so i got this truck ~18 mths ago. i rebuilt the motor with engnbldr stuff. big cam, 38 weber, i built a 2.5'' exhaust, welded the diff... then because i wanted to rally it i got thoes 27'' tires on thoes 14'' wagon wheels.


ANYWAY now its time to lower it. i got some jeep cherokee gold mesh 15s and i have a big pile of short 15'' tires to burn up. but here is my issue. the back of my truck looks really tall compared to other 3rd gens. almost like a previous owner lifted it somehow(there is no evidence of lift components, maybe he arched the leafs more). i need to lower it like 8'' in the back it seems like just to get around 2'' of space between the wheel arch and a 205/60r15. that means 4'' blocks AND beltec drop leafs, or de-arch my leafs. (i can do this i am a machinist),

that just seems like alot of work, when other people with this truck are just doing 4'' block to get the gap i want.

WTF is going on here. did some trucks come taller than others?

 

Does look awfully high in the rear for a 2wd. Looks like the axle is on top of the leafs, so that's correct for 2wd. Any chance those are 4x4 rear leafs?

 

How many leafs does it have per pack? Stock should be 3 i think.

Might have 4x4 leafs. And the torsions tightened to raise the front?

 

3/4 ton leafs have a wrap around the front eye, thats possible, as is an add-a leaf, this would be a small spring under the oem spring pack.

Stock shackles?

Pics of spring pack and shackles would help tremendously!

 

okay here are pics of the spring pacs and shackles. haha wow there ARE 3 regular springs there! that smaller one had always hidden from me i guess. 3 plus the helper spring. is that stock? now i'm confused and cant remember what it is supposed to be.

 

Take off the smallest one. Looks like that one has more of an arch then the rest. You can see a small gap in the first pic

 

I agree....Must be an "Add-a-leaf".

The top 2 are stock, little one is not stock and the bottom one looks weird, but 3 leafs is stock.

I would lose the little "add a leaf" or just lose the bottom 2.

That thing looks like it rides STIFF!

 

yes it rides quite stiff. but i have had a TON (haha) of stuff in the bed and didn't bottom out. 2 motors, an engine hoist. multiple dirtbikes. whatever, it takes it.

hmm ok im going to take off the overload, and see if i can put that add-a-leaf on upside down, above the 2 main leafs, to straighten them out some (or alot!). i think ive heard of someone doing that?... then blocks and torsion adjustment and 205/60r15s baby! DRIFT TRUCK FOR THE WIN

 

Keep the overload (long flat one) and put it on top of the longer leafs. Ditch the add a leaf(little tiny one)

That will get you atleast 1" lower than stock

 

The smaller one on the bottom of the leaf pack is indeed a stock leaf.
Both sets off of my 78 had the leaves per pack.
I pulled the one of the bottom and put it on top to compress the rest and got about 3"of drop.

 

I didn't see the really short one. That one is not stock.

 

So I was reading through this thread and someone said that the springs should have 3 leafs mine has 6 so I'm guessing that's not standard.