The front shocks look very very old. that might be the problem. Are those easy to remove? where the heck are the front springs on these trucks? If I remove the shock is not going to kill me or anything, right?

 

A dlx "xtra" cab has a short bed but also has a long wheel base and they all have the same springs, save for the 1 ton's which may be different- as in 6 lug wheels, possibly dually rear wheels, and such.

 

Stop asking for advice if you just gonna keep telling everyone the advise is wrong....

 

Try 25 psi front and 20 rear. Unless it isn't just a reg cab truck? Those springs have a whole lot of arch to them?

 

Is that a timed 35 - 45 sec? Or your estimate?
Because that sounds too slow.
Your shocks may not be completely shot, but they sound like they're worn out. Even if there's no fluid leaking the nitrogen may have leaked out. Or if you have el cheapo shocks, whatever they stuck in there.
Your shock should expand completely in ~ 20 sec [est here, but I've done enough shocks in my career to have a pretty good idea].

 

I think there's a big difference between questioning an advice given without knowing a thing vs testing the advice given to further elaborate

 

I had all four tires at 30 psi and it was horrible on hard roads. In November I set them to to 30 front and 22-25 rear and it got much better. So you're right it does make a difference and I should go even lower ! will def try this since my wheels are aftermarket 15" and the tires are probably slight lower profile than factory.

 

I actually video recorded them both (but forgot to save them duh ji ji) and yes it was aprox 40 seconds for them to fully expand once fully compressed (saw that on the cell video record program clock). and slow yes I agree and they are some cheap brand too.

you think those 20 seconds would make a difference in the rebound for the rear?

 

Yes.......

Call your local alignment shop and ask them how quickly the shock should expand. My guess is 10-15 seconds. Or, go to your local parts store and pop off the retainer on a shock and see how fast it expands.

 

cool man.

that about sums it up. replace shocks and lower tire pressure. will get back to you guys with results probably by the end of the month (don't have the funds at the moment).

thanks for the input

 

That 3rd leaf is different looking then the other sides 3rd leaf.
Maybe someone swapped it with an add a leaf.

Its got more curve and tapers much thinner at the end.
Look at the other side, tapers much less and has 45'd corners.

 

Good observation !

You got me thinking again. But why only one side? the 45 degree angled leaf looks factory.

 

Weird huh, I would not worry too much about it because it sound like a normal unloaded truck ride, but I would try three things:
1 Fix the shocks
2 Drive a similar truck so that you can compare the ride
3 Test dive over an obstacle one rear wheel at a time in order to compare the ride on each side
Most of us with older model trucks have the opposite problem that you have. Our trucks have saggy rear ends and we are doing things to bring them back to level. In my case I added a leaf that a friend gave me off of a truck. That fixed my sag but now it rides much stiffer. A lot of people do a zuk mod, and a lot of people ad 63" Chevy leafs, which is what I want to do some day because that mod will give me the height that I need and a soft ride because of the longer length of the spring.
Have you tried adding a couple-o-hundred pounds to the back, as suggested, to see if it rides better? That is a good test that wont cost you a dime. Try it and let us know.

 

looking at your pics:

and


I think your overloads aren't installed correctly: the left overload leaf extends farther to the rear than the right overload leaf does (compare to the lowest leaf above the overload). I think the left leaf is correct and for some reason the right is reversed.

or maybe it's something else: the "short" side of the leaf(s) should be forward and the "long" side towards the rear, if I'm not mistaken.

 

no one answered this so...

the front end has "torsion" bar type springs. On 2wd trucks, the torsion bar connects to the bottom a-arm and on 4wd trucks connects to the upper a-arm. It is a long bar that goes back down the frame and has a "cam" attached allowing you to adjust the 'pre-load' on the bar.

The shocks attach to the lower a-arm at one end and the frame on the upper end- 2wd and 4wd are similar here but aren't exactly the same. Removing the shock won't cause the vehicle to fall or collapse on you so don't worry there.

 

It's more like an inconvenience than worrysome. Sometimes I tend to use my truck like a daily vehicle and take my wife to places like errans, eatery etc. After having a meal, is really bad to digest food while driving this damn thing. When driving on long streched flat roads is great though. And it handles really well but any imperfection is bad.

Yes I have tried adding weight and it completely smooths out.

And I have only tried going over an obstacle with both rear wheels at the same time. Will try one wheel, specially since you guys mentioned one leaf may be wrong sided.

thanks

 

awesome.

whats the benefit of having to adjust the cam or pre-load on the torsion bar?

I'm going to check the front shocks then. they look very very old from the outside.

thanks

 

Change the shocks. It's easy and relatively inexpensive.

 

really?

here are some more pics for you to see..

 

ultimately we will probably have to