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I want to change my ride height, but not the easy way.
02 reg cab, and I want to drop the front about 1 stinkin inch. While were at it, I want to increase suspension travel and stiffen it all up. Can we just go over the options.
I think the easiest thing to do would be to just buy 1" drop springs. I'm under the impression doing this I would lose some suspension travel. (For those in the back, speed bumps are best at 8mph or 31mph). I would rather at least go over my options to improve travel if that's an option. I would also like to stiffen it up, and improve the handling.
To get it out the way, Coilovers seem like they would solve this, and I would just need a stronger spring. $1200-$1500 just isn't the budget, and I don't think I will ever need to adjust the height once it's set. I just don't think that's my best option.
What I was actually considering is getting the 2" drop spindles, and then wanting to add 1" back in with the springs, thinking this would lower the ride height and slightly increase travel. I absolutely can not find 1" lift springs. I can find 2" and I guess cutting is a horrible option, but I don't even know if it works like that. I see there are spring seat spacers that will take up an inch. What I'm not clear on is if a spring spacer, lets say 1" will take up the space, and compress the spring 1" while sitting at the same height, or if this will extend the distance and add 100% of that 1" to the ride height, (it just doesn't seem right to me because the pivot points of the upper and lower control arms don't change). It seems like control arms are still mounting to the knuckle the same way. (I'm hoping there is a simple reference someone can provide to relate that for me). I get why it drops, because you are taking away travel, but you can't just add, because there is resistance.
While searching, I thought I would look all around and see if some answer could be found. I thought I remember seeing some springs that were designed for a big block's weight, but those were a drop spring that I don't want. I then found this: The Moog 60150 is a factory replacement at factory height. (60148 and 60150 are the same but the 148 has a variance to try to correct the chevy lean and the 150 doesn't).
Here is the factory spring for the 03-14 1500 Express Van
The spring compressed length is 1" taller on the Van, and relaxed rate .39" taller. The coil diameter of the NBS.81" vs the van's larger .93". The Express van coil OD is .09" larger, and the ID is .15" is smaller. The coil's center line is .03" larger on the express van. It looks to me like it will clear if mounted. The load rating is about 16% more, (and considering I'm adding a larger engine and transmission down the road, I like that. The spring rate is 742lbs per sq inch vs 1035, and that seems like a big difference, and probably my biggest concern with this. If I go with these springs, and probably even if I don't, I'm going with some adjustable shocks next time which I think should help dial it in. I'm the person that unless I can be convinced this won't work, will buy em, install em, and remove them, then return them to amazon cause they didn't work for me if they don't. I tried searching for the heck of it, and big surprise, nothing came up of anyone trying this. Is there some blatantly obvious reason this wouldn't work? These springs look like they do exactly what I want them to do.
Roast away if this is ridiculously stupid, but at least tell me why, even if that includes a really simple answer to all of this. (what about the ends being tangential vs squared)?
I wouldn't worry about travel. This is a street truck, you're not going to use any additional travel, you're not even using all of the available travel now.
I think I use it, or close enough I could use more, certainly more than most. I don't drive it like a street truck, I drive it like its a baja truck on the streets. Mostly because I live and drive on the edge of what here is called "hill country". There are not many flat roads on this side of town. Lots of hills, bumps, and whoopdies everywhere except the highways.
I couldn't find anything on there that would work, but thanks for posting. I feel like I could search forever and short of finding an HD version specifically for our pickups, (which I haven't seen), I just don't expect to find something better unless it's a custom made spring. I emailed a couple manufacturers that have NBS springs for specs and will give em a week to see if they respond.
Those van springs seem to fit all the needed requirements. That ID, OD, and coil diameter are going to have to be near identical so it fits in that spring pocket on the LCA. My stereo alone is probably an extra 100 pounds, (3 sub boxes), then with the larger trans and engine, I think I'm probably planning on adding back in 200-300 pounds in the front half (I have an LCA sitting here, and the measurements seem to work. I couldn't even order a set off Amazon just to see how they fit before I start doing any work).
Easy way to see if your truly using all your suspension travel is to place a blob of grease on the bump stop or bump stop pad. If you hit full compression then grease will be deposited on the other side.
Another good way is to put a zip tie on your shock shaft, and see where the zip tie ends up after an in town Baja session.
Both of these techniques will only help for compression off uptravel tho.
Travel is very important, but how you manage that travel is importanterrrr, your shocks might be trash for your spring rate and in that case more travel won’t help.
09-04-2022, 02:10 AM
I want to change my ride height, but not the easy way.
