Need Some Flex
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Need Some Flex
Need some help with my suspension. I have a 1995 F350 Crew Cab with a Tuff Country 4" lift. The suspension is so stiff it is almost unbearable. The lift kit was supposed to be softer than stock but is not. It it the front leafs that are killing me. The back has an add a leaf and this did not seam to really affect the ride. I know the stock suspension was pretty stiff but this is ridiculous.
I originally had Monotube shocks and then went to RS9000 but no relief. What can I do to get some flex back? I will have custom leafs made if i have to, but am looking for other options first. Shackles or eye bushings??? not sure if swapping thee will do any good.
Are there other Brands that have a better leaf pack?
I originally had Monotube shocks and then went to RS9000 but no relief. What can I do to get some flex back? I will have custom leafs made if i have to, but am looking for other options first. Shackles or eye bushings??? not sure if swapping thee will do any good.
Are there other Brands that have a better leaf pack?
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Joined: Feb 2005
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From: GA
any of the lift companies' lift packs are going to ride like hell in that truck
the skyjackers are stiff as hell too, ive ridden in two crew cabs with them, thats even with a heavy ranchand and a winch hanging off the front
its the short foward shackle design plus a crappy shackle angle and the extremely stiff packs designed to hold that truck up
they ride like hell stock...the only thing your going to be able to do to help smooth the ride is a shackle reversal, with stock springs, which will improve the rie some over stock. or you can use superduty (99-04) front leaves and that will help tremendously combined with a shackle reversal
the skyjackers are stiff as hell too, ive ridden in two crew cabs with them, thats even with a heavy ranchand and a winch hanging off the front
its the short foward shackle design plus a crappy shackle angle and the extremely stiff packs designed to hold that truck up
they ride like hell stock...the only thing your going to be able to do to help smooth the ride is a shackle reversal, with stock springs, which will improve the rie some over stock. or you can use superduty (99-04) front leaves and that will help tremendously combined with a shackle reversal
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Originally Posted by KubotaOrange76
they ride like hell stock...the only thing your going to be able to do to help smooth the ride is a shackle reversal, with stock springs, which will improve the rie some over stock. or you can use superduty (99-04) front leaves and that will help tremendously combined with a shackle reversal
What is needed for a front shackle reversal? Are the superduty springs a direct fit? What amount of lift will be attained?
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Originally Posted by ivanribic
Skyjacker springs flex and ride 10X better than Tuff Country. See my flex gallery for pics of how the Skyjackers flex. The shocks you have are good, keep them but those springs have to go.
Going with Skyjackers would be much cheaper than going with custom leaf packs. 10x better than Tuff Country is a big number....is it really that much softer than Tuff's?
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From: GA
it woulnt be worth switching springs, the ride will still be 10x stiffer than stock with a multi leaf arched lift spring no matter which brand
mine and ivans trucks ride smoother just because of the shackles being being the axle, as the axle hits a bump at speed, its allowed to move back like it wants to, with the shackle foward design the axle has to move foward as it compresses, which fights itself riding down the road
the main reason the ride is so bad is the length of those shackles, the crappy angle(you cant get a good angle with the design because of the way its up inside the frame) and the shackle foward design.
you can either fab or buy a shackle reversal kit. sky manufacturing offers a 2 and 4" lift version i think, and oru offers one too. it converts the suspension to be like the pre 80 leaf sprung solid axle trucks and the 99 and up superduties.
if you want to keep your current lift i would find a set of stock springs(or use your old ones) and do the shackle reversal. it will ride smoother than stock
i hope this helps out
mine and ivans trucks ride smoother just because of the shackles being being the axle, as the axle hits a bump at speed, its allowed to move back like it wants to, with the shackle foward design the axle has to move foward as it compresses, which fights itself riding down the road
the main reason the ride is so bad is the length of those shackles, the crappy angle(you cant get a good angle with the design because of the way its up inside the frame) and the shackle foward design.
you can either fab or buy a shackle reversal kit. sky manufacturing offers a 2 and 4" lift version i think, and oru offers one too. it converts the suspension to be like the pre 80 leaf sprung solid axle trucks and the 99 and up superduties.
if you want to keep your current lift i would find a set of stock springs(or use your old ones) and do the shackle reversal. it will ride smoother than stock
i hope this helps out
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Atlanta GA
Buying a C-D range tire in the 33+ inch range and airing it down to 40 psi or less softens the ride a lot on trucks with stiff suspensions. You just have to run the line between underflated and soft ride. Looking at the footprint and feeling the tire after a highway run lets you know.
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Originally Posted by KubotaOrange76
i agree, on my 97 f-350, there was a noticable differance between the stock sized e range tires and the 35" d ranged tires....but the ride was still terrible
I checked out Sky's site and I think I will go with their 3" lift kit....it is all too enticing to get 3 more inches of lift AND get a softer ride! I will need to do a rear lift to even it out. I might use Ivans method of flipping the stock rear.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: S.E. Washington
Beware... I have the Sky 3" shackle reversal and SkyJacker 6" springs up front and the shackle angle is horrible. I'm actually at a loss on what to do besides change springs or move the shackle mounts.
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From: GA
can you not move the spring hangers back? if you cant just move the shackle mount....lift springs are usually shorter and give you a crappy shackle angle
i bet that truck rides like absolute hell
i bet that truck rides like absolute hell
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Originally Posted by dwo
Beware... I have the Sky 3" shackle reversal and SkyJacker 6" springs up front and the shackle angle is horrible. I'm actually at a loss on what to do besides change springs or move the shackle mounts.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: S.E. Washington
I know it's not Sky Manufacturing's fault. Infact their longer shackle makes up for it a little bit. And the ride is not "absolute hell" - that was how it rode stock. The "best" store-bought springs, SkyJackers, are about 3" short and because of the shackle angle, they haven't sagged one bit, and hence, hard to compress. I'll just figure out a way to move the shackle mount forward, or maybe take out a leaf? I wouldn't hesitate to buy Sky's shackle-reversal kit again. Maybe I should have said, "Beware SkyJacker!"
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From: GA
Originally Posted by Saleen428
Did you contact Sky about this? I would think that the lift springs are the same distance as stock springs from eye to eye. Isnt that what makes them bolt-on's? What am I missing here?