Question
My truck is stock except for a cap on the bed. I hate the front end ride quality so im dropping not insignificant dollars for 6112's and installation. Question is.... I do alot of ice fishing and it can be rough on the frozen lake. So i noticed a smoother front when backing up than going forward. Ive also heard others say that to get a great ride put an add a leaf in the rear and level the truck. I wonder if the A Arm is level/parallel with the frame. So as the rear sits high then the a arm is angled down into the ground. any bumps that hit transfer slightly into the frame first and then up into suspension movement. This would make sense with my observations backing up. When moving backward the a arm wants to move up out of the way and rides smoother.

Thoughts anyone? Being -20 outside its rather inconvenient to crawl under right now.

If this theory proves true I might just want to remove the rear blocks. Put in an auto spring and almost level the truck by raising the front slightly.

Comments appreciated. Thanks.

 

It may be that in reverse the rear hits the bump first, so the impacts are farther from the driver. Also leveling the truck shifts weight rearward, and that will improve ride.

 

I can't say if your theory will hold true or not. I would imagine that getting 5160s in the rear wouldn't hurt anything if you want to be safe on the ride quality. The added benefit of the 5160s over the 5100s is that they can handle up to a 2 inch lift rather than just 1.5 inch. I believe the add-a-leaf kit on Stage3 will add 2 inches lift and maybe settle a little.

The best thing about the 5160s is they are a lot easier to install.