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BDS Spring problem

H

huntingaddict

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Bethlehem, GA
I have a set of 6" BDS springs on the front of my K10. SBC motor with iron heads, the only lighter piece is the aluminum intake. It rides terrible. I have verified that the bolts are not too tight, disconnected the shocks and tried to bounce up and down on 1 corner and it doesn't want to move. I took it over to a ramp and flexed it as hard as I could both directions after giving the springs a liberal bath in PB Blaster penetrant. BDS told me that I needed to flex them to get the paint broken loose and they should be fine. With all the talk of how great BDS and Tuff Country springs are I don't understand why they are so stiff. The back uses stock springs and when I back out of the driveway, they are pretty nice and soft then the front hits the same bump and it jars you pretty good. Any ideas? I'm at my wits end, but have trouble thinking that the BDS springs are just garbage because so many of you have touted them as one of the best. This is one of the reasons that my truck still has blocks in the back; the back rides good. I'll probably shackle flip the back just to keep the back from getting stiff like the front. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom
 
and...

Oh and yes I'm positive they are BDS springs. I called them with the part number and they verified they are the correct spring for the application.

Tom
 
look for a ramp to go airborne with it to loosen thing up.. aha not sure what to say.. i know if its new it'll be stiff and needs to be broken in.. otherwise u got high spring rate. or shocks are stiff
 
This is a local Colorado guy. 6" front BDS springs and 2" rear BDS springs with a shackle flip. I have a 4" BDS kit and both ride and flex very well.

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sorry but i think is a kind of messed up problem. i had both brand new 6" and 8" brand new bds fronts in my posetion. and the 6" looked a whole lot stiffer and beefyer than the 8" . i bet the 6" are much stiffer.

i would call them and ask whats up? as my 6" had 4 spring clams and the 8" had 2 clamps. and the 6" just looked much beefyer.
 
Mine will actually go pretty far up the ramp, about like yours, and seems to flex fine doing that. It's just when you are driving it around for normal driving that it seems to be excessively harsh riding.
 
mine are stiff to...but not nearny as stiff as my factory ford suspention...so when i get in the burb then jump in the ford its the difference between a wagon and a cadilac...i think if you rode on some rough country springs then you would see how well the bds rides in comarison..mine was really rough at first to...they take a while to break in and you will loose about a inch of lift when its done..
 
All lift springs even softride will be stiffer then you think they should be until you break them in. It took me 2 good wheeling trips to break my 4" TC springs in and I have 200lbs of winch and bumper on the front of my truck. My springs were also used when i bought them off a friend of mine. They were still pretty new but they weren't broke in yet.

When I installed my 4" TC HD's they weren't very good. After I broke them in they were ok. My buddies truck with 4" BDS rode nicer then my TC's. He improved his shackle angle by racking the shackles forward and making them longer and now it rides really nice.

Harley
 
Problem solved

I fixed the problem. I wasn't the one that installed the springs, but I got under there and checked the shackles. They seemed too tight so I loosened them and they made a pop when I did. I'd swear that I checked this a while back. One of the frame bushings is gone too. I went and drove it and it drove like a different truck. I just put them snug, not tight. I assume that's what they should be so they don't bind.

I think I will go ahead and order some new greasable front bushings. Hopefully that will make it even better. To those who have changed out to the greasables, did they make much of a difference?

I'd say that now the front is at least as soft as the rear stock springs. Before they actually felt like there was no spring at all.

Tom
 
I have ORD's greaseable shackles. If I had to do it over I would not buy greaseable. They may seem cool but they are a PITA to try and grease. If the bolts are to tight they won't take grease. If the greasehole is not in the right spot and loose enough it won't take grease.

I have greased mine 1 time in 5 years that I have had the ORD kit. Good product but not worth it to me. Grease the crap out of the bushing when you put them in and call it good.

If you want even more upgrade in strength you can upgrade to 9/16" bolts by running a thinner sleeve in the bushing. Several of my buddies who wheel heavily have the 9/16" upgrade and are having no problems with the thinner sleeves. When I take my front suspension apart again I will be installing the thinner sleeves and 9/16" bolt on my truck.

Harley
 
all mine in my 3 sets i have had for diffrent trucks work great and take grease just fine.

i used std bushings for my first ever truck build years ago. thay lasted 1 year. and i greased the heck out of them.

the greasables are still going strong.
 
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