Flexabilty

[johnhood]

I have a 1985 Chevrolet Custom Deluxe With a 6 inch Rough Country lift im not sure of the brand of shocks but i believe their also rough country it dont have the flexabilty that it should??
i think it should have a pretty good flex judging it lifted 6 inches with only 35s does anyone have any suggestions to help me solve my problem?

Thank you,
John

[bake74]

     To see if your shocks are limiting your flex, disconnect them, flex one corner as much as possible ( I usually use a forklift, by putting the tire on the forks a little bit apart and raising up the forks ), then see if your shocks will pull up past where the mount is. 
     Most of the time, shocks limit travel, but you might have the shackles over tightened and this will stop it from flexing at max also.

[johnhood]

i really apreciate it i might just go ahead and check the bolts first the lift is new if that has anything to do with it

[johnhood]

How would 8inch lift shocks do on my truck or are they too tall

[bake74]

     You have to check both travel ways, stroke and compression.  What I usually do is flex one corner and measure, then compress the same corner and measure, that way you know the max on both compression and flex.  If the shocks came with the lift they should be right, I was just telling you how to check to make sure the problem was not with your shocks.

[Da67goatman]

is your sway bar still attached?  Did the lift come with drop mounts for it?  if its still hooked up, that's why you have no flex, its doing its job.

[bake74]

is your sway bar still attached?  Did the lift come with drop mounts for it?  if its still hooked up, that's why you have no flex, its doing its job.

     That right there is one of the reasons why I love this site, I can not remember everything, and Da67goatman is 100% correct with a 6" lift, without drop brackets for the sway bars it will not flex.

[Blazin]

Brand new parts are going to take a little time to wear in too.

[johnhood]

true blazin but i drive it every day the lift is not brand new it has a couple of years on it not and my a couple of thousand miles i didnt maen for it to sound like its brand new


and yea the sway bar is hooked up but im not sure of drop brackets ill have to check if it doesnt where would i find some? if it does where would i look after shocks?

[johnhood]

heres the most it flexes and it has the rear wheel of the ground i just belive it shoul flex more

[Blazin]

You can make sway bar drop brackets with a metal chop saw, or porta band saw, square tubing, a drill press, and some grade 8 hardware from the hardware store.

[Da67goatman]

I would make a pair of end links for it that go from the bar to the spring plate, then you wouldn't need drop brackets and they could double as disconnects, just my opinion.

[bake74]

true blazin but i drive it every day the lift is not brand new it has a couple of years on it not and my a couple of thousand miles i didnt maen for it to sound like its brand new


and yea the sway bar is hooked up but im not sure of drop brackets ill have to check if it doesnt where would i find some? if it does where would i look after shocks?

      That is the picture of your steering arm, the sway bar is mounted on top of the perches on the front axles and goes up to the frame horns by the bottom of the radiator support and has mounts there also.

heres the most it flexes and it has the rear wheel of the ground i just belive it shoul flex more

     That looks like pretty good flex, these old heavy trucks don't flex like my jeeps do.  But as said before, if all your suspension bolts are really tight, it will limit flex. 
     Your bushings in your springs are urethane correct ?  This will help with movement of the springs ability to roll a little.

[johnhood]

no there not urethane just whatecer the lift comes with and thanks for the info