Mini leaf spring pack

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

Since Chevy 52" leaf springs don't work well on the street do to body roll, would adding a mini pack to them help stiffen them up but still get good flex? It might also help the leaf spring from de-arching over time.
I'm not sure anyone's tried it but what are you're thoughts on it? If someone could come up with a custom mini pack just for the Chevy 52" leaf springs then I think that would be like a poor man's custom leaf pack without spending lots of money.

I'm sure these leaf spring company's can come up with a thin multi leaf pack for the 52s, maybe @Stephen at ORD can come up with the spring rates and stuff for a mini pack, after all he is like a walking book of knowledge lol

http://www.atlassuspension.com/mini-packs.html

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

What have you guys done to stiffen up a set of 52s for street use? I'm not talking about adding a sway bar because that's just out of the question lol.

 

[skunked]

plenty of guys have built bastard packs. There are too many variations between truck weights and springs (especially used springs) to say what will work for you. Just gotta play with different combos and see what you like.

I run 2" lift 52's they're a little stiffer than regular 52's but I still get plenty of body roll on the street.

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

plenty of guys have built bastard packs. There are too many variations between truck weights and springs (especially used springs) to say what will work for you. Just gotta play with different combos and see what you like.

I run 2" lift 52's they're a little stiffer than regular 52's but I still get plenty of body roll on the street.

True, never though about all the variables. I came across the mini pack and figured that might add strength to a set of 52s but didn't realize all 52s are different.

 

[obijuank5]

I have minipacks in something else and it softened the ride. Probably not effective if we're talking about the same thing.
I had 2" lift 52s and it wasn't all that bad. Managable.

 

[K85 Octane]

For the money, you could find a stiffer valved shock and put them up front. My 7100 Bilsteins are (IIRC) 360/80 valved. My rears are the standard 255/70, 14" travel shocks that came off the front. I plan to put 7100 (360/80) in the back too since the older 5125 bushings are shot, I'd rather run heims ends, and the valving is slower. Sure the truck flops around like a boat but it still handles 80 on the freeway and freaks people out on the street.


Also, keep in mind, the front isn't the only place you can put a swaybar. I had a Hellwig sway bar in the rear for a little while. It really helped with the body roll and made longer highway trips more pleasurable. Find longer endlinks on Summit since what they come with are tiny. All thread, nuts and washers, and swaybar bushings from an auto parts store works too.

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

For the money, you could find a stiffer valved shock and put them up front. My 7100 Bilsteins are (IIRC) 360/80 valved. My rears are the standard 255/70, 14" travel shocks that came off the front. I plan to put 7100 (360/80) in the back too since the older 5125 bushings are shot, I'd rather run heims ends, and the valving is slower.

Would that make the body roll in 52s less noticeable?

 

[K85 Octane]

Yes, a slower valved shock would stabilize that. I have ORD 52s that are flat across but I swapped to the slower shocks at the same time I did the 52s.

I added some to the above reply ^^^

 

[Bent77]

I added a leaf to my 52s. I think there are 6 in the pack now. Running bilstein shocks, it has body roll but is completely manageable on the street without a sway.
I have about 6k miles on it since I lifted it.
Wouldn't change anything in the suspension

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

Yes, a slower valved shock would stabilize that. I have ORD 52s that are flat across but I swapped to the slower shocks at the same time I did the 52s.

I added some to the above reply ^^^

Do you have any pictures of what you're rear sway bar looked like?

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

I added a leaf to my 52s. I think there are 6 in the pack now. Running bilstein shocks, it has body roll but is completely manageable on the street without a sway.
I have about 6k miles on it since I lifted it.
Wouldn't change anything in the suspension

This is what I though about doing. What leaf did you add? Like where did you get it.
I though about making a bastered leaf pack using a set of 52s and 56s.

 

[Bent77]

This is what I though about doing. What leaf did you add? Like where did you get it.
I though about making a bastered leaf pack using a set of 52s and 56s.

I pulled it out of a longer set and cut it to the length I thought it needed to be. Added it just below the main leaf

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

I pulled it out of a longer set and cut it to the length I thought it needed to be. Added it just below the main leaf

Lol how hard was it to cut?

 

[Bent77]

Just cut it with a cut off wheel on a grinder

 

[obijuank5]

Stand it up in a chop saw. Cuts really well.

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

I might try this, gonna see if I can cut some leaf springs down from a set of 56s to add to the 52s.
I would like to do 52s front and 56s rear with a shakle flip but my k5 is still street driven till I can afford a diesel to drive and pull my k5.
I'm trying to keep the suspension kinda cheap...for now at least.

 

[bmxbryant9]

I ran 52s front and rear on my k5 on 42s all over the street just fine.

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

I ran 52s front and rear on my k5 on 4ws all over the street just fine.

Were they new or used?

 

[bmxbryant9]

Were they new or used?

Used, junkyard/old stock springs. They were soft and I had body roll but nothing horrible. I used to drive home 1 hr aired down to 8psi before I set up my oba too.

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

Used, junkyard/old stock springs. They were soft and I had body roll but nothing horrible. I used to drive home 1 hr aired down to 8psi before I set up my oba too.

That makes me feel a little better about using used springs. I have a 20 mile or so drive to work and back (like 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic).