What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Can you cruise at 80+mph in your truck?

I bet I answered earlier in the thread. I think it's funny how everyone has to chime in and say how their truck cruises that fast no problem. Everyone has their own risk tolerance. All my components are new and tight, but I'd never take it that fast on the interstate in traffic. With the soft springs and stuff, who knows what would happen in a hard emergency brake or swerve situation. Never mind the complete lack of any modern safety features. Wasn't there some case where a Jeep rear ended someone and they sued him because his front winch bumper was so damaging to the people he hit? I'll keep mine to 65 and below, open roads when possible. Even when new I bet these things were scary at 80, if they could get up to that speed. My speedo only goes to 85.
 
I agree with you, I have had numerous people in my truck some that are into trucks and some that are not. They all said it was stable and felt comfortable.

I built my truck to be a driver and I want it to do this.
 
The good old days story...... In 1989 driving out to Vegas to get married .More money then brains,1972 K30 custom built ex CDOT truck, All new GM front suspension ,30 over 454 ,sm 465 and 4.10 gears. Got a ticket in Utah by the first highway patrol Mustang I had ever seen , 85 in a 55 which I pretty much had been doing most of the trip. Engine was SCREAMING the entire trip! Oh yea the truck was a tow truck with a Holmes 440 and I was TOWING a 1979 Trans Am for my brother from California who was meeting me in Vegas. No A/C, windows down the whole trip, 1st week of August, about 6 mpg ! :doah:
 
Last edited:
Mastiff said:
I bet I answered earlier in the thread. I think it's funny how everyone has to chime in and say how their truck cruises that fast no problem. Everyone has their own risk tolerance. All my components are new and tight, but I'd never take it that fast on the interstate in traffic. With the soft springs and stuff, who knows what would happen in a hard emergency brake or swerve situation. Never mind the complete lack of any modern safety features. Wasn't there some case where a Jeep rear ended someone and they sued him because his front winch bumper was so damaging to the people he hit? I'll keep mine to 65 and below, open roads when possible. Even when new I bet these things were scary at 80, if they could get up to that speed. My speedo only goes to 85.
Click to expand...

I peg my speedometer on the way to work each morning, but that's just because it's quite far out of calibration. :crazy:

I have no local roads where I can go above 55MPH, but I wouldn't wanna take the K5 faster than that at this point. It's much looser than the K10, and the short wheelbase & locker steer certainly aren't helping.

I wanna be able to do 70 in it someday...
 
I can do 80 with no issues on a decent road but don't. I run 70 on a short trip to the next town but that's it and depends on other factors.
Like was said until a hard braking or swerve it's probably all over at that speed.
That's with 35's 4-5" lift with steering arm correction and all tight parts.
 
With my setup before the shackle flip, in my sig line, I went 150 miles to visit Greg, @GWeakland620, and cruised 75-80 all the way there. Then 80 on the way back to home. The only thing I would change is a quieter muffler. The BFG KM2s were not as loud as I thought they would be. I only got 10 mpg on that run but I was still impressed how well it ran.

When me and my son went to Tuttle Creek, 175 miles, we cruised 75 mph there and back with no issues. Didn't want to go 80 because the speed limits only go to 70 on most of the highways up there.

It's nice that it will run at 80 mph but I won't do it very often. Just not necessary because of the gas mileage.
 
Last edited:
When the K5 had 35" radials and alloy wheels I had it to 90MPH a few times on the freeway. It really wasn't bad. Moving to larger tires and 2-piece wheels my only goal is to be not too much slower than other freeway traffic without too much shaking. As long as you run tires like 35" or less that are round there's no reason a square nose can't travel at high speed - except that the fuel consumption is bad.
 
My 91 with 4" and 33" MT's was fine at 80 in fact, if you went 70 the trans hunted when it was windy or hilly.

As said before, taking transmission out of the equation it's a matter of steering, suspension and tires and wheels. My 78 hasn't been past 50 yet due to brakes and steering stuff, but when it's done it should be as least as good as it was new.
 
Back in high school, not long after I got the white Blazer, Me and a girl I knew were both heading out to a friends house, she was in her Grand Prix and kept pulling away from me, so I tried to see if I keep up, after a while I looked down and the speedo was pegged at 80, she told me her car said 105, The Blazer didn't mind it one bit, the RPM's were up there, but it felt better than my silver Dodge does now, smooth as anything on leaf springs can be, nothing to get my attention.
 
I never noticed this thread before. I drove my K5 from NJ to Atlanta a couple times, 70 all the way. First time was right after I put 35s on and hadn't regeared yet. It didn't like some of the hills in SW VA on I-81and down shifted a lot, but no problems. After I went to 4.56s it did the trip w/ out a hiccup. The Dodge is 20 years newer and the cummins handles the trips even easier, but I still don't do over 70 a) because I'm really not in that much of a hurry, and b) because the mileage starts dropping off a lot above 65 mph. Speeding up from 70 to 72 cost me almost 2 mpg.
 
Back when I first met my wife I was driving a 78 k10 shortbox that I put a 454 in, it had a 465 trans 4 inch lift and 35s.
I would visit her on week days and often would come home quite late. The next morning after sleeping in for work I would drive it 100 mph down the highway with my high beams on...everyone just moved over. Lol!

On the way home I would drive 50mph to save the gas I used in the morning. :doah::haha:

That truck dove totally fine at 100 mph

That aside....

I used to drive like a dick...wanted to be a race car driver. Paid for that a few times and grew up! Speed kills, keep racing on the track.
 
After changing the U joints and balancing the tires, my 89 has no problem cruising 80-85, though I usually keep it to 75 because the highest speed limits here are 70. My 72 c10 cruises down the highway like its it's job, 2.73 rear gear and even with my th350 I can run 80-85 mph right at 3000 rpm. Im going to miss that when I regear once I start building it up some.
 
Running 1 tons (4.56)with rear disks and crossover steering 4 " lift ORD Rsf an 3" ezride with 1" zero rate is front. Bilsteins 5100. 700R4, np241. 35 bfg at2 on 17" alum wheels. No sway bar. Surprisingly not much body roll. I hardly notice the difference. This thing was white knuckle in stock form when I bought it. Couldn't hardly keep it on the road at 70. Road like a chuck wagon.

I ptretty much followed what was on ORD's site and am really happy with the ride.

Highway at 75 seems to be no problem. Drives and tracks straight. Hard to get a good gauge on the cruising part since my hw miles consist of 25 miles uphill on I80 on my way to camp then 25 miles downhill on my way home.

I have noticed a pull to the right under heavy panic stop testing. Made a mental note not to tailgate. Does it make sense that even with the crossover steering it still pulls to right in panic mode?

Worst part is driving on a shitty bumpy paved road. My front springs don't appear to be long enough as the shackles are angled slightly forward. I think at mid range speed this translates into the rig bucking as the front spring can't lengthen as easy as they would with if the shackles were angled slightly back.

Whoops, got a bit off topic.
 
JT88K5 said:
Running 1 tons (4.56)with rear disks and crossover steering 4 " lift ORD Rsf an 3" ezride with 1" zero rate is front. Bilsteins 5100. 700R4, np241. 35 bfg at2 on 17" alum wheels. No sway bar. Surprisingly not much body roll. I hardly notice the difference. This thing was white knuckle in stock form when I bought it. Couldn't hardly keep it on the road at 70. Road like a chuck wagon.

I ptretty much followed what was on ORD's site and am really happy with the ride.

Highway at 75 seems to be no problem. Drives and tracks straight. Hard to get a good gauge on the cruising part since my hw miles consist of 25 miles uphill on I80 on my way to camp then 25 miles downhill on my way home.

I have noticed a pull to the right under heavy panic stop testing. Made a mental note not to tailgate. Does it make sense that even with the crossover steering it still pulls to right in panic mode?

Worst part is driving on a shitty bumpy paved road. My front springs don't appear to be long enough as the shackles are angled slightly forward. I think at mid range speed this translates into the rig bucking as the front spring can't lengthen as easy as they would with if the shackles were angled slightly back.

Whoops, got a bit off topic.
Click to expand...
Crossover fixed that problem for me.

And my '90 had no problem running 80-85 coming back from Moab, except for more gas...
3:73 with 33's
 
Bump steer is worse with crossover, so it makes sense you'd get some swerve as the front end dips.
 
Mastiff said:
Bump steer is worse with crossover, so it makes sense you'd get some swerve as the front end dips.
Click to expand...
I should have clarified, I meant the pull to the right with hard braking.

I believe that you are on the same page too... ??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom