soft ride leaf springs?
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soft ride leaf springs?
i have an 86 f250, i put a dana 60 king pin front axle and oru reverse shackle lift kit in it (waste of time). the truck rides like it has no suspension now, i could run over a marble and know it. same springs as before. only other difference is rancho rs 5000 shocks. wondering if anyone had good luck with soft riding springs. at this point i might try stock shocks first, then i might cut off the reverse shackle kit . i dont need hd spring capacity anymore not going to work the truck. the other think it could be is the leafsprings are rubbing against the shackles, they just dont fit right. any thoughts?
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I have heard that the twin-traction beam leaf springs are stiffer than the solid axle f350 type, and you should try f350 springs. But also, the solid axle is going to give a rougher ride than the twin-i-beam suspension.
Believe it or not, Ford did not invent the the twin-i-beam suspension to help the tire companies with worn out tires, and help the garages with front suspension component replacement costs. They came out with it for a better ride and handling. It's just another example of internet hype overcoming practicality. Everyone wants a dana 60 frontend, though very few really need it.
Believe it or not, Ford did not invent the the twin-i-beam suspension to help the tire companies with worn out tires, and help the garages with front suspension component replacement costs. They came out with it for a better ride and handling. It's just another example of internet hype overcoming practicality. Everyone wants a dana 60 frontend, though very few really need it.
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that kind of makes sense, i had a 97 f350 and it was a better ride. i changed to solid axle because i was 4 wheeling pretty hard and the twin beam was pretty worn out. was cheaper to swap axle than redo twin beam for me. the problem now is that the truck is the height i want with the oru reverse shackle kit and stock 250 springs. if i get 350 springs it will be too tall for what i like. to take off the kit id have to get new shaclke hanges and cut out the piece to box the frame tip, it would be a pain but might be my best choice in the end, then jut get some soft ride springs.
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The f350 springs to my knowledge will not raise the front significantly. It's the axle design that raises the front, that's why a f350 has a 4 inch factory block in the rear leaf springs while a f250 has a approx 2 inch rear block. The straight front axle on the f350 makes it ride higher. I am pretty sure the f350 springs are just softer.
Something else that comes to mind also. Did you tighten the leaf spring bolts and shackle bolts with the truck off the ground? It's the most practical way to do it and I catch myself doing it also, but resist the urge. You need to leave the bolts loose, put the truck all back together, sit it on the ground, bounce it up and down a couple of times, and then tighten the bolts on the springs. This centers the bushings in the springs.
Something else that comes to mind also. Did you tighten the leaf spring bolts and shackle bolts with the truck off the ground? It's the most practical way to do it and I catch myself doing it also, but resist the urge. You need to leave the bolts loose, put the truck all back together, sit it on the ground, bounce it up and down a couple of times, and then tighten the bolts on the springs. This centers the bushings in the springs.
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