Gotta rebuild/renew the suspension . . . .

[BC847]

I've got to rebuild/renew the suspension of my heap. It's approaching 250,000 miles and I've never done anything with it other than once in a blue-moon, lubricate the leaf-springs.
- The front leafs have worn well into the next leaf above so they'll need replacing.
- Not too many years ago, I added some long, bolt-on ladder-bars to the rear axle. They actually work well as far as eliminating rear axle-wrap, but they do interfere with the proper operation of the rear suspension with normal use. I'm thinking of replacing the rear springs with new that might be a little softer along with some Caltrac type of axle control. Frankly, I'd be lying if I said a 4-link solution was out of the question.
- I'm tending to think a more standard type of rubber bushing would be in order for the leaf-springs used as opposed to poly bushings (for noise control). Dunno.

I know there's a number of threads out there where folks have posted their new spring stuff. I just haven't taken the time to dig them up just yet.


The fact of the matter is, it's just fine for regular driving around being the old truck it is. But I do the amateur drag-racing thing and as such, am at the point my mess to pushing to the left hard on launch. It's been pointed out that it could very well be from the suspension in general is twisting-up in the total slack of worn parts causing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tACv6K_JWo (best viewed in Wide Screen 1080HD).

Discuss, suggestions?

Thanks guys.

[directinjktn1stgen]

what ive noticed with my truck when playing around when u do a burnout the left is darker and always pulls left and all ur weight is on the left side of the truck which maybe causing it to "have better traction " than the right cause u have the fuel tank and ur body weight as well numbers add up but thats my 2 cents on that so maybe it sounds ludacris but maybe add weight to right side of the truck just to see what hapens

[directinjktn1stgen]

unless u could have a fuel cell in the center of the bed large enough to eliminate ur stock fuel tank

[Sutter1stgen]

A few years back I noticed my spring bushings were wore pretty bad. When unbolted from the spring they had side to side play bad. So I replaced all the bushings front and back and it helped out emensly. The four link idea is a good one. A buddy of mine did it on his 75' short bed dodge with a cummins repower. He had a auto leveler with big rig airbags. It was a littl overkill, yet worked well. It was a triangulated four link and had zero bind. I've come across big bad dodges original build web site and admired his basic fourlink with the pan hard rod bar and liked it as well. The same buddy that had did the repower, also did one for his cousins half ton chevy. when they built the four link they didn't build the frame up behind the rear axel. And the first time he towed close to the rated max the frame taco'd right behind the airbags ruining the frame and bed, along with his ego. Just some food for though if you still tow with your truck.

Eric