Dave88LX

Looks like my truck's got some 4" lift blocks, I'm not sure if they're factory or not. Trying to figure out if my truck is stock ride height or not...

Thanks!
Dave

Cowhand

Yes....they're factory.

Dave88LX

For real? Gross I dislike lift blocks. So if I took the blocks out, and did a 4" lift, I'd only be back at about stock height then huh? ****!

cumminsboy

Yeah, but then you would be pre-runner style cause your hood would be in the clouds. IMO, leave it alone, good lookin truck BTW

Dave88LX

Hey thanks What's pre-runner? Not sure what that is... I guess I'll just leave them **** stilts in there for now til I figure out what exactly I want to do with it.

mkubacak

You could probably have some rear springs made to replace the factory set up. Cowhand knows of all the good spring guys.

Cowhand

A pre-runner is a vehicle that the desert racers use to run the course before the race, so it doesn't look completely unfamiliar when they run it at 80-100 MPH.

There's alot more to eliminating the blocks besides slapping some 4" springs in there. At least if you want it to work like it's supposed to.....

BigBlue

Enlighten us good buddy cause one of these days I'm gonna do away with the factory blocks and add-a-leaf and do one big spring pack.

Cowhand

If it's stock....you'll need a spring with 4" more arch. This means a longer spring. When the spring compresses, the eyes move farther apart as the spring flattens, the purpose of the shackle is to allow this movement. The stock shackle is too short, so it'll bind up when you run out of shackle movement. One way to address this would be to put a longer shackle in, but since the hanger sits under the spring, a longer shackle would lower the ride height you're trying to put back in. The solution is a rear shackle flip, which hangs the springs under the hanger. AIM makes a rear shackle flip, but I've heard some bad things about it. Don Thuren says he's working on one, but he's so busy right now making track bars and crossover steering kits (not to mention he's getting married in Sept., and moving from Santa Barbara to Lancaster) he's got his hands full keeping up.

You can pick up the 4" with the shackle flip alone, but this moves the center pin forward and consequently the axle too. You can get around this by using a zero rate block, but then the axle is no longer centered under the leaf pack fore and aft. IMO, this does funny things with the spring rates.....

Best bet is a custom shackle flip and custom leafs (with the center pin in the right place) so that everything works like it should. Not cheap.

I'm right in the middle of this right now, I got the front dialed in so well it really makes the back feel like crap.

BigBlue

What about the skyjacker leaf spring packs? Any opinions on those?

Dave88LX

Thanks for all the info!

Main reason I was asking is I always "heard" that lift blocks weren't the best/safest way to lift a truck for off-road use. Granted, if it's just for mainly on-road use with a little trail driving and some mud now and then, I guess they're an OK way to lift it?

darrenG

what would be the problem with undoing the spring pack and flipping the bottom spring around?

IMO the 4-inch lift blocks are crap. What engineer decided this was okay? I get wheel hop like mad on dirt roads and in reverse (I can't wait till it snows.... ) I have a lifted toyota w/ 3/4" elliptical that has better rear-axle control.

I am interested in a solution to his problem myself.

BigBlue

The only time I ever got wheel hop on mine is after I lifted it and tried to pull a buddy out in loose sand. The block is a cheap way to lift the rear thus why dodge did it.

BillyS

95 3500 2 wheel drive dually flatbed , tweeked alittle!

Cowhand

Blocks in the rear are fine, the only real consequence to running a tall block is increased spring wrap and wheel hop. The blocks on the rear of the Dodge trucks are cast iron, so as long as the u-bolts are tight, chances are slim that you'll crack a block.

Might be stating the obvious here, but NEVER use blocks to lift the front. Aside from being dangerous, it's also illegal in a lot of places.

If you can live with the block, there are several outfits that make an off the shelf rear spring pack that will work way better than what you have in there now. Deaver is probably one of the best that you will find, but they don't make a production Dodge spring, so it would be a custom pack=$$$. Atlas makes a nice spring pack, and I've heard that the Skyjacker replacement springs work pretty well too. If you're not looking for much lift, see if you can get the mini-packs from KORE, they work REALLY well.