Need another 1/2" drop in back
03-13-2017, 12:43 PM
#2
Senior Member
Ace spring here in San Antonio built some 1/2'' spacers that I'm using to get the ride height I want. I had made a template of what I wanted and took it to them and they punched them out of 1/2'' steel that they use for whatever.
The other way I helped to lower the rear (besides a flip kit and 1/2'' spacer) was to remove the overload spring (my truck had one overload leaf on each side). Even though it's below the rear end housing, removing the overload spring will allow the springs to sag just a little more. If you have a set of helper air bags installed you can do this without any issues as you can just air them up a little more when you need to carry or tow something. It also significantly improved the ride quality as it was a little softer riding in the rear, instead of riding like a hay wagon.
The other way I helped to lower the rear (besides a flip kit and 1/2'' spacer) was to remove the overload spring (my truck had one overload leaf on each side). Even though it's below the rear end housing, removing the overload spring will allow the springs to sag just a little more. If you have a set of helper air bags installed you can do this without any issues as you can just air them up a little more when you need to carry or tow something. It also significantly improved the ride quality as it was a little softer riding in the rear, instead of riding like a hay wagon.
Last edited by rojizostang; 03-13-2017 at 02:38 PM.
03-14-2017, 08:00 AM
#3
Senior Member
here is something else you can try to reduce your ride height:
After installing a set of long bars, I noticed my ride height had change by 1/2 or so, in that the truck was sitting a little higher in the back. I thought it was a spring pre-load issue, but after adjusting the bars it seemed to make no difference.
After thinking everything through, I realized that I had retightened all the ubolts and leaf spring clamps (part of the long bar system) with no weight on the springs. In other words, the rear end was hanging down completely with no weight on it. So, I ran the truck up on a set of ramps (you have to be careful doing this) and proceeded to loosen all the ubolts and spring clamps just enough to let the springs slide back on the perches, and then retightened everything with weight on the tires. This eliminated the added lift that I wasn't expecting and returned the vehicle to the desired height.
After installing a set of long bars, I noticed my ride height had change by 1/2 or so, in that the truck was sitting a little higher in the back. I thought it was a spring pre-load issue, but after adjusting the bars it seemed to make no difference.
After thinking everything through, I realized that I had retightened all the ubolts and leaf spring clamps (part of the long bar system) with no weight on the springs. In other words, the rear end was hanging down completely with no weight on it. So, I ran the truck up on a set of ramps (you have to be careful doing this) and proceeded to loosen all the ubolts and spring clamps just enough to let the springs slide back on the perches, and then retightened everything with weight on the tires. This eliminated the added lift that I wasn't expecting and returned the vehicle to the desired height.