making new spring packs

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getblown5.9

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is it possible to combine 2 sets of stock rear spring packs and add the bottom 2-3 leafs to my set so ill have 6-7 layers and gain an inch of height as well as stiffen up the rear or should I just buy a single add-a-leaf for 1.5" lift and keep running my suspension stops?

my intention is to lift the rear so my hitch comes straight out to 26" rather than my hitch having to rise, and also make the rear stiffer and not need the suspension blocks.
 
You can add some leafs to your leaf pack,it might ride a little stiff though.
 
Yea that should work fine. I bought 2 seperate leaf packs for mine and added my stockers with each one and had 10-11 per side and had no problems, i ran like that for the past couple of years.
 
Yes it will work,but to do it correctly you should cut each spring so it is in 2" steps.
 
RAMpage said:
Yea that should work fine. I bought 2 seperate leaf packs for mine and added my stockers with each one and had 10-11 per side and had no problems, i ran like that for the past couple of years.
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did you still run the factory blocks? im looking for 1-2" of heaight in the rear and to stiffen it up, and i think a few extra stock leafs should work, and then i can make some 1" travel bumpstops just in case it does squat that hard.
 
why wouldnt you make it easyer on your self run you sus stops and just get a bigger block for underneath the sus packs... like out of a lift kit or somthing and but new u bolts... correct me if im wrong.
 
The stiffer the springs in the rear the better the chance of him keeping it from hopping with 1" of travel. The blocks just want to help the axle turn if they are to tall putting added stress on your traction bars then if it does hop by chance you have bent your bars and possiby broke the rearend. Adding the leafs is easy just takes a bit of time. It will make it ride rougher on the road but if you run with your bars locked in place most trucks already ride rough. You cut the leafs to allow them to work the way they were designed to distribute the weight evenly I believe.
 
getblown5.9 said:
did you still run the factory blocks? im looking for 1-2" of heaight in the rear and to stiffen it up, and i think a few extra stock leafs should work, and then i can make some 1" travel bumpstops just in case it does squat that hard.
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yea i ran the factory blocks, but with the amount of springs i had it lifted mine a good 3-4inches and was pretty solid. I could jump on the hitch and not move it and im 235lbs. Id run stops just in case.
 
zstroken said:
Why does that matter? I mean what happens if you don't cut them?
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Ok,you step the springs so that each leaf adds stiffness to the spring above it (same reason the factory does it).You would need more spring to acomplish the same reasult if you dont.As said the idea is to keep the block as small as possable to keep axel wrap out of the truck.All my trucks that I put alot of spring in have never needed traction bars,not that it would hurt to run them though.The disadvantage is that you are putting more weight at the back of the truck that now cannot be put out front.
 
Diesel Buddy said:
why wouldnt you make it easyer on your self run you sus stops and just get a bigger block for underneath the sus packs... like out of a lift kit or somthing and but new u bolts... correct me if im wrong.
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You would add alot of leverage to allow for wheel hop.Same differance as putting a pipe on a breaker bar.Besides the fact that not beefing up the springs means you stressing other parts of the chassi because they are not helping as much do to the fact they are sitting on the stops before the springs get fully loaded.Stiffer/more springs will have to load harder to get to the stops.
 
Dazed&Confused said:
The stiffer the springs in the rear the better the chance of him keeping it from hopping with 1" of travel. The blocks just want to help the axle turn if they are to tall putting added stress on your traction bars then if it does hop by chance you have bent your bars and possiby broke the rearend. Adding the leafs is easy just takes a bit of time. It will make it ride rougher on the road but if you run with your bars locked in place most trucks already ride rough. You cut the leafs to allow them to work the way they were designed to distribute the weight evenly I believe.
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Agreed
 
TJ, I got a add-a-leaf from Skyjacker that added about 1-1.5". I would go that route instead of the multiple extra leaf route. Use your suspension stops and with you ladder bars you should be golden. Unless you want to eliminate your lift block completely...
 
There is a first gen over here that has multiple spring packs on it. And it likes to bounce.
 
It always is typical for a 1st gen to bounce alot sooner than a second gen.And its hard to say what else has been done to the 1st gen.Any truck will bounce if the set up is off.I am by no means telling him how to set up his truck but rather trying to answer his questions.Although my trucks have been set up close to this way and have never bounced without the help of traction bars.
 
My idea that I am going to try is to keep my stock block, Add one stock set of springs (3 per side) to my stock pack but take out my stock overloads and use in their place a set of big rig trailer springs which are near 1" thick and have them bent to leave 1/2" clearence between the overloads and pads then I shouldn't need the stops anymore. Oh, The trailer springs of course would be new and 3 per side. I have been told that they won't sag at all under load.
 
More leafs some times mean more bounce. i see your tryin to get height out of your truck. But with less springs the sled will load the truck and make it hit the bump stops as soon as the chain is tight. making it a solid suspension off the line.
 
you could always go to a sping shop and have a set of custom springs made with a military wrap.
 
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