Suspension Delima Please Help Somebody!!!

[r2d2]

I recently ordered a set of Tuff Country EZ rides from JC Whitney in order to use with one of Kerts 6" shackle flip n switch kits. My TCs arrived about a week and a half ago and kerts parts arrived today. The big problem is that when I went to start bolting it together the TC 2"s are 52s and not 56s even though the person on the phone at JC Whitney assured me that those were 56" springs and their website lists them specificly as 56s. I never thought to measure them because the center pin is not in the middle so I thought they had to be 56s. I called Tuff Country myself and asked them about it and they said JC Whitney has mislabeled them and that they don't make a 2" lift spring in 56"s. They told me I could get them in 4" lift and gave me a part #. So I called JC Whitney and TOLD THEM WHAT THEY HAD DONE TO ME!!! and they agreed to exchange the 2" by 52s for 4" by 56s. Now the dilema is --how do I get the dam thing lower. I have a 14 bolt ff ready to go in with an axle swap kit from Ruff Stuff and the perches are kinda tall plus I have a 2" body lift on it. this is for my 1990 GMC Jimmy which I have up as my avitar. All this stuff together looks like it will add up to about 13"s of lift on paper including the tallish perches. Plus that shackle flip kit came with massive shackles. I think it might wind up at possibly 14 or 14 1/2 inches of total lift. With that kinda lift im just gona junk the body lift and was wondering if I should exchange Kerts shackles for shorter ones. If so will that limit my rear flex at all, and also maybe I could remove the overloads and eliminate 3/4 in. of lift right away and just let them get saggy over time. Those seem to be my options. Junk the body lift, get shorter shackles, and remove the overloads. Not quite ready to just say F*** it and buy 44" boggers yet. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Avery4jc]

How about you get a refund from JC Whitney and go get some junkyard 56's for cheap and use Kert's bracket on the "wrong" side with 6" shackles... it would be cheap, ride great and sit lower...

 

[thatK30guy]

You probably measured the springs while they were laying on the floor.

You see, they will have more arch to them until you bolt them in and put all the weight down on them. Then the springs will flatten out, or settle down, a bit. They should settle close to the 56" you're after.

I've dealt with new springs and measured them right off the bat unmounted and most came close to 52" as they were. But you gotta install them to put a load to compress them down to get them to the working and operating length.

 

[r2d2]

I thought about doing that originaly but the only junk man within 100 miles of me that would have that charges outrageous prices. Last time I went there he got nearly all of my money and I brought almost twice what I thought I would end up spending. He said that was the price of dependable junk. Maby I could remove a leaf from the pack and leave the overload in. Just dont know how much that will make it squat.

 

[r2d2]

The guy on the phone at Tuff Country said that they didnt even make 56" EZ rides in 2". He was adament that JC Whitney has mislabeled them

 

[Fred_M1010]

You probably measured the springs while they were laying on the floor.

You see, they will have more arch to them until you bolt them in and put all the weight down on them. Then the springs will flatten out, or settle down, a bit. They should settle close to the 56" you're after.

I've dealt with new springs and measured them right off the bat unmounted and most came close to 52" as they were. But you gotta install them to put a load to compress them down to get them to the working and operating length.

I believe springs should be measured along the arch.
At least with stock-height up to 4" springs this is true.

I guess higher lift-springs could be different though.