the factory stuff.Thanks guys I think I am leaning toward a 2" ORD lift. Heck, if since they are custom springs maybe I will split the difference and go 2.5"
But your '89 May have longer shackles from the factory. I believe that I remember something about that...
runamok151
1 ton status
I had 2" and 33s on my '89 for years. It was a very good combo for a dd/ weekend trail rider/ beach cruiser and didn't need any other mods (brakes, pitman, etc). It wasn't until I started wheeling a little more that I wished I had more lift. I ended up running it w/ 35s (they clearanced themselves on the rusty fenders) but never lifted it more. I didn't need to crawl up into a taller truck and didn't want to have to lift stuff higher to load it. Big coolers full of ice and fish from surf fishing get heavy.
I did not realize it, but you are right. ORD's website does mention that the 88 and up square body's factory shackles are longer.
See? Those guys know these trucks, and are always heplful!!!
I have a truck on tuff country HD front springs and one on ord front springs.
The tuff country springs are definitely very drivable. On cobblestones and large potholes I get bounced around decent, but my shocks are just cheap lift shocks. The highway handling of the tuff country springs while using the factory sway bar with the ord correction kit is great. I'd go this route again for a daily driver because of economics.
There are a lot of bumps I don't even notice because of my ORD springs. They really ride well. They are a little more unpredictable on the highway in fast maneuvering, and my steering isn't as great through big bumpy corners at high speed. I'm sure that's because my particular spring is setup for off-road and I also run no sway bar. I bet if you told ORD exactly what you wanted the springs for, they'd take care of you. They are very knowledgeable and Chris and Stephen stand by everything they sell and make. They are really great to work with. I would have no regrets about putting their springs on a truck again.
If they sell you a custom 2 inch spring kit it will probably be more like a 4 inch lift at first. My lift springs were around 6 inches for a 4 inch lift, but they've settled to around 5 at the moment.
I'm guessing You will need brake lines and probably just a small amount of something in the steering, but I'm not an expert. Stephen recently posted an excellent write up on steering correction. I'm sure ORD can guide you there.
Additionally, I'd consider a 1 inch body lift and a new rubber body mount kit from LMC. If you really like your truck and it's super clean, you will probably rub with 33s and a 2 inch tuff county lift. Usually this happens when you pull quickly into a parking lot with a raised entrance while braking.
You're truck most likely needs the FUSH replaced. Both of mine did. The bolts wear through the bushing and into the hangar. During a lift is the time to replace these.
The tuff country springs are definitely very drivable. On cobblestones and large potholes I get bounced around decent, but my shocks are just cheap lift shocks. The highway handling of the tuff country springs while using the factory sway bar with the ord correction kit is great. I'd go this route again for a daily driver because of economics.
There are a lot of bumps I don't even notice because of my ORD springs. They really ride well. They are a little more unpredictable on the highway in fast maneuvering, and my steering isn't as great through big bumpy corners at high speed. I'm sure that's because my particular spring is setup for off-road and I also run no sway bar. I bet if you told ORD exactly what you wanted the springs for, they'd take care of you. They are very knowledgeable and Chris and Stephen stand by everything they sell and make. They are really great to work with. I would have no regrets about putting their springs on a truck again.
If they sell you a custom 2 inch spring kit it will probably be more like a 4 inch lift at first. My lift springs were around 6 inches for a 4 inch lift, but they've settled to around 5 at the moment.
I'm guessing You will need brake lines and probably just a small amount of something in the steering, but I'm not an expert. Stephen recently posted an excellent write up on steering correction. I'm sure ORD can guide you there.
Additionally, I'd consider a 1 inch body lift and a new rubber body mount kit from LMC. If you really like your truck and it's super clean, you will probably rub with 33s and a 2 inch tuff county lift. Usually this happens when you pull quickly into a parking lot with a raised entrance while braking.
You're truck most likely needs the FUSH replaced. Both of mine did. The bolts wear through the bushing and into the hangar. During a lift is the time to replace these.
ORD's are nice, but the squishy leaves do come with streetability issues with respect to bumpsteer, cornering, etc. I second what Richcz said too, about the ORD lift coming in high. I was freaking out at first because I had like 6" of lift when I asked for 4". It's down to about 5" now and I don't expect it to go lower. I wish it was lower, but have made my peace I think. Anyway, it's a consideration. I think the soft springs make it hard to know exactly where it will fall because it's such a strong function of vehicle weight, load, etc. If it were me, I'd probably save money and go with the TC's since I've heard mostly good things and they will fall exactly where you expect. I'm talking about for a vehicle that will be mostly used around town and street manners are very important.
chulisohombre
1/2 ton status
Tc 3 inch. Should be perfect and unless you have the money they work pretty good and will do a decent job. I went with hd Front as well but I have a heavy bumper. The watsons definitely know their stuff and could set you up with whatever you want to do at Ord. If money is no issue it would be nice to go that route.
The tendency for springs to ride higher than the stated lift is why I have been hesitant to pull the trigger on a 2" lift for my K10. Are TC springs pretty good about being advertised height? I also, am looking for an improved ride quality and "beefier" stock look, but seems many of the trucks with even the 2" kits look fairly well lifted.
Can ORD use their regular design for only 2"? All of them I've seen have been in the 4-6" range and the leaf pack is very thick. At 2", the main leaf might be in the same position as the stock main leaf, which doesn't lend to much uptravel. With a 2" lift kit spring you would expect like 1.5" more uptravel. ORD may set short ones up differently.
chulisohombre
1/2 ton status
When i got my lift springs I figured there would be at least a one inch drop when the springs wore in. If I wanted 2 inch I would order 3 inch springs. Over time they will wear in and sit better. My rear I did 4 inch and a zero rate and after they settled it sits more like a 4 inch now. I don't think my 3 leaf hd springs will ever settle. Lol
It is harder to hit ride height targets with softer springs which is probably part of the reason no bigger companies mess with them. We rarely hear "my truck leans now" with a regular "lift kit" spring but it happens sometimes with our stuff because they are more sensitive. They're not what we would call a race weight spring that's built around a non varying load and are very soft but they're soft enough that if weights change or frames are bent or one of a variety of other factors pop up, you'll see it in the ride height where a stiffer spring would cover it up.
As to being consistently tall, it's not across the board. It does help to check details since things like a D60 adding height can make a difference and even watching out for low initial lift heights. We've started using ride height more measure between the axle tube and bumpstop bracket. Figure a 4" lift on something with a D44 to be 12.5 to 13". The D60 can make that 3/4" taller. My TCI 3" springs on my 'burb with a 10 bolt sat at 12". What everyone looks for in the custom springs is a moving target but we have a lot better chance to hit the mark than picking an off the shelf spring.
Back to the OPs question, most of the details have been talked about here pretty well. We do a 2.5" custom package with the 10 leaf pack that works really good. For a shorter leaf we can limit bump travel a little, go with a thinner spring pack with thicker material and thinner leaves and save some room for more bump travel which requires thinner material and more leaves.... For a 2" we could probably drop a couple leaves and work OK without getting too far into the feedback loop in my previous sentence.
Personally, I've become a ride quality snob and like soft springs. I'd do a soft spring and keep the factory steering and swaybar. Correct steering as appropriate for the lift height you choose. And remember that a softer spring will move more and for any offroad use you'll likely still need to trim fenders a little for 33's and a 3" lift just to be safe the one time you stick a tire in a ditch to see what it will do.
All this said, if the price difference is going to cause problems with doing other stuff to make the truck work right, a set of TCI 2-3" springs will work just fine.
As to being consistently tall, it's not across the board. It does help to check details since things like a D60 adding height can make a difference and even watching out for low initial lift heights. We've started using ride height more measure between the axle tube and bumpstop bracket. Figure a 4" lift on something with a D44 to be 12.5 to 13". The D60 can make that 3/4" taller. My TCI 3" springs on my 'burb with a 10 bolt sat at 12". What everyone looks for in the custom springs is a moving target but we have a lot better chance to hit the mark than picking an off the shelf spring.
Back to the OPs question, most of the details have been talked about here pretty well. We do a 2.5" custom package with the 10 leaf pack that works really good. For a shorter leaf we can limit bump travel a little, go with a thinner spring pack with thicker material and thinner leaves and save some room for more bump travel which requires thinner material and more leaves.... For a 2" we could probably drop a couple leaves and work OK without getting too far into the feedback loop in my previous sentence.
Personally, I've become a ride quality snob and like soft springs. I'd do a soft spring and keep the factory steering and swaybar. Correct steering as appropriate for the lift height you choose. And remember that a softer spring will move more and for any offroad use you'll likely still need to trim fenders a little for 33's and a 3" lift just to be safe the one time you stick a tire in a ditch to see what it will do.
All this said, if the price difference is going to cause problems with doing other stuff to make the truck work right, a set of TCI 2-3" springs will work just fine.
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