Clear up suspension theories...

[MrArmyAnt]

So a larger lift spring keeps things from being inflexible. So do stiffer shocks? Do adjustable shocks allow you to stiffen soft springs? Or harden them to preven roll on highway? I am basically looking at a shackle flip, for articulation, but need to be able to limit it for highway. Spring holds truck steady, and shock holds spring from bouncing indef. Is that right?

 

[Robert D]

One way to think of it is...springs handle the truck and keep it "steady" when you run over bumps by allowing a certain amount of suspension movement. The shocks or dampeners dampen the strength of the springs so the spring movement is smooth and controlled.

 

[dave_90_blazer]

So a larger lift spring keeps things from being inflexible. So do stiffer shocks? Do adjustable shocks allow you to stiffen soft springs? Or harden them to preven roll on highway? I am basically looking at a shackle flip, for articulation, but need to be able to limit it for highway. Spring holds truck steady, and shock holds spring from bouncing indef. Is that right?

pretty much, spring holds the wieght, shock dampens spring movement

 

[koldsimer]

So a larger lift spring keeps things from being inflexible. So do stiffer shocks? Do adjustable shocks allow you to stiffen soft springs? Or harden them to preven roll on highway? I am basically looking at a shackle flip, for articulation, but need to be able to limit it for highway. Spring holds truck steady, and shock holds spring from bouncing indef. Is that right?

You've got the jist of it. In general, the higher lift that a lift spring has, the rougher it will ride and the less it will flex. The common consensus here seems to be that 6" lift springs are the highest lift you can run and experience good flex/ride. Most 6" springs are pretty rough... BDS, Tuff Country, and Deaver all seem to come highly recommended for their 6" springs. I love my BDS springs... night and day compared to the pro-comps I had. Adjustable shocks allow you to adjust the rate that the spring moves up and down. Your shackle flip out back will make your truck ride near stock. I have ORD's kit and it is top-notch. Just make sure you get a good spring for the front and you'll be lovin' life.

 

[MrArmyAnt]

There a more recomended flip? so a 2.5 shackle flip in back with 2 or 4 inch springs in back, with a 4 or 6 inch spring in the front? And this will get some mean articulation? and ajustable shocks will give me highway drivability.

one otf the blazers I rode in had a 8 inch lift. I hated it. The also have the kit for dual shocks, why do that? Its painful.

 

[koldsimer]

There a more recomended flip? so a 2.5 shackle flip in back with 2 or 4 inch springs in back, with a 4 or 6 inch spring in the front? And this will get some mean articulation? .

I would go with the ord flip and BDS springs. It's beefy and their service is awesome. The only disadvantage to it is that you must run stock style shackles and they have a fixed mounting point. The kit from DIY4x4 has two positions available to mount your shackle without moving the hanger on the frame. It also lets you run the same style shackle that the front spring uses. Get Tuff Country or BDS springs up front and you will ride like stock.

 

[blazd88]

even with a shakle flip and your sway bar removed you shouldnt HAVE to have adjustable shocks, its just for preferance.

 

[Blue85]

Try This...

If you want to know what shocks do, take them off and go for a short drive.

 

[Greg72]

If you want to know what shocks do, take them off and go for a short drive.

That's not as crazy as it sounds.

With stiff springs, there is no noticeable change in ride "quality"..... with a good, flexible spring, the change should be obvious.

 

[az-k5]

That's not as crazy as it sounds.

With stiff springs, there is no noticeable change in ride "quality"..... with a good, flexible spring, the change should be obvious.

By obvious you mean after you get see sick... right.



Shocks won't remove body roll, lean, they will just slow it down. So you can go 200 ft through a turn before you hit the 10° point where as before you could only go 150 ft through a turn. (these are fake example numbers BTW).

Shocks limit spring oscilation (bouncy, bouncy). A stiff shock limits the springs ability to oscilate, while a soft shock allows it to oscilate more freely. There is a happy medium in the middle.

Take a high speed forest road. If you have too stiff of a shock the tires won't be able to "fall" into holes/ruts fast enough. This will make the tires lose contact with the road. This makes the truck feel like it is jumping over every little bump. However, if the shock is too soft the tires will rise too fast and rebound up off of the road creating the same loss of contact. This makes it feel like you are jumping off of every little bump. A soft shock situation often makes the vehicle feel very loose on the road (since the suspension is moving farther than it needs to), and in extreme cases, almost uncontollable. The stiff shock situation makes the vehicle slide around on the tops of bumps (since the suspension isn't moving far enough). This makes sliding into a corner scary, and can make "lane changes" unintentional.

There is no set rule for shocks. It is very dependent on speed, type of terain, suspension design (strait shackles w/leafs, raked shackles w/leafs, coils on short links, coils on long links, ect), spring rate, vehicle weight, shock angle and a few other little variables. I have found a happy medium on mine by adjusting shock angle, shackle angle, and the front/rear weight ditribution.

 

[Robert D]

I remember running 250lb springs on the 944 I had (stock rate was ~115) with the stock shocks while waiting on Koni to make sport shocks for it. Bouncy and uncomfortable is the only way to describe it.