1973 C20 stock suspension is WAY too rough. Help me!!!

[bigbird90650]

33"s on a C20 and trimmed fenders with air helpers.... Did you buy it like this? Why such a setup? Everyone who told you to replace your shocks first is 100% right - use a good ride quality shock. As far as the rest of your setup I think everyone is curious as to why you have such a set up and what you use the truck for.

I know it's a weird setup. I just bought the truck and it had the air bags on it. It needed tires bad and it had 16.5 rims on it so finding tires was almost impossible. I finally found a set of nice aluminum rims with 33" BFG All Terrains with about half tread on them for only $100 for the set. Great deal but I knew they were a bit big. The back of my truck already had 33's on it so I knew they were gonna fit back there. The front had 31's on it when I got it so I figured that the 33's might be a problem and they were. I ACTUALLY HAVEN'T TRIMMED THE FRONT FENDERS YET BUT I HAVE TO IN ORDER FOR THE 33'S TO FIT UP THERE. That's my next project. Truck is sitting until I get that done. Any other ideas than cutting the fenders? I'm just a poor white boy that's on a very tight budget so I can't afford what I want to do to it so I have to deal with what odd parts I can find and afford. I'm not going to be off roading or hauling and towing anything heavy so I don't need the load capacity. I want a smoother ride cause my back is bad and it bouces me around pretty hard. I'm gonna replace the shocks first. Would it ride softer if I took out a few leafs and aired up the bags a little to bring it back up stock height? Thanks for all of your help. 

[junkman.]

OK here's what i think  first lets talk about tire size your truck may of come with 11 or 12 16.5's
the 12-16.5 measured between 31 1/2 in. to 32 in.  my 33/12.50 16.5 pro comp  tires are 32in. when slightly warn now when sizing 16 in. tires a 305/70R16 measures 33in. so when you buy a new set you could use 265/75R16 or 285/75R16 if you go with 265's they cost less than the large sizes and will allow you to lower your truck a bit

For the suspension air bag are good for heavy load but they limit travel unless the vehicle came with an air ride suspension IMO i would remove your air bags and sell them if you don't need them
also if the guy installed air bags out back he might of installed heavy duty front springs

Now some thing first up front make sure that its not siting on the bottom out stops and you don't have a bound up shock or suspension parts remove your front shocks and have two fiends bounce the front of the truck with the wheels locked side to side so you can see how it looks it should move freely note heavy duty shocks can stiffen up your ride warn stock shock to new stock shock the ride much new shock will make it ride more positive if at all if every thing looks good you will have to go to a lower spring rate  i think you can find a weaker spring and still keep you ride height

In the rear do the same typ. of inspection shock off  if you have nine leafs you could pull three and install a 1/2 in. to 3/4 in. spacer below the over load spring run the center bolt thru it this way you keep your ride height and you u:bolt will fit   

note use good C clamps before removing the center bolt and it easier to remove the hole spring pack but you don't have to

Well hope this helps out JM

[bigbird90650]

OK here's what i think  first lets talk about tire size your truck may of come with 11 or 12 16.5's
the 12-16.5 measured between 31 1/2 in. to 32 in.  my 33/12.50 16.5 pro comp  tires are 32in. when slightly warn now when sizing 16 in. tires a 305/70R16 measures 33in. so when you buy a new set you could use 265/75R16 or 285/75R16 if you go with 265's they cost less than the large sizes and will allow you to lower your truck a bit

For the suspension air bag are good for heavy load but they limit travel unless the vehicle came with an air ride suspension IMO i would remove you air bags and sell them if you don't need them
also if the guy installed air bags out back he might of installed heavy duty front springs

Now some thing first up front make sure that its not siting on the bottom out stops and you don't have a bound up shock or suspension parts remove your front shocks and have two fiends bounce the front of the truck with the wheels locked side to side so you can see how it looks it should move freely note heavy duty shocks can stiffen up your ride warn stock shock to new stock shock the ride much new shock will make it ride more positive if at all if every thing looks good you will have to go to a lower spring rate  i think you can find a weaker spring and still keep you ride height

In the rear do the same typ. of inspection shock off  if you have nine leafs you could pull three and install a 1/2 in. to 3/4 in. spacer below the over load spring run the center bolt thru it this way you keep your ride height and you u:bolt will fit   

note use good C clamps before removing the center bolt and it easier to remove the hole spring pack but you don't have to

Well hope this helps out JM

First off JM I want to thank you for taking the time to help me out. I think I'll try the "shock off" test on both front and rear. Then I will install new shocks all the way around. Then I want to remove 3 leafs like you suggested and add a block to get me back up to stock height. I'm a big dummy when it comes to suspension. Can you please be more specific on which 3 leafs to remove and exactly how to do it step by step. My wheels on it now are 16.5 rims so I can't find anything to fit on those. All I can find is 33-12.50-16.5 BFG All Terrains. Later on I plan on getting new wheels that are either 15" or 16" so I can actually find tires to fit them. Again, thanks alot for the help. 

[bake74]

     I got one more suggestion, sell the tires (if not rims and tires) of the 33's and get the right ones for your truck so you don't have to go and cut up your truck.  I personally do not see why you would want to cut up a c-20 truck to fit tires.  You can always go buy second hand rims and tires for now until you can get better ones.

[VileZambonie]

I agree with Bake I mean tires wear out anyway so then what? Buy another set of tires too big for your truck? Why to fill the hole you opened up by taking a saw to your body? I think you should look on Craigslist and or network with some locals on here.

[87454westernhauler]

u can usually go to the junk yard and get a set of tires and rims very cheep. thats what i have been doing. its usually alot cheeper.

[gto109]

i've used tires from a bone yard a few times and as long as they had good tread and passed inspection i was happy.  sometimes it's easier on you when you don't have a lot of cash.  the one bone yard i deal with i've traided time for parts, thats how i got the engine that is in T/A.

[87454westernhauler]

i have goten to be good friends with the guy that runs the bone yard back at home and usually get a pretty fair rice on parts as long as i pull them.

[bigbird90650]

I agree with Bake I mean tires wear out anyway so then what? Buy another set of tires too big for your truck? Why to fill the hole you opened up by taking a saw to your body? I think you should look on Craigslist and or network with some locals on here.

Yes Bake and Zam I agree with that mentality. Can you tell that I'm inpatient? LOL. I just found a whole set tonight of 4 BFG All Terrains on 8 lug rims with 31's in the front and 33's in the back for $100 on Craigslist. EXACTLY what I was looking for. The 31's have like 80% tread and the 33's are about 50-60% tread. They are on chromies with some rust on them so I'll be SOS-ing them tomorrow and slapping them on. Thanks so much for all of your help. Thanks to all who posted help for me. You all have taken time to write to me with suggestions and I appreciate it greatly. Motor on dudes. 

[junkman.]

Bigbird can you pull one front and rear wheel and get use some photos this might help also go visit some of our fine junk yards pick your part - ecology- or any other two bucks to git in ones
and see if you can find a set of 16 in. wheels early GM dodge or ford will work any ford or dodge wheels after 1999 they might be metric and won't fit the old pattern is 8 by 6.5 if your not sure test fit them on an old truck like yours in the junk yard

you should have three or four in you area    good luck JM

[Blazin]

If you remove leaves out of the back get new u bolts. Not a good idea to reuse them.