Quote:
Originally Posted by swamp rat
I think 5-6 compression would be great for my truck but i have a 4" lift. I called a couple places today (yesterday) before i went to work, both of them said for my truck and a 4" lift that my 4.25" front and 4.5 rear should be ok.. I'm still a little skeptical but the only real way to know exactly how much compression your system has is to compress the springs till they bottom, but how? even if you picked up one wheel with a forklift the spring is designed to support the vehicle so that won't work.
The appropriate method is to disassemble the spring. then make a spacer that accounts for the thickness of the spring minus the main leaf. then bolt the spacer to the main leaf with the center pin and re-install the springs. now you have an accurate mock up of the spring with a very low rate that will allow you to cycle the suspension as far as it could possibly ever go. that will allow you to get a correct shock length as well as required compression and extension number for the shock.
>>Golden question is just how much further (if any) can the axle go than the axle off ground (dangling) dimension? <<
the axle can be levered lower than its own weight will pull it down just free hanging. so, if you just lifted the truck and measured the droop odds are it would be less than the actual number that could happen with the leverage of the truck doing its thing. also you need to check the compression and the extension with the axle twisted. meaning one side stuffed and the other drooped. that will give you more accurate measurements. usually bump stops and limit straps need to be used with suspensions that are designed to be really flexable. stock and stockish lifted suspensions will limit themselves pretty well just on the design. but to be really safe you do need to test at full bump in case you end up catching a little unexpected air or something bad happens like a broken spring or something to that effect
This is something i didn't consider, i just assumed the spring would hold its shape but I suppose its possible there could be some kind force that might make it flex outward?of change but i cant imagine it being that much. I would guess about 1" would be ok.
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leaf springs do pretty well with lateral location as long as the bushings are in good shape there will be some side to side motions just as an effect of the spring motion but it is mostly unnoticeable. crossover steering can make that feeling more apparent though