73 K5 Front Sway Bar? Also Leaf Question.

[misweetrevenge]

Hey lady's and gents, I bought a 73 K5 about a week ago and noticed it had a chrome sway bar. Not a big fan of chrome on the suspension but hey if it works it works. Well today when I had it on a lift I was looking around the suspension trying to figure out how much of a lift it had (and why it looks like somebody chopped a leaf into pieces and used the pieces to wedge a lift in the rear) and noticed the sway bar is attached oddly to the truck. Its bolted to the Ubolt brackets, on the driverside its attached to the inside (right side) and the passenger side is attached to the right side (also right side) I feel like it doesn't do much the way its bolted up. Did these K5s come with a a factory front sway bar (4x4) and where were they mounted up if they did? My trucks at home right now so I will try to get a picture of the way its mounted in the morning tomorrow if anyone wants a picture.

Also, I looked around and searched for this info but could not find anything that answered my question.

It is lifted but I'm not quite sure how much. It has about 4" of a ghetto looking home made block lift the PO put in and one add-a-leaf (looks like a leaf was cut up and stacked on top of each other). Not sure if they are the stock springs as they have been painted (PO) and I cannot find a part number, also it looks like there is a leaf missing on the top of the rear leaf stack. Right now the top leaf of the rear leaf spring is the leaf that is mounted to the bolts. I will try to get pics up as soon as possible.

[misweetrevenge]

In the first picture you can see the ghetto home made block the PO put in.
In the second picture you can see the leaf spring where to me it looks like there is actually a leaf missing.
In the third picture you can see where the chrome sway bar that the PO put it is mounted.

[Dan75k20]

That should be the factory swaybar mounting point as far as the leafs are concerned err that looks dangerous to me id buy a set of lift springs !

[misweetrevenge]

That should be the factory swaybar mounting point as far as the leafs are concerned err that looks dangerous to me id buy a set of lift springs !

planning to but I need to figure out how much of a lift is on it right now. I want to keep the same height. Any idea what the factory distance from the axle to the frame is? Or another way to figure out what size lift it has on it? Currently it has 35s on it.

[Dan75k20]

Measure the blocks if they are factory springs then you will know how many inches of lift you will need, btw i envy you cali guys and,your rust free trucks ! I don't have to deal with smog thank goodness

[misweetrevenge]

already measured the blocks and they are roughly 4" but my problem is what if the leafs were replaced with lifted leafs and also if the PO modified the springs in any way. I guess I could order some stock style springs with a 4" shackle flip and match the springs before install. If they don't match I can order the 1" or 2" blocks from ORD.

mines a 73 I don't have to deal with smog either. Gas 75 and older is smog exempt. Diesel 97 and older or a GVWR of 14,000 or more are smog exempt. I have some rust but only on the edge of the wheel well. Cut it out and weld in a new piece and its good to go. 

[bake74]

     First and for most, get rid of that set up in the back, what was the PO thinking, trying to kill himself.  They are not even welded together are they ?  First off camber move that truck did and those added cut off spring things can come out.   That first picture just is stupid, that is the best way of putting it on here.
     Second pic of your leaf springs look normal, it is missing the bolt that is suppose to go in there.  It is only to keep the spring flex to a certain limit and keep the spring pack from shifting around, the PO took it out probably thinking it would give him more articulation.
     The third pic of your sway bar, except it is chrome, is normal at least from the one side.  Here is the truck in my garage I am working on, it is a k10, it is a 77.


     As far as your lift goes, I measured front and back on this same truck, it has a Rancho 4" on it, but it is unladen, meaning no bed, cab, or anything on it or hanging on it yet, just the axles.
     Front:


     Rear:


     If you notice they are both sitting about 10" from sway bar/spring mount on the front and the same on the rear.  The rear has 4" blocks on it and the stock springs, if it was a all spring lift, that measurement would be for greater than 10" or so.
     Hope this helps out.

[Captkaos]

The rear looks to be factory springs with some extra pieces to lift it higher than the block did..

[misweetrevenge]

excellent. This is the kind of response I was hoping for. Thank you. I am planning on getting rid of the ghetto rear lift as soon as I do the rear brakes. And I will measure when I get a chance to compare.