Author Topic: 4 inch lift replacing springs  (Read 3676 times)

Offline op1133882

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4 inch lift replacing springs
« on: December 07, 2016, 06:16:57 PM »
I currently have a rough country 4" lift with all springs no blocks. It's a real stiff ride...didn't think it was going to be so stiff otherwise I would have purchased a different lift. Anyway I plan on replacing it. Can I just get 4 new springs? Or should I replace the shocks too?


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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: 4 inch lift replacing springs
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2016, 08:32:01 PM »
how old are the shocks? i talked to rough county last week they said their shocks are good for 7-8 years. you can pick up a set of skyjacker soft ride for $333. you might need new hardware for the front, if you still have your old springs you could just use blocks for the rear. i have a lot of info and prices
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=34074.0
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Offline op1133882

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Re: 4 inch lift replacing springs
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2016, 09:26:31 PM »
how old are the shocks? i talked to rough county last week they said their shocks are good for 7-8 years. you can pick up a set of skyjacker soft ride for $333. you might need new hardware for the front, if you still have your old springs you could just use blocks for the rear. i have a lot of info and prices
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=34074.0
Sweet. The kit is less than a year old it came with springs, shocks, raised steering arm, u bolts etc... I'm not really into blocks. I just want a softer ride


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Offline op1133882

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Re: 4 inch lift replacing springs
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2016, 09:51:36 PM »
I guess my question should have been, do shocks have an impact on ride stiffness?


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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: 4 inch lift replacing springs
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2016, 12:12:04 AM »
i think so but it really shouldnt be a big factor with gas shocks like ours. but i had rough country all spring kit and it also killed my back. springs themselves have a rating and this will effect the stiffness. think about it like this a k10 will have the same spring size as a k30 but the k10 will be a smother ride due to having less springs and the rating being lower. while the k30 is build to haul the extra weight the rating will be higher.
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Offline Greybeard

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Re: 4 inch lift replacing springs
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2016, 11:45:09 PM »
Even in the 70's we regarded the name Rough Country to be a very apt description of the ride the springs gave. OK mud springs, not very great otherwise. Too few leaves to save dollars. More leaves for any given lift will almost always equal a smoother ride; up to a point. Superlift is more expensive because they use more leaves. Each leaf bends easier by itself. For example, bend a 1/2" thick plate, now bend a 1/4" thick plate. The downside is thinner leaves are not as strong (see example above) so they will fail sooner especially if they are overflexed often.

All this to say...a soft ride equals more money normally. A ride with longevity equals more dollars...normally. Inexpensive lift 'kits' are normally less expensive than individual springs because they are thick, solid bars of cheap spring steel. Ya gets what ya pays for.

Year ago Trailmaster sold leaf spring lift kits for GM vehicles and it was a pretty expensive kit in comparison to Rough Country, SkyJacker, Tuff Country, Rancho, etc. (expensive was relative back then, maybe $50 more). But it worked so much better than the others did. A 6' kit flexed to full bumpstop without too harsh a ride on the street. I had a 6" on my SWB GMC, that's why I mention it, I rockcrawled with it in Colorado and did a lot of river running, muddin, and hill climbing using it in Missouri for many years. The trips cross country where tough I won't lie, but my BIL had a Rancho kit on his Blazer and he was much more miserable, got stuck more often too because the tires would be airborn in a twist. 

This likely doesn't help much. I suggest Superlift or Softride springs. Much more expensive but cheaper than back surgery.  ;)
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