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My K5 is very stiff. Help.

blazindorito

blazindorito

1/2 ton status
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The k5 is stiffer than a 65 year olds pecker on 2 viagra pills.

I have been riding my truck to get everything to settle in and it is stiff. I feels hard when you go over bumps or curbs.

I have a 6" superlift springs front and rear. what can I do to get a softer ride? I don't care if I have to change the suspension.

What are some ideas????
 
flip out back and a flatter spring.. get some BDS, TuffCountry, etc up front...

iirc, those S-Lift's have some crazy, high spring rate.. I'd expect it to ride like a dump truck...

If you can lose an inch, go 4 and some 0-rates...
 
Agreed... I run 8" Superlift springs (for the time being) and they have an incredibly high spring rate.
 
I would do some 4 inch tuff contry's in the front with a zero rate and do a shackle flip in the rear. Do you have blocks or new springs in the rear? I had some 6 inch tuff country's in mine for a while and they were not to bad but still pretty stiff.
 
ORD greaseable bushings will allow a lot more flex, without resorting to $$ on new springs. You could preview the difference by loosening the spring pivot bolts, and go for a short ride.
You could also try some penetrating oil on the spring leaves.
 
roadnotca said:
ORD greaseable bushings will allow a lot more flex, without resorting to $$ on new springs. You could preview the difference by loosening the spring pivot bolts, and go for a short ride.
You could also try some penetrating oil on the spring leaves.
Click to expand...

I make it a point not to disagree w/o having personal experience when it comes to advice but I don't think that's a good idea...
ORD greaseable bolts sound like a great addition but loosening bolts and going for a test drive (as short as it may be) doesn't sound safe...

Something I do have first hand experience w/ is Superlift springs... and if you haven't felt them before they are waaaaay stiff... I don't think any amount of grease, leaf removal or penetrating oil will change that :D
 
Dafey said:
What about rough country 4" springs?How do they ride?
Click to expand...


Rough Country and Tuff Country are on opposite ends of the spring softness scale....

It's unfortunate how similar those two brand names are, and I'm sure people have accidentally bought Rough Country springs thinking they were getting "that nice soft spring everyone on CK5 was talking about". :eek1:

A stiff spring (like Rough Country) will ride hard, but will give a less wallowing feeling on the street, especially on twisty roads. People who install super-soft springs on a street driven truck are sometimes unpleasantly surprised by how "spooky" the truck feels in the turns afterwards.
 
Seems like as mentioned above you're starting from a disadvantage here. You've got tall Superstiffs and you hate the ride.

You could try taking a leaf out. I've seen that done with their 10" and 12" packs. Not good for their longevity but would allow you to work with what you have.


If it was me I'd go with the Col's suggestion and run 4" TC's and a zero rate up front and a 4" shackle flip in the rear with a zero rate. Use the front zero rate to space the axle forwards an inch.
 
I've heard about Acme Spring. It's somewhere near North Hollywood / Sunland area. They can make you a set of custom springs. You take your vehicle in and they weigh it. Weight on each tire, front to back, etc. You tell them what you are looking for and they make up a set for you. Supposed to be primo. At a primo price, about $200 each.

Heard about them through SoCal Big Dawgs:

http://thesocalbigdawgs.com/vb/index.php

Check out moving the shackle hangar:

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220204
 
EZ ride are, I believe, the cheapest soft ride springs around. I really like mine. As said, Superlift are way stiff!
Also, if you haven't done so, junk your sway bar or make a lower block to bring it back to proper geometry. With a lift kit the sway bar binds up because it's at the wrong angle, not moving with the arc of the springs.
 
Another thought, although they may be at a premium price, are the Deaver or Alcan custom springs. Send a PM to Noah and ask him how his ride.
 
I run 52"front and 56" rear DEAVERS. They are a progressive spring in a pack of 12, talk to JEFF over there, tell him the weight on both axles and what your looking for in a ride. the more info you give the better your end result. If you shackle flip the rear, he needs to know. Being in business for over 100 years they know springs. And they are right in SANTA ANA.
 
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