Rear lift question

[apache]

Ive had a few vehicles including my 84 K5 I have with a Rancho 3" that has/had an additional 1" block or a single piece taller block on the driver side rear than passenger side. None of the factory stock 4x4s Ive had were like this that I can recall. Id like to remove the 1" one and also remove the factory bottom flat leaf out both sides for flex,Bad idea??

 

[lectric80]

Are you saying it has a zero rate (1" block) on one side and not the other? If so there is something very wrong about that. At the very least I would remove that, I can't say for certain on the bottom leaf.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

1" more lift on the driver's side makes little sense, I'd remove that ASAP.

Is the factory bottom leaf an overload spring? If so, I'd strongly recommend against removing it. It keeps the springs from overflexing which destroys them.

 

[ramjet gmc]

is ther a guide to custom springs? i may be looking in to this with the cost to get some better flex and lower the rig

 

[apache]

Yes, there is one 3.5" rancho block on either rear side in back,then on the drivers side ther is also a 1" block shaped the same as the rancho 3.5" block( concave corners). This was how a Bronco I had once was also. It was said it compensates for drivers weight and equiptment on the drivers side. I can buy this somewhat as the drivers side spring pack or rate is often different but when its using the stock leaf pack in back??
Regarding over flexing the pack without the bottom helper I dunno, Ive had our 74 loaded shortbed loaded with 20 bales of hay and the axle was hitting on the rubber snubber,the big helper stayed pretty flat and all the spring flex was out at then ends which IMO would really stress the outer parts. Then looking at almost all aftermarket rear packs they use no thick flat spring in the bottom makes me thinks it might work fine,just can load it up much.

 

[YZEATER]

i've torn alot of chevy trucks apart, and never seen any thing different from left to right side spring packs. most lift springs have no overload spring. they have a greater arch to them and are stiffer the stock packs.

 

[George_Pimpdaddy]

its for a fat driver silly lol

 

[lq9blzr]

Sounds like a standard case of " saggy spring and too tight to buy new springs". Only time Ive seen 2 different blocks was on Donny the Okie's truck! LOL

 

[apache]

I was told by a reliable source today the reason for the different blocks is Chevy in those years allowed for up to 3/4 " of tweek in the frames etc. it was added to make the truck sit level. Sounds like HD back in the eighties,they used to weld frames up then put them in a different jig to bend and straighten them so they be within a certain range of tollerance. Guess chevy didnt bother with the tweeking.

 

[lectric80]

There is no factory setup that use a block on one side and not on the other. Anyone who tells you differently is wrong. You do not want the lift to be different from one side to the other. This increases the stresses seen by the drivers side spring, and that is never a good thing.