How do I tell if my springs are worn out?

[Can Can]

Here's the scenario - my truck is a stock 84. The ride quality seems to have deteriorated lately, but my shocks don't seem to be the culprit. I'll probably replace them in the springtime anyway...........BUT, could the problem be with my springs?

Is there any way to tell if the springs are shot? Somebody told me that the only way to tell is to take a measurement of the distance from the ground to the fender lip, but he never told me what the measurement should be.

Does anybody have any ideas for me?



<font color=blue> NEVER FORGET, NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER SURRENDER<font color=blue>

 

[SlyDog]

It could be body mounts or something along those lines also ...

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1977 K5 GETTIN IT AWN

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BUILT NOT BOUGHT
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[Can Can]

The body mounts still look pretty good. I'm also planning on doing the sway bar bushings this spring as well. They're all cracked and stretched.......

<font color=blue> NEVER FORGET, NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER SURRENDER<font color=blue>

 

[tRustyK5]

I think to be on the safe side you should install some 4" TC EZ rides.

Seriously, you could take some measurments and see if the truck is sagging in the rear. Measure up to the body line at the rear and at the front. The line I'm talking about is roughly 6" or so above the rear fender lip and runs the length of the truck. Once you have some number to look at you'll see how much sag you have. Considering the truck is 18 years old the spring eye bushings are probably shot and the springs have probably lost some arch. You could use add-as-leafs to get it back to stock height and level again or you could just order some new stock springs from LMC or something.

Rene

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[hammer]

check to make sure the spring are not brken any where I have had boken spring before on my 84 k5. Also go to the mall and find another K5 park next to it and just look at the 2 trucks for height diffrence

<font color=red>Let me at it I can break it</font color=red>

 

[55Willy]

K5's are not mall running posers

You should of said go to the local 4 wheel drive shop and park next to it...

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55 Willy's

 

[tRustyK5]

Not only that but who's to say the K5 you park beside isn't as sagged as yours? Or the tires are a hair taller, or it has a 1" body lift? The possibilties are endless.

Rene

<font color=green>Dyslexics of the world...UNTIE!</font color=green>
<a target="_blank" href=http://coloradok5.com/gallery/project_T2> tRusty pics...</a>

 

[hammer]

Sorry just a suggestion! Try the space between the spring and the bump stop. If the are both stock height

<font color=red>Let me at it I can break it</font color=red>

 

[dyeager535]

I'm going to trust my old posts and say that the body line front to rear isn't even. I think if you measure even to the bed rail from teh line you get some height difference, and if you look at the truck from aways back, you will see that the body line slopes down the closer you get to the front of the truck.

Then again, I still haven't replaced my sagged rear springs and one saggy front spring (bent frame? I don't think so!) so it could be optical delusions. : )



Dorian
My tech/links page: <a target="_blank" href=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</a>
Why insist on counting when the ring gear has the tooth counts stamped in?

 

[dyeager535]

Crud. Forgot to add that the rocker panel pinch (the lowest part of the body) is probably a static measuring point..by that I mean that it should be level from at least the front edge of the door (where the front fender ends and the body pinch begins) to the front of the rear wheelwell. It's not going to tell you how MUCH sag, but if theres a height difference front to back (or side to side) the springs have sagged.

Dorian
My tech/links page: <a target="_blank" href=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</a>
Why insist on counting when the ring gear has the tooth counts stamped in?

 

[Can Can]

I took a close look at how the truck sits tonight(I didn't measure anyhting because it's too dark and WAY too cold!!!BRRRR!!!

), but the rig seems to sit nice and square from all angles.

The mention of the bumpstops made me remember something. Last time I was under the truck I noticed black circles on the springs below the bumpstops, and because I'm so friggin' clever

I deduced that the springs were hitting the stops often enough to leave marks. I never wheel but I'm on some pretty harsh mountain roads(especially in the winter when I go ice-fishing) from time to time.

Is THIS a sign that the springs need to be replaced?



<font color=blue> NEVER FORGET, NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER SURRENDER<font color=blue>

 

[hammer]

What is the space between the spring pad and the bumpstop? Front and rear!

<font color=red>Let me at it I can break it</font color=red>

 

[HarryH3]

I've noticed that my Rancho 5000's ride rougher in the winter time. My guess is that the oil thickens from the cold and doesn't move as well through the internal orifices.

Maybe you're noticing something similar? BTW, the stock springs bottom fairly often, even when new. They just don't have much travel...

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[79ChevySB]

Do your springs squeak? Do they look like there sitting flat? Thats whay mine looked like. I sold the truck before I could put new springs in it, but it was the springs. Good luck.