I'll tell you what my ideal budget set up would be. BJ spacers up front, chevies rear, new shocks all around, 4.7 t-case, an aussie in the rear w/4.88s and 33x9.5's or 10.5's. You've already got a nice set up though. Just my thoughts.

 

truck looks good to go to me. the cheapest most ideal thing to do would be leave it as is i think you got a good set up man.

-matt

 

You realize the title of your post is "What is an "ideal" BUDGE IFS suspension set up" don't you? Not "how should I fix what I believe the PO screwed up". I suggested what has been ideal and bare bones cheap for me, in answer to your posted question.

 

Make sure you brace that front end well. With a bracket lift you can bend the frame pretty easily.

Then cut that rear crap out (your shackle angle looks bad too) and throw on a set of 63" chevy springs. They are much longer, they will help soften the ride up and will flex well.

Oh, and consider making a LSPV rod lift bracket.

 

+1 on the LSPV bracket lift, it'll make your brakes feel a lot better.

 

Jay351-

Make sure you brace that front end well. With a bracket lift you can bend the frame pretty easily.

There used to be a really cheezy brace that was welded in but it wouldnt allow the front sway to be hooked up. I cut it off and was going to design somthing new. I didnt thing it would bend but my boss told me to build somthing that looked cool atleast. Now that you say that ill get that bad boy braced up well.

Then cut that rear crap out (your shackle angle looks bad too) and throw on a set of 63" chevy springs. They are much longer, they will help soften the ride up and will flex well.

I have had a few people suggest chevy 63" leafs. I dont know the first place to begin with setting up leafs so Ill spend the night figureing out how im going to set it up.

Oh, and consider making a LSPV rod lift bracket.

Not sure what this is, Ill search for this too. Thanks

 

this truck has gotten me everywhere i've had the balls to go. eventually plan on the sas if you 4x. it all depends on your cash flow. the ball joint spacers are a joke. the bolts shear on minor impacts.

 

For the front IFS brace, search for ProComp Stage II and you'll see one of, if not the best kicker setups- triangulates from behind the rear lower control arm adjuster up to the transmission crossmember.

As for the rear leafs, what you have is fine, albeit probably a little stiff. The shackle angles are fine, as long as they don't flip forward when you lift a tire, which I don't think they will considering the arch in the leafs, and don't pin against the frame under full compression.
The u-bolts on the leafs would usually be there to keep the leafs from spreading, also called a 'military wrap', but you seem to have add-a-leafs on there, and not the correct number of leafs for stock leafs much less aftermarket. Someone probably pulled a few of the stiffer short leafs out to make them softer and substituted AAL's to make up for the loss in spring rate, which is counter productive.

The LSPV rod is that arm that comes down from the passenger side frame and bolts to the left of the differential in this picture:



All you'd do is make a piece of flat metal you could bolt to the axle, and in turn, bolt the bracket to. Something that moves the bracket up 4" higher, if in fact the rear has 4" lift. I took some flat perforated bar from Home Depot, it has holes every 1", then cut out some of the holes from each end turning it into a stretched "H" shape.