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If you were building a tow rig with a lift on it...

thatK30guy

thatK30guy

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Would you install rear lift springs or retain the stock springs and use blocks instead?

Don't bash blocks. Even the factory trucks like Ford and Dodge use them today.

Would you say lift springs are too soft compared to stock rears under a 1 ton truck? Truck will be used to haul up to 15K lbs.
 
My K5 is also my tow rig. I use it to pull my Camaro in the summer, and the snowmobiles in the winter (either a 2 or 4 place trailer).

I went with a shackle flip first, then added lift springs down the road. Added a zero rate sometime after that to level it out. I have no issues pulling anything with it. Even my big trailer. It's not anywhere near 15k though.

If you were to use blocks, I'd keep them under 4". If you are that concerned about axle wrap, maybe a custom set of springs would do. The local shop around here can build a spring to your specs. You'd be able to get the lift with the rate you wanted (i.e.1 ton specs). The cost should be about the same as a new set of lift springs.
 
The bags would let you get a decent ride out of her with no load and support the weight for towing.b
 
lift springs are not for heavy loads . thay sag out bad over time and break leafs.

i would go block up to around 4" and this will let you use stock springs and even stock overloads if the truck has them.
 
Truck is an '87 V30 dually.

I'm thinking of add-a-leaves but not the block type. The leaf spring type, to add approximately 1" - 2" and the 4" block. With a load on it, it may squat the rear down slightly so it will ride level.
I'm going to add a sway bar in the rear also. I have thought about air bags but only for levelling use and not lift use.
No flips on this truck.
 
Go with the bags. It would easily handle the 15k. Or just blocks but bags would add the coolness factor haha
 
you might be asking a lot out of add a leafs to arch up a 9-10 leaf 56" spring pack with that thickness steel. thay ride stuff as is stock i would hate to ride in there with 2 add a leafs more per side. :doah:

go to your local spring shop and see if thay can modify your current stuff to hold more and sit a little higher with a few more regular leafs.

i would add some good bags in the back . we just had a huge run of gas drilling here and then thay installed a huge conecting pipe system here to link all the wells up. all the big gas welding 1tons welders truck all were getting airbags added in the back and thay loved them and said thay rode nice and lifted it to just were thay wanted it.
 
What about a 5.5" rear block instead of the add-a-leaves?

Dodge trucks have tall blocks like 5" or 6" and they tow everything all over the world. Don't see why I couldn't use that size and still have a sway bar with it to tow.
 
I used to have a 62 GMC 3/4 ton 4x4 as a tow pig....it came from the factory with 7 in lift blocks. It handled weight in the bed and on the trailer without issue.

If I dumped the clutch at 5 grand on pavement, I would get some axle wrap. But thats kind of a stupid thing to do:doah:

So I dont see a problem with you running blocks in the rear.
Cheap, easy, done.
 
i use to run 4" lift block in my c&c flatbed dump. 9 leaf packs and 2 over load leafs per side to factory over load hangers.

4-5k lbs of gravel all summer long last year or so. no problems at all.

but i will say that big spring pack and 4" blocks = super long ubolts.
 
thatK30guy said:
Don't bash blocks. Even the factory trucks like Ford and Dodge use them today.
Click to expand...

The engineers at Ford and Dodge spent tons of time/testing figuring out which springs and block combo would work well. Certainly the factory blocks on those trucks have proved themselves, even behind big time diesel power.

But putting a block under stock rear Chevy springs is a different deal, and I know from personal experience that spring wrap is a significant issue.

IMO, lifted rear springs are the way to go.
 
Why has no one here mentioned a different set of shackles?

Are lifted springs better then shackles? I'm wanting to remove the blocks out of my blazer and I have been looking at the ORD shackles.
 
nsxxtreme said:
Why has no one here mentioned a different set of shackles?

Are lifted springs better then shackles? I'm wanting to remove the blocks out of my blazer and I have been looking at the ORD shackles.
Click to expand...


You need a shackle flip to make it give you llift which converts from tension to compression style shckles. much more sway and squat involved when a heavy load is instaled on a compression style setup. He also stated he didn't want to do a flip. I agree with him on this fora truck being used to tow.
 
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