Author Topic: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10  (Read 14179 times)

Offline MannyDantyla

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removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« on: May 13, 2015, 03:27:56 pm »
Can you guys think of any problems I might have when removing the 4" lift and going to stock height? I'm about to buy some 32 or 33 inch tires and just want to make sure

I know I'll have to get new shocks and front leaf springs. That's ok, the ride is pretty rough. I may need to have the axles shortened. Any other problems I might face? Should I do it?

Here's some images:

the 4" lift with 35" tires. Yeah it looks cool but it's killing my 3.42 gears


front leafs:


and this rear block has got to go!


Here's the drive shafts:



We think they're a little too short to begin with and removing 4" of vertical lift will make them too short. Do you think so??

Offline enaberif

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2015, 03:47:27 pm »
4" lift will have no effect on your drivetrain but the 35" tires definitely wouldn't help.

Also I would never give up a 4" lift. I'd buy new gears first LOL or change tire size.

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2015, 06:23:29 pm »
looks like the driveshafts are custom for the 4" they show little unused shaft for the slip. if you lower it you might need to like at new shafts. maybe someone will trade or you can sell yours to them and get their stuff for little to nothing
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Offline fitz

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2015, 06:52:34 pm »
Those rear blocks don't look to safe.

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2015, 07:07:34 pm »
Those rear blocks don't look to safe.
lol didnt even see that
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

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Offline Jakethesnake73

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2015, 10:23:03 pm »
33s wont fit the best with stock height, id swap it for a 2.5" lift. Its high enough to look good and be lifted but its not so high that you wear out your own joints getting in the truck


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Offline blazer74

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2015, 11:20:02 pm »
4 inch lift Tuff country EZ ride springs all around and run your smaller tires will look fine.
33's are better suited for 4 " lift anyways.
Probably have rough country front springs if it rides that bad and the blocks got to go..


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Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2015, 03:03:30 pm »
imo blocks arnt bad. as long as theyre meant for the job and arnt bending like this and arnt in the front. blocks give the ride of stock springs and with the added lift. 33s can fit stock height trucks but it might depend on the gvwr
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Offline blazer74

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2015, 07:20:26 pm »
No,  there ok for a driver. I ran blocks for years but not those hollow ones.


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Offline MannyDantyla

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2015, 09:10:57 pm »
Thanks guys

I bought some 32" tires yesterday, used but they're BFG all terrains. Hopefully there's no leaks, two of them are pretty chewed up but I'm on a budget and they were only $200.



I may have found a guy who wants to trade his stock springs and shocks (I will probably buy new shocks though) for mine with 4" lift. He was asking if I had a raised steering arm. Well TBH I don't really know much about suspention so I just took some pics and sent them to him. Here's a look at what I got:





Looks like the 4" lift is putting an angle on the ball joints and is probably not good for them. Another reason to go back to stock.

Offline enaberif

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2015, 09:13:15 pm »
Ball joints are fine. You'd have to turn the tires to the right and take a picture from that angle on the left side. Your pics make it hard to see if you have the arm or not.

Offline ColonelSanders

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2015, 05:15:14 pm »
That pitman arm looks too flat to be dropped IMO. I would gladly trade you stock springs if you were in California.. would just get some 4.10 gears if I were you.


Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2015, 05:55:11 pm »
whats the ball joints have to do with a lift? the lift is all in the springs. the only thing it really changes is the pinion angle
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Offline BBM3

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2015, 06:09:25 pm »
whats the ball joints have to do with a lift? the lift is all in the springs. the only thing it really changes is the pinion angle

I am guessing the OP is referring to the front driveshaft u-joint not ball joints.
The front pinion angle looks less than optimum to my eye.

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: removing 4" lift and going to stock height?? '83 k10
« Reply #14 on: June 11, 2015, 06:13:57 pm »
as long as its not binding you will be ok. i run 6" on a sm465 so my angle is greater than that and i been running that for years. not to mention everyone else with a stick shift. i mean if you want to go back to stock then have at it. i just dont want you to think something is wrong with a setup
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes