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87 v30 long bed...looking to fit 40's...advice needed

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airnathan012

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Ive got an 87 V30, 454, long bed. Pretty new to this older style of truck. It has a 3.5" superlift on it currently with some 33's. Im looking to fit 39.5" swamper SSR's...Ive looked into skyjackers 8" and Superlifts 5.5" kit but im sure there are other ways of doing things out there. I don't want to trim the fenders, this truck will be my DD to work and cruise through town in as I already have a trail rig. Id like to replace both the front and rear springs and not have to use blocks. Im sure this is a "newb" question but any input would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

-Nathan
 
Awesome! An '87 V30! I have one and also an '85 K30.

Lets see, you don't want to trim fenders which leads me to ask how do you like the appearance of the tire-to-lift ratio? Do you want the tires to be tucked in the fenders or do you want some space between them?

If it were me, I'd do a 1" body lift, 1" degree/taper zero-rate, and either 6" or 8" suspension springs, depending on how much space you want in the fenders.

Be aware 6" is the tallest rear springs you can get for the 56" long types. You can make up the difference with either a 2" block or a shackle flip of some brand, preferrably ORD or DIY4X. Only ORD makes them in 2" or 2.5".

Post up pics of this bad boy already!
 
Pics are comin soon! I want it to sit pretty high but i don't want it to look goofy with too much lift and small tires, id like to not trim at all but minimal trimming is alright. Any I goin to have to do anything drivetrain wise? (lengthen driveshafts?) Brake lines? Id like this thing to ride pretty smooth if possible...any certain springs I should look for?
 
Ok, here's what I'd do:

8" front Skyjacker springs.
1" zero-rates with 4 degrees milled into them so you don't sandwich the shim that comes with the 8" springs between the zero-rate.
Get another pair of regular shims and put these on top of the spring pack so the u-bolt plates will sit level with the 2 bolt holes in the passenger side differential. If you don't seat the bolt heads squarely, you will experience problems of shearing them.

In the rear, I'd get the 6" Skyjacker 56" long springs.
1" zero-rates but with no degree taper. Just straight 1".
2.5" ORD shackle flip kit.

Get all greasable bushings and HD shackles from ORD.

Longer front and rear brakelines from Skyjacker.

Steering correction depends on how much you want to spend and if you want to retain the sway bar or not.
If you need the sway bar, get the 2" drop pitman arm and 3" steering block from Skyjacker.
Look for a Dodge steering arm, stock type, from a D60 and send it to Kert at DIY4X and have him weld up the hole and retaper it to fit the GM TRE. Using a Dodge arm will get the drag link back up higher than the GM arm will.

Get sway bar drop brackets from Skyjacker.
ORD sway bar disconnects so the bar can pivot instead of bind at a fixed point.

Put all this on first and see how the tires fit. If its not enough, you can get anywhere from 1" to 3" in body lifts to get up a little more. Do this as a last resort. You may or may not need a BL so work with the suspension.

And yes, you will need longer driveshafts, both front and rear. If your truck has a slip yoke rear shaft, invest in a SYE for the 205 and get new fixed yoke rear shaft made.
 
thatK30guy said:
Ok, here's what I'd do:

8" front Skyjacker springs.
1" zero-rates with 4 degrees milled into them so you don't sandwich the shim that comes with the 8" springs between the zero-rate.
Get another pair of regular shims and put these on top of the spring pack so the u-bolt plates will sit level with the 2 bolt holes in the passenger side differential. If you don't seat the bolt heads squarely, you will experience problems of shearing them.

In the rear, I'd get the 6" Skyjacker 56" long springs.
1" zero-rates but with no degree taper. Just straight 1".
2.5" ORD shackle flip kit.

Get all greasable bushings and HD shackles from ORD.

Longer front and rear brakelines from Skyjacker.

Steering correction depends on how much you want to spend and if you want to retain the sway bar or not.
If you need the sway bar, get the 2" drop pitman arm and 3" steering block from Skyjacker.
Look for a Dodge steering arm, stock type, from a D60 and send it to Kert at DIY4X and have him weld up the hole and retaper it to fit the GM TRE. Using a Dodge arm will get the drag link back up higher than the GM arm will.

Get sway bar drop brackets from Skyjacker.
ORD sway bar disconnects so the bar can pivot instead of bind at a fixed point.

Put all this on first and see how the tires fit. If its not enough, you can get anywhere from 1" to 3" in body lifts to get up a little more. Do this as a last resort. You may or may not need a BL so work with the suspension.

And yes, you will need longer driveshafts, both front and rear. If your truck has a slip yoke rear shaft, invest in a SYE for the 205 and get new fixed yoke rear shaft made.
Click to expand...

Alrighty...

So basically heres the list:

-8" Skyjacker kit (springs, shocks, steering stablizers, pitman, steering block, brake lines, sway bar brackets)
-1" ORD zero rate AAL's for the front and rear
-2.5" ORD shackle flip kit (does this kit come with the HD shackles? if not, what size do i need to get?)
-Where can I get the slip yoke eliminator? Should I get all new DS's or just have them lengthened?

I really appreciate all the help...
 
airnathan012 said:
Alrighty...

So basically heres the list:

-8" Skyjacker kit (springs, shocks, steering stablizers, pitman, steering block, brake lines, sway bar brackets)
-1" ORD zero rate AAL's for the front and rear
-2.5" ORD shackle flip kit (does this kit come with the HD shackles? if not, what size do i need to get?)
-Where can I get the slip yoke eliminator? Should I get all new DS's or just have them lengthened?

I really appreciate all the help...
Click to expand...
Get the zero-rates from JKW Offroad. He's a vendor here. Ask for the 4 degree taper milled into the block to be a true 1" at the thinner end. He'll understand.

ORD has HD rear shackles, too, and get the shorter ones.
The front HD shackles have to be bought separately. Order the greasables along with the rest of the spring bushings, too.
SYE can be had right here on this site. Look in the For Sale forums. Matter of fact, I think sweetK30 is selling one right now. Either him or 1tonmudder.
Get all new DS's. Don't deal with old and used stuff. Too much hassles. Get new and fresh parts and be done with it. Sell your leftover parts here or on Craigslist. Stay away from eVilbay. They're crooks with their high percentage commission fee.

Oh yeah, check into the Skyjacker Platinum series shocks. Spendy but worth it. :wink1:
 
Your choice. All are pretty reputable. Especially HAD and Tom Woods. I'd go with TW for simple shafts like your rig. Use HAD for more customized rigs.
 
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