73-87chevytrucks.com
General Site Info => Welcome => Topic started by: hidalgo on November 06, 2011, 01:58:44 pm
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i have a 1976 chevrolet stepside 4 x 4 with a mild 4 inch pro comp supension lift. the lift consists of new leaf springs, 5 leafs i believe, and heavy duty shocks up front and the stock leaf springs in back with 1 add-a-leaf and 4 inch pro comp block along with heavy duty shocks there too. the ride is very harsh right now and mainly due in part to axle wrap which i believe is caused by the blocks and the rough ride also being caused by the old leaf springs in the rear. i would like to know what is better, suspension wise, longevity wise, handling and off road wise, whether it is better to go with just an aftermarket new 4 inch leaf spring set up in back, as opposed to having the 4 inch block or if i should keep the existing block and just buy new original equipment leaf springs to bring the ride back to what it should be? most of what i have been reading lately leads me to believe that buying heavy duty lifted and arched leaf springs, set to the desired height, say 4 inches, is the better way and more comfortable way to go than to do leaf springs with a block, again due to axle wrap. so this being the case, what does anyone recommend and which direction should i take? should i go with an aftermarket heavy duty multi leaf spring set up or keep the block and change the original factory leafs? is there a particular brand that makes a better/best leaf spring set up for the old chevy trucks or one that everybody recommends? are leaf springs, 52 inch, by superlift or skyjacker or procomp better? i have heard fantastic things about pro comp, but what does anyone recommend??? thanks so much for any and all help!! and if im gonna change shocks, do i stick with the brand that i go with for leaf springs? is there a particular heavy duty shock that works particularly well, both on/off road?
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My $0.02, I have found that Comfort and Heavy Duty don't generally mix too well. The most comfortable ride that I could imagine would be a 4-link, coil spring setup...
The old leaves in the back may be causing a problem, especially with an additional leaf. However, I think a bigger part of the ride problem are the heavy duty shocks. They aren't going to allow the leaf springs in the suspension to absorb the load/bump/drop like a standard duty shock will allow.
If you haul or tow a lot of weight or have a winch and winch bumper or snow plow then the heavy duty shocks are the way to go. Otherwise, for street and "regular" off roading (not Moab), I would go with a standard duty shock. Riding across a rough pasture, I just don't see the need to beat myself to death due to HD shocks.
My '73 GMC K2500 has Rancho 4" springs up front with lift blocks in the back. The rear springs are factory. There were Rancho RS4000 (I think that was the number) shocks all the way around and it rode pretty stiff. After one of the Rancho shocks started leaking and being told $50 each for new Ranco shocks; I replaced the rear with standard duty Monroe and the front with standard duty Gabriel ($25 each, lifetime warranty). You won't find Monroe's and Gabriel's listed for the GM trucks with a 4" lift, though. I can go into more detail if interested.
Overall, the ride quality with the new standard duty shocks is so much better than the Rancho shocks. I generally use the truck more on the road than off, but even the rough county roads are more tolerable to travel on.
As for the lift blocks, a lot of Fords and Dodges came out of the factory riding on lift blocks in the rear. Some of those trucks didn't have the greatest ride quality but they hold up well (even to a Cummins torque). I personally can't answer whether you would gain a better ride with deeper arched rear springs. Someone else here may be able to answer that question...
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New factory rear springs and a shackle flip will give you the 4" lift with factory ride minus the axle wrap.