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I’ve had a few different shocks on my truck and they all have the same complaint from me, they make my truck ride like a hay wagon!
right now I have the 5100s and they just take bumps and cracks in the road so hard compared to my buddy’s which has “advance auto Monroe’s” his truck is body lifted on 33s. I can’t imagine the rough country lift would create a rough ride that’s why I blame the shocks.
What shocks can I get off the shelf to soften up my ride? It’s just my Sunday Ice cream getter so I’m not worried about real world performance I just need a little softer ride!
I’ve tried searching Monroe’s catalogue but got lost in the numbers and I can’t find anything by searching the measurements
My truck stock is rough, I had some cheaper Monroe’s and thought they were the problem, got some Bilstein’s and same result. I gave up only thing I have got from threads is cranked torsion bars can make an already rough ride really raunchy, has the torsion bars been messed with that you know of? Possible they’ve been cranked a bit more than your buddies? I have read lots of threads on this topic and most of them end with we own rough riders
My truck stock is rough, I had some cheaper Monroe’s and thought they were the problem, got some Bilstein’s and same result. I gave up only thing I have got from threads is cranked torsion bars can make an already rough ride really raunchy, has the torsion bars been messed with that you know of? Possible they’ve been cranked a bit more than your buddies? I have read lots of threads on this topic and most of them end with we own rough riders
I actually just did upper control arm bushings and forgot to take before measurements on the bolts so I read that factory ride height is 13.5” from 15” wheel lip to fender edge so I just added 4” for my lift and have the bars set at 17.5 each side. I even went down to 17 and it didn’t get any better.
It looks too high. Can you let off the torsion bars enough to soften the ride and still have tire clearance? You can also pull a leaf from the rear packs. What load range are your tires? What pressure are you running in them?
It seems like you have too much spring and the shocks aren't causing it or going to solve it. Just my best "guess" based on experience on my old IFS Toyota trucks. Mine were the 84-88 models but my son had a 91 and a 93. We've had cranked stock torsion bars and aftermarket bars and the final solution for us was a straight axle swap. Mainly because we were going big tires and evolving into rock crawlers.
Softening up the rear leaf packs helped the overall ride. Load range C tires rode much better than E's that some tire shops pushed.
I don't like body lifts but it may be an option for you if you have tire clearance issues after letting off the torsion bars.
Nice looking truck. I hope you can get the ride dialed in the way you like. Please follow up with your solution.
It looks too high. Can you let off the torsion bars enough to soften the ride and still have tire clearance? You can also pull a leaf from the rear packs. What load range are your tires? What pressure are you running in them?
It seems like you have too much spring and the shocks aren't causing it or going to solve it. Just my best "guess" based on experience on my old IFS Toyota trucks. Mine were the 84-88 models but my son had a 91 and a 93. We've had cranked stock torsion bars and aftermarket bars and the final solution for us was a straight axle swap. Mainly because we were going big tires and evolving into rock crawlers.
Softening up the rear leaf packs helped the overall ride. Load range C tires rode much better than E's that some tire shops pushed.
I don't like body lifts but it may be an option for you if you have tire clearance issues after letting off the torsion bars.
Nice looking truck. I hope you can get the ride dialed in the way you like. Please follow up with your solution.
Scott in AZ.
after lowering the bars a little more on each side it’s riding ALOT smoother but now I’m at 16.5” from rim lip to fender edge, I know asking these trucks to ride nice is like asking a newborn to feed itself.
Sounds like you're on the right track. Adjusting the torsion bars is pretty touchy. Especially since you put in new bushings as they will loosen up a little after some driving. It's tough to judge how much to adjust as you go too. Kind of the , little more , little more, dang it too much thing happens.
So try what you have for a few days and see how it goes. If you want more, try a little more. Repeat as needed. Stiffer shocks may end up helping out your softer spring setting??
Also, softening up the rear suspension helps the overall ride more than you would think. If you don't carry loads in the back and it's more of a cruiser, pull a leaf or two out of the pack and see how you like it. Not the most pleasant job dialing in your leaf packs but the results are worth it to me. Really the only way to do it though. I even polished my contact areas and had Teflon pads between the leaves. Rode NICE. I typically pulled two leaves.
after measuring lower control arm mount holes at 4” I assumed to add 4 inches to the OE ride height. I’ve read many different forums that range between 13 to 14 inch measuring from top of rim lip to fender edge. So my target was 17.5 inches and right now to get it at a comfortable ride I’m at 16 inches which to me would mean it’s “technically” riding an inch lower than factory height if you were to take the lift out…. Am I correct in thinking that?
edit: the rear suspension is a whole different headache. The leaf springs are flat and the previous owner made 4 inch extended shackles.
Those shackles paired up with 4 inch lift blocks has the truck sitting level 🫣….
I figured the rear suspension is a good project for next year
Last edited by White5thgen; Aug 21, 2025 at 09:42 AM.
Reason: Text deleted after photo uploaded
To be honest, IDK if that method works. This suspension moves more in arcs and not a linear up/down motion and I'm far from being an engineer or suspension design expert.
I never measured my pivot points and such. My reference was more of ground to fender lip and making sure the CV angles were ok, tires cleared and it could be aligned. My son and I were only running 31" tires back then so we didn't need much. Once we got them dialed in they were pretty trouble free. These older torsion bar setups were never cushy but, we managed to keep them out of the harsh zone.
I guess if it were my truck, I'd shoot for the lowest I could keep it without the tires hitting and get some soft rear springs if it is just a cruiser, ditch the long shackles and see how the Bilstein shocks do. I like them. Way back, Rancho's were the thing and I actually got a good ride and long life out of them.
It's hard to guess what "lift" rear springs to order and they are not cheap. They almost always sit high for a while until they settle in which makes it tougher to figure out. I've had the local spring shop make a few sets of springs. That worked out well but after that got too expensive, my son and I bought good used springs people posted up and just made our own spring packs up. Those ended up perfect for years.
I've had my OEM springs re-arched on a 4Runner and a Suburban at the same spring shop. They Worked out OK on the Suburban as it was a 3/4 ton 4x4 for towing my boat and hauling camping gear. The 4Runner rode like a stink bug for a long time. Typically a leaf is added when they re-arch.
Whatever you end up doing for the rear you will need to make sure you keep your pinion angle where it needs to be. Make sure your drive shaft doesn't end up too short. We had drive shaft vibration at higher lifts and had to go to a double Carden shaft even though the single joint angles were within tolerances. That was after we were up to 35" tires though.
The brake hose and parking brake cable start getting tight the higher you go too. Don't forget to readjust the LSPV for your brakes.
To be honest, IDK if that method works. This suspension moves more in arcs and not a linear up/down motion and I'm far from being an engineer or suspension design expert.
I never measured my pivot points and such. My reference was more of ground to fender lip and making sure the CV angles were ok, tires cleared and it could be aligned. My son and I were only running 31" tires back then so we didn't need much. Once we got them dialed in they were pretty trouble free. These older torsion bar setups were never cushy but, we managed to keep them out of the harsh zone.
I guess if it were my truck, I'd shoot for the lowest I could keep it without the tires hitting and get some soft rear springs if it is just a cruiser, ditch the long shackles and see how the Bilstein shocks do. I like them. Way back, Rancho's were the thing and I actually got a good ride and long life out of them.
It's hard to guess what "lift" rear springs to order and they are not cheap. They almost always sit high for a while until they settle in which makes it tougher to figure out. I've had the local spring shop make a few sets of springs. That worked out well but after that got too expensive, my son and I bought good used springs people posted up and just made our own spring packs up. Those ended up perfect for years.
I've had my OEM springs re-arched on a 4Runner and a Suburban at the same spring shop. They Worked out OK on the Suburban as it was a 3/4 ton 4x4 for towing my boat and hauling camping gear. The 4Runner rode like a stink bug for a long time. Typically a leaf is added when they re-arch.
Whatever you end up doing for the rear you will need to make sure you keep your pinion angle where it needs to be. Make sure your drive shaft doesn't end up too short. We had drive shaft vibration at higher lifts and had to go to a double Carden shaft even though the single joint angles were within tolerances. That was after we were up to 35" tires though.
The brake hose and parking brake cable start getting tight the higher you go too. Don't forget to readjust the LSPV for your brakes.
my truck has a double carden in the rear and the pinion angle is surprisingly good right now but I see zero hope in getting a good ride out of flat springs and flimsy long shackles.
is there any way to identify which brand of lift my truck has? They almost all look the same. Some say 4-5” life but others say 3-4”
Some springs have a part number and or brand painted on them. Typically on the top side. Are you looking for a bolt on kit? If you have a welder and can do some basic fab, there are plenty of U-bolt flip kits and spring swap kits to run Chevy, Ford or Jeep springs. I'm thinking since it's mainly your cruiser, you'd want something that fits what you have. Labor day and Black Friday on the way. Keep your eye's open for good sales.
Some springs have a part number and or brand painted on them. Typically on the top side. Are you looking for a bolt on kit? If you have a welder and can do some basic fab, there are plenty of U-bolt flip kits and spring swap kits to run Chevy, Ford or Jeep springs. I'm thinking since it's mainly your cruiser, you'd want something that fits what you have. Labor day and Black Friday on the way. Keep your eye's open for good sales.
im talking about the front suspension, after searching a part number I found on the knuckle I think this is an older rough country lift.
im definitely contemplating “re-arching” the rear leaf packs, I did find some “Dorman” rear leaf’s for 199 a pair on eBay for 85-88 but cant find any good measurements to see if I can make them work
Gotcha, IDK about front stuff other than the PO of my 88 (My buddy) had put red aftermarket torsion bars on. No brackets or anything else.
The 85-88 rear springs are only 48" long I think. Your generation truck should have longer springs. My son's 91 and 93 did. Rode a LOT better than my 88 too.
My factory springs that I had re-arched lasted a LONG time. Talk to the shop about what your expectations are. They can dial them in within reason.
Aug 20, 2025 | 04:47 PM
only thing I have got from threads is cranked torsion bars can make an already rough ride really raunchy, has the torsion bars been messed with that you know of? Possible they’ve been cranked a bit more than your buddies? I have read lots of threads on this topic and most of them end with we own rough riders
