I am feeling like my front shocks are starting to go, but there is still that uncertainty voice inside of me that is telling me maybe they are still in good shape. If I were to pull a front shock out, extend it fully out, and quickly compress it back closed, if it struggles to compress that means it is still in good shape, correct? And that if it compresses effortlessly it is used, abused, and done, correct? Let me know on my school of thought about shock diagnosis.
Reason I ask is because I am starting to rub and knock with only 30" tall tires when driving slow, heavy braking and turning sharply(done together, like in a Wal-Mart parking lot looking for parking)

 

sounds to me like your leaf springs. on they down on the bump stops?

but a healthy shock will extend all the way when released. I could not compress my rear shocks by hand needed a jack to put them up in place.

 

Only way I know to test them is off the truck.
Lean on them and ck how easily they compress and how well they return to full extension.

RJ

 

if doing the lean trick, and you think there shot just a warning, dont expect them to hold you up, could end up in a tumble ahah

 

sounds like your talking from experience

 

I am listening to all you guys- the lean to?? what is that method? Also, If I compress them by hand, is the return to decompress supposed to be an instant thing, or slowly but surely?
I know that my springs(front) need some work. I posted awhile back on "Comparison of lift kits" and announced that I was thinking about having my springs re-arched, well $1000 is what they wanted along with add a leafs added to the re-arch. Well, we all know about the economy today, so that's out.
Let me know about the shock situation better and from there I will do the "tests" and spring for a pair of NAPA's for now.

 

Dang, Ragu, I don't know where you are, but can't imagine why it's that much. I'm in N. Texas and a local place quoted me ~$155 for rearching and add a leafs, and said he was sorry to say that U-bolts were now running abt $8/ea!

You might could ship them here and back and still come out ahead!

Sorry to hijack the shock thread- I just wait till there's oil leaking out.

 

Some shocks dampen in both directions, not just the compression stroke. What kind of shocks are we talkin about?

 

I am not sure. These are the original ones that came when I bought the truck from the previous owner 3.5 years ago. Since then, I have painted them black(2 years ago). I am the 3rd ownwr, and don not know if any of the previous owners ever changed out the shocks. I just hit 160,000 miles on the truck. When I bought the truck it had 122,000 miles.

 

Yeah the Monroe Gas Magnums should spring back and are also called "load assist" they are the yellow ones. Or the napa flavor of those is the Npapa "Gas Grande" in the colour of white.

I don't know about other brnads but I imagine there are shocks that aren't gas charged like those avail. The white shocks in my 1972 crew didn't spring back in fact they just had a negative spring to them and instantly collapsed when I pulled them.

Augie where did you get that quote from. Have you called Sacramento Spring. I stopped by there to get some springs made and it was a fair price and since well that is all they do (leaf springs) they know their stuph.

 

Nick, glad your on here. The quote I got was from Sacto Springs around 3 weeks ago. They wanted to re-arch all 4 corners to give me around 3 inches up front, and raise the rear only enough to maintain a rake. That quote includes all the u-bolts, suspension bushings, etc. Now, that quote includes labor to do all r&r. If I were to pull all the springs out and take them to them, $600.00. My thoughts were that they led me to understand that they would re-arch, then re-look at the "raise" in inches and adjust the rears from there, rather than me come back each time, and each time pulling off the springs, in case they did not re-arch them enough(my luck says I will pull the springs off a total of 2 times, miss work to take it to them, etc., etc.) So it made sense to me to leave the truck there, but not for a grand.

 

Interesting. I see where they're going with that, labor ain't cheap... Well If you wanted to only get the fronts repaired with no labor it might be even cheaper. It is a tough decision. How much rake do you have on there right now? Maybe if you wanted to go on the cheap you could just bring the fronts in for the 3" rearch and add a leaf and if the rear end was lower you could do a shackle flip in the back?

 

I have about a 2" difference from rear to front with my balding 30" tall Firestones
. I actually had an opportunity to trade leaf springs with one of John's(REBAL's son) buddies. He has a Skyjacker 4" lift and he is wanting to go back to stock. I called him and we did the math over the phone, pullin' measurements from each others truck, and with me putting my 33's on(brand new Michelin set on nice wheels just sitting in my garage- 33x16.5x12.5) the exchange would not prove feasible. So now I am back to square 1. Bottom line, I guess, is that I have to come up w/ the $$ wether I go w/ a kit and install myself or use Sacto springs.
Not working right now, so $$ aren't there

 

I was in the same situation as you. My old ones were shot (slow to recover, very little resistance). Bought some Monroe Mags.

Drove & rode the exact same as before ...

 

Auto Spring in Joplin,Mo is $100 a spring to rearch and add a leaf. They don't r&r and I can see why. I took all mine off Sat. and it was a booger. A place in Springfield wanted $1300 to do the whole job and I'm not sure it wasn't worth it. Took me 8 hours to get 4 springs off. They had never been off before.