[mopar-man 3000]

well i just recintly got my truck put together and the ride is real stiff when i hit a bump off road it damb near throws me out of my seat the shocks are ok in it i think it is the 3/4 ton spings in it
so whats the best way to soften my ride & get more flex
1.ive heard of people removeing part leafs to soften in 2 wheel drives is this an option for me
2. should i look around and find me some 1/2 ton spring if so will they fit
3. in the future id like to buy a suspention lift not a big one just 2 or 3 inches when i do this will it give me more flex and should i order one for a 1/2 ton for the softer ride
so what do you guys think would be my best option
also im open for any ides so any imput would be greatful
thanks richard aka mm3k

 

[Guest]

really depends how your springs are put together....... you can take apart your spring pack, shim the centers and put new teflon spacers on the tips, when putting them back together use ford style spring clips which dont clamp top to bottom only side to side...... this can soften the springs up alot more than you could imagine.

you may also have to many springs, so my question would be..
also how many total springs are in your pack and what size is your truck....

you may be able to remove a leaf and maintain the same ride height.

 

[ramit87]

3/4 ton springs are gonna be a stiff ride. You could take springs out but I have never done this personally. Did you buy the springs new or are they the original. If you buy a lift in the future shop around. Some companies are gonna be better than other. Most trucks are gonna be harse and ride rough. That is just one of the fun thigs about old metal. All trucks I have had that have been lifted have always had a semi-rough to rough ride. Sucks when you have a headache.

 

[mopar-man 3000]

well fist of all it should be easy to take the springs a part but im not understanding the shim deal could you give me some insite
also i have a total of 6 in my spring pack including the main one the drivetrain is a 1974 full size 3/4 ton w200
they are the oringal springs as far as i know and i do know have a good old dodge 4x is not going to be the best of ride its just realy bad or i guees you could say normal and i dont like it i mean i use my seat belt off road so i dont hit my head on the cab
so i hope this info helps

 

[Guest]

7 spring pack..... id leave it alone thats not that big of a pack, the shims im refering to are aluminum pieces that bolt between each spring in the pack, then the teflon spacers go on the tips inbetween each leaf..... what this does is makes each spring work more individually and alows them to slide over one another.....

 

[mopar-man 3000]

well it 6 total not 7 but thats ok well thanks for the info on the shims and teflon spacers that will help but i caint leave tis a lone its to much for me will 1/2 ton spings fit in thats what my dad recomended

 

[RAMMAN4]

It's a stock truck with stock springs right? Do you still have the block in there? Wanna get rid of the block and get a softer ride in the rear? Put a shackle flip on. There are plans on the parts board or something and shaggies makes them too. It'll soften up the ride.

 

[awyseguy]

Yes, 1/2T springs will fit, and soften the ride. If/ When you order a lift kit.. order it as a 1/2 T and many companies also offer soft ride springs as well. Do you load the truck much? IF so, you'll need to consider that when taking it back down to a 1/2T.
Aaron Wyse

 

[mopar-man 3000]

no i dont use it to tow or load it up much if i ever do 1/2 ton will be fine
i was just looking at lift kits it might be my best option lify/soft ride

 

[Sam Simpson]

A setup with more leaves but thinner will be better riding then a setup with less leaves but thicker. also the longer the spring, the better riding. I am using late model suburban springs in my 3/4 elliptical setup and it rides way better then stock.

 

[Guest]

thinner leaves will soften the ride but keep in mind the only thing that supports your truck is the main leaf..... if that brakes you umm die? so dont skimp on the main at all...... the rest of the leaves can brake and you can still get home (or drive around for months like most of the dumb assholes around here do)

but in really just spacing the springs will soften the ride a ton without sacrificing ride height or load capacity... springs that have no gap whatsoever in them and are tight against each other act as one giant spring (good for a heavy truck) but if you have a nice gap between each of the individual leaves the springs act more like a variable rate spring and you get a soft ride untill you load it down and it acts almost like helper springs.

the clamps on most springs also lock down the springs so their clamped together very solid, this doesnt let them work individually, for the best ride the clamps should ONLY hold the springs on the sides unless you have problems with wheel hop then you wanna lock down the front of the springs as much as possible with double wrap around clamps, otherwise use the ford style u-bolt clamps which put no pressure on the springs up and down. that lets the springs move freely over one another.

if you ever get a chance look at the factory rear springs on a chevy 1 ton truck from around 95 and up... you'll see what i mean about the spacing. and if you ride in one of those trucks you'd never think its got a giant 10 leaf pack of springs in the rear because of how their put together...... (though those springs are made of some brazilian crap steel that like to snap in half, chevy had the right idea when they put them together)

also shocks can help, my springs are stiffer than all holy hell and i use to run rancho's, i switched to bilstien 5150's and they do wonders, alot of the harshness you feel comes from the rebound of the springs.... which is what the shock is suppose to smooth out which in most cases a regular shock cant handle on heavy springs.

 

[Brutus]

I just put a RoughCountry 4" lift on my old Ramcharger, and it rides smooth. The new rear 4" springs did away with the old factory lift block, and I have no more driveshaft spline-clunk when I stop or start. Not sure why it rides to smooth, but it may be the Heckethorn Hydro shocks that came with the lift. Best $550.00 i ever spent.

 

[Bogie]

really depends how your springs are put together....... you can take apart your spring pack, shim the centers and put new teflon spacers on the tips, when putting them back together use ford style spring clips which dont clamp top to bottom only side to side...... this can soften the springs up alot more than you could imagine.

Hey Bill you want to test this theory I would like to try to get a some what better ride out of the crew cab and the springs are defintely tight against each other not shure on the number of leaves thou(a lot as there 4-6" lift one ton packs)
Maby once the weather breaks you can look at what im running

 

[Evildriver-3]

Bogie take off the rear clamps

 

[Guest]

dont take clamps off you knuckle head........ those clamps keep the springs from snapping, you can use DIFFERENT clamps that dont hold the spring pack together only keep them from fanning out....... but DONT take clamps off

and ill bet i could fix your springs bogie without losing a fraction of an inch or losing any hauling capabilities......

 

[Bogie]

I dont think there are any clamps ill go look

 

[Evildriver-3]

dont take clamps off you knuckle head........ those clamps keep the springs from snapping,

What clamps are you talking about, the clamps im talking about keep the springs from fanning and hold them together, the only clamps on the springs behind or after the rear axle is clamped on remove those, never remove the clamps on the front section of the spring, you can add to that section but not remove

 

[Bogie]

Well no clamps front or rear the packs have 10 leaves up front and 9 + 1 overload in the rear

 

[Guest]

dont take clamps off you knuckle head........ those clamps keep the springs from snapping,

What clamps are you talking about, the clamps im talking about keep the springs from fanning and hold them together, the only clamps on the springs behind or after the rear axle is clamped on remove those, never remove the clamps on the front section of the spring, you can add to that section but not remove

you need to have at least one spring clamp front and rear.... if the springs start to fan out you'll start snapping leaves.

 

[Evildriver-3]

The spring clamp in the rear is what adds to axle wrap problems that is the 1 you throw away, discard, remove, 86, junk, toss, leave out