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The suspension crux! *52" front springs vs: ?

Rat_Crispy

Rat_Crispy

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Posts
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Location
Central Arkansas
I'm setting my truck up to do mostly on road driving, but I definitely plan on taking it off road and want it to be a capable trail machine.

The truck already has brand new 33"s on it and I'm running it on 10 bolt axles until I outgrow them. I'm also using DIY4x LS swap mounts so my Powertrain is moved forward an inch and a half
(so I already have to get new drive shafts built no matter what)
And I've also come to find out that most of these rigs should be converted to cross over steering if you are going to run flexible springs on them.
So these are the two options I'm looking at
4" tough country ez ride springs
Vs
52" spring swap in the front and a shackle flip in the rear.
Is the additional work worth the outcome as far as how much my rig will flex and what kind of driving manners it will have?
*I'm not really bothered by the thought of torching or air chiseling rivet heads off, my front clip is already unbolted and I dont currently have a fuel tank mounted.
So what would you guys do?
 
52s are over rated in my opinion. I've reverted back to off the shelf front springs. My axle is move considerably forward but the principle is the same.

These are 6" procomp springs. And 56" rears.
20170301_193927_zps0nsb5jei.jpg
 
obijuank5 said:
52s are over rated in my opinion. I've reverted back to off the shelf front springs. My axle is move considerably forward but the principle is the same.

These are 6" procomp springs. And 56" rears.
20170301_193927_zps0nsb5jei.jpg
Click to expand...
I've read a lot of shit talking about pro comps, that they ride like garbage and don't flex, but this seems pretty good! Did you build your own shackle hangers and all that to put 56"s in the back?
 
They aren't completely unrelated, but flex doesn't equal good ride. 2 different things. It does affect droop, but in stuff the 1 ton on that corner can push almost any spring into the bump stop. Crossover means no sway bar and no sway bar with 52's is a bit infamous for interesting road manners. Shackle flip in the rear will be softer than 4" EZ-rides, but that doesn't buy you so much unless the front is similar. Don't forget that a lift spring and a shackle flip do different things to the rear pinion angle and that actually having flex up front (with leaf springs) pushes you to a long-slip front driveshaft.
 
Blue85 said:
They aren't completely unrelated, but flex doesn't equal good ride. 2 different things. It does affect droop, but in stuff the 1 ton on that corner can push almost any spring into the bump stop. Crossover means no sway bar and no sway bar with 52's is a bit infamous for interesting road manners. Shackle flip in the rear will be softer than 4" EZ-rides, but that doesn't buy you so much unless the front is similar. Don't forget that a lift spring and a shackle flip do different things to the rear pinion angle and that actually having flex up front (with leaf springs) pushes you to a long-slip front driveshaft.
Click to expand...

Are the 52's in the front with x-over really that bad on the road? This is a major concern of mine (hope this helps the OP).
 
Off the shelf spring are probably going to suit the OP the best. 52s flex great and I think ride on the street is just fine too. But I am definitely in the minority there. The problem with 52s is you tend to overflex them which greatly shortens the life span.

Then there are custom springs by far the most expensive and combining the ease of off the shelf springs with the flex of 52s and having a decent life span.

But if you wanna make any spring feel better overall consider Bilstein shocks as your minimum requirement
 
blazinzuk said:
Off the shelf spring are probably going to suit the OP the best. 52s flex great and I think ride on the street is just fine too. But I am definitely in the minority there. The problem with 52s is you tend to overflex them which greatly shortens the life span.

Then there are custom springs by far the most expensive and combining the ease of off the shelf springs with the flex of 52s and having a decent life span.

But if you wanna make any spring feel better overall consider Bilstein shocks as your minimum requirement
Click to expand...
Bilsteins are going on this truck and even sooner my silverado! Thanks for your input. What setup are you running?
 
Rat_Crispy said:
Bilsteins are going on this truck and even sooner my silverado! Thanks for your input. What setup are you running?
Click to expand...

I have 56s and 63s on my off road truck. But have done 52s for other people.

In my Jimmy they are 6" super lift springs with cheap crap shocks. Rides too rough. But I have ridden in a similar truck with Bilstein shocks and the ride was much improved. I have similar experience with tuff country springs. The better the shock the better the spring seems to get.

Remember there are also a multitude of things you can do to improve your overall ride quality. New bushings, balanced tires, balanced drivelines, the correct length shock, good steering, correct caster and toe in, it all adds up
 
I had 2 sets of 52s on the front of my burb. First were the half ton units, rode great, scary on the highway. I swapped them for 3/4 ton units (I now have 4 identical springs on my burb) . Ride is much stiffer but not near as scary on the highway. They still flex like crazy though. I installed the long bump stops from ORD and have the overload leaves flipped upside down. Ruined the 1/2 tons in just a couple trips without any overloads. Im not satisfied with the ride, but aired down on the trail its fine. One day I'm going to just bite the bullet and get custom springs made. Hope that helps :)
 
Mine are 1/2 ton 52s with a leaf added. Manners are just fine even at highway speed.
Flex very well

I do have mine setup with limit straps and bump stops. I don't need full travel and they have worked fine.
I didn't relocate the rear spring hanger, just pushed the front mount forward as well as the axle. Mine is cross over
 
If its main purpose is the street, I would do EZ Rides all around. It will ride and handle so much better than a flip and 52s up front. They will outperform your offroad needs until the body is bashed and you want more :D
 
bent72 said:
Buy the best shocks you can't afford
Click to expand...
Lmao. Isn't that the name of the game with all of the parts on these trucks? I'll definitely be putting Bilsteins on this truck and on my silverado. I hear they are the bees knees. ORD seems to have the proper recipe for the shocks and springs that I want, instead of trying to make my own!
 
An off the shelf spring and even keeping the stock type steering could work just fine for you. The steering is one place I feel way too many people solve problems they don't really have. For mostly on road use and typically up to about a 6" lift, the stock steering can be fine.
 
Stephen said:
An off the shelf spring and even keeping the stock type steering could work just fine for you. The steering is one place I feel way too many people solve problems they don't really have. For mostly on road use and typically up to about a 6" lift, the stock steering can be fine.
Click to expand...
I agree, I'm probably gonna keep it simple for right now, and give myself room for future upgrades and not spend a shit load of money on things I don't necessarily need yet.
 
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