DIY zerorates...

[dremu]

The butt of my K5 is dragging a bit, especially after I shimmed the front, so I'm thinking about giving it a bit more altitude in the rear ... and the easiest way is of course the zero rate.

I have some 2.5x1.5 solid stock, so I could make my own ... but 1.5" seems a bit much. Besides the U-bolts being that much longer, are there any issues at this height?

I also have lots of leftover spring leaves, so I could cut a couple down and make my own bootyfab ZR that way. I was contemplating welding them together, so that don't want to spread apart so much and so they don't look so bootyfab. Is spring steel weldable or is that A Bad Idea?

-- A

 

[Pvt. Maggot]

I'd use the solid stock, you could have it cut down some, custom is the way to go.

 

[dremu]

How about using an overload leaf and cutting that one down to size, then bolt it to the existing pack?

Yeah, I have some of them too ... but if I wanted more lift than one could provide, but 1.5" was too much? Plus the spring leaves/overloads are cheaper than solid stock

-- A

 

[gmc4cw]

How about using an overload leaf and cutting that one down to size, then bolt it to the existing pack?

I did this on my truck. cut the overload down till it is slightly longer then the spring perch. VIOLA! instant zero rate. granted it will only be about 1/2" but its easy to do.


do you already have a shackle flip AND longer shackles?

 

[dremu]

I did this on my truck. cut the overload down till it is slightly longer then the spring perch. VIOLA! instant zero rate. granted it will only be about 1/2" but its easy to do.


do you already have a shackle flip AND longer shackles?

Oh yeah. I REALLY don't want to re-make those shackles... they were time-consuming

Lift isn't the problem; it's purely cosmetic, just to equalize front-to-back.

S'pose I should park it level and see how much jacking it up needs.

-- A

 

[Blue85]

How about using an overload leaf and cutting that one down to size, then bolt it to the existing pack?

I've done this. You can get overload leafs for free if they are laying in the mud at the junkyard. It's quicker (at least with my tools) to get a cut-off wheel through the leaf than it is to drill a hole through the solid stock.

The ones I made were 3/4" thick.

 

[dremu]

I've done this. You can get overload leafs for free if they are laying in the mud at the junkyard. It's quicker (at least with my tools) to get a cut-off wheel through the leaf than it is to drill a hole through the solid stock.

The ones I made were 3/4" thick.

Using one leaf, or multiple ones? Can you weld spring steel together?

-- A

 

[gmc4cw]

Using one leaf, or multiple ones? Can you weld spring steel together?

-- A

If you want to stack two then why bother welding them. If I were going to stack two of them I would cut one 2" longer then the perch and another one 4" longer then the perch.

see where I am going with that?

don't over think this.

 

[Blue85]

Using one leaf, or multiple ones? Can you weld spring steel together?

-- A

All of the GM fullsize overload leaves I've measured were about 3/4" over the spring pad. They taper thinner towards the ends which give the illusion of being close to the thickness of other leaves.

It's easy to come up with material in 3/4", 1", 2", etc. The hard part is figuring out up front exactly how much lift you need for it to sit the way you want.

 

[dremu]

Well, thinking I'd be scientific, I started measuring the truck, front-vs-back and left-vs-right, and discovered that the front corners are visibly off, like about 1.5" higher on one side than the other

I *swear* it didn't used to be like that, so I'll tear down the front suspension soon and see ... once I fix that, *then* I'll measure front-to-back ... ...

-- A

 

[ryoken]

Well, thinking I'd be scientific, I started measuring the truck, front-vs-back and left-vs-right, and discovered that the front corners are visibly off, like about 1.5" higher on one side than the other

I *swear* it didn't used to be like that, so I'll tear down the front suspension soon and see ... once I fix that, *then* I'll measure front-to-back ... ...

-- A

ya need to make a frame pull from a tree......


ah, fap it....

 

[smalltruckbigcid]

ya need to make a frame pull from a tree......


ah, fap it....

Those statements are going to be around and an inside joke for a while
George

 

[dyeager535]

I gave up trying to measure the corners of the truck. (actually anywhere on the truck) Without using the GM specified way (or frame shop tools) I couldn't figure out ANY other way to determine with absolute certainty where the "problem" was when I thought my truck was leaning. Even swapped springs side to side and didn't fix it.

If the rear is pretty even, then it might actually be the front, but there are SO many variables to how these sit, (and how they look) you've got to be real careful with what you think you are seeing.

Springs, spring bushings, body mounts, body alignment, ground, location on the frame, any of that will affect how you measure how the truck sits.

1.5" is a pretty large number, I'll give you that. Even being off 50% it's a fair bit.

 

[twoslo4five0]

im thinking of doing this with a overload spring i have laying around....a few questions could you make a zero rate that went 2 inches foward (just wondering)...also how hard is it to cut and drill through that spring steel???

 

[dremu]

im thinking of doing this with a overload spring i have laying around....a few questions could you make a zero rate that went 2 inches foward (just wondering)...also how hard is it to cut and drill through that spring steel???

I seem to recall reading that drilling, particularly, is brutal. I remember when drilling through a wrench (14mm, to make Caddy caliper parking brake levers) that tool steel takes forever, even when using a small bit at slow speed and lots of fluid.

Obviously, you start with a small bit and work your way up, or use a step bit.

Cutting wasn't bad, IIRC, on the wrench -- just whacked 'em with a grinder. I'm sure a chopsaw would do fine on the springs, donno 'bout a sawzall.

I've shifted back to the sixpack now that the motor for it is done, so it'll be a few weeks 'fore I have time to get back to the K5 and see why the front is so bunged, at which point I may still try some DIY ZR's.

-- A