The instructions that came with the springs said not to flex the spring a ton for the first 500 miles, and no hardcore offroad trails.
I did take a couple passes through a mild ditch to check clearance.
And harhar the truck isn't 4wd yet.
CK5
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2000 GMT400 CREW CAB SFA SWAP-The Warden: Fuel leak fixed and awaiting surgery…
- Thread starter GWeakland620
- Start date
The ultimate goal for this truck is tow duty/family camping trips/small offroad adventures.
I did take a couple passes through a mild ditch to check clearance.
And harhar the truck isn't 4wd yet.
Gotcha - my bad. Thought you had the transfer case hooked up.
I’d say keep working the springs on road, and at the first opportunity, start some gentle flexing for each side, increasing the compression level as time goes on. Keep monitoring and repeating. I could quickly track my spring settling by the shackle angle - it faced forward at the start, and eventually sat straight upright.
David
In the mean time I will bring a hemorrhoid donut with me for the hard landings lol.
I'm still going to swap shocks just to see what that does, mainly because I have a few options to try.
What about tire pressure? I run mine low by most peoples standards but it sure as hell rides better. I can tell instantly when they are aired up too high, like after it has just been to the tire shop; they just pump them up to the max pressure stamped on the tire.
All 4 are at 40 psi, not high enough to be a factor I think.
Really? Nobody told me that. Here's how I broke mine in, during their first 800 miles:
P.S. - Those are all action shots that involved hard landings afterwards. I smashed into the end of those long shocks quite a few times. Maybe I missed that part of the instructions? I do have 3 leaves in front instead of 9, so maybe that's why yours are supposed to settle in for a bit.
40PSI is high enough to be noticeable. I'd drop that if you're looking for better ride quality.
On a one ton truck I wouldn’t lower them past 40. I keep mine in my tow rig at 75 all the time, ride quality be damned the extra stability with the trailer in tow is worth it without having to air them up. But I’m also single and the only one that has to be happy. So there’s that
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Ha! You did notice it was all his family members complaining. He's too broke to say anything bad about the new setup.
Yeah. I've always kept all my tires on the firm side. 50 or 60 PSI for the trucks, 45PSI for the cars.
But the 35PSI in the burb sure was cushy.
I run the fronts of my 8100lbs crew cab at about 30 and about 26 on the rears. I look at the contact patch of the tire. If the edges of the thread aren't getting dirt on them, I let a little air out til they do.
I air up the rear to 40-45psi when towing the camper. I didn't air them down last time I drove it and I could tell.
I air up the rear to 40-45psi when towing the camper. I didn't air them down last time I drove it and I could tell.
My input is truly all of the above. Give time for the springs to be broke in. Absolutely follow the directions of the manufacture. Then flex them where you can. Try different shocks if possible. GOOD shocks, like your thinking. And air pressure! Unless you’re towing or loaded, running the pressure down to 35 vs 40 will be a noticeable difference in ride quality.
Yup. I say double check your shocks (which you’re already doing). Custom leafs make a ton of difference
Definitely crossed the line on this one.Ha! You did notice it was all his family members complaining. He's too broke to say anything bad about the new setup.
Yep, I’m crossing them all off the list one by one today. Alcans shouldn’t ride this rough.
I’m really thinking that’s a big part of it.
C'mon, man. We've all been here. Expensive new parts that don't work quite the way you wanted? You'll be fine, and you'll get it dialed with a little more work. It's not even like they failed, it's just a tweaking thing. If I can't poke fun at that, after getting stranded on the side of the road 3 times this year, by junk I had just serviced...what can I poke fun at? It's all in fun, and I can empathize with the frustration. I'm changing out some more brand new failed parts today. It's just part of the cycle of getting things tuned up.
Take a step back and enjoy the absurdity that life offers. It's funny stuff when you have the right mindset.
So I took the Bilstein “Super Duty” shocks off the truck and drove it around the block. Even without any shocks on there it made a massive difference. The only other shocks I had that to try were my old 10” travel Rancho 9000’s off the front of the K5. Even with those on there, the truck rides 10x better. Now to figure out a better quality shock that’s going to do the job. I’m open to any suggestions.
TreeFarm
Internet fabricator.
Bilstein 5100? Not real sure I've never tried different shocks to tune a suspension. I think my f350 has 5100 bilsteins rides like a semi cuz the rear springs are huge.
