38x14.5x16

[spink7124]

Allreveup-
I"ve actually delt with Lee before, I have one of his boxes on my Trans-Am, and he is a great company to deal with.


dieselpony-
I Had some slight clearance issues with my crossover and stock crossmember; I trimmed a small piece off and that fixed the issue 99% of the time. That us the correct tire size and so far I don't have any issues driving around.


Croatan_Kid-
If you wouldn't mind shooting a few pics of your setup that would be great! I'm guessing that your ram is mounted close to where the stock stabalizer was?

 

[Croatan_Kid]

Yeah, pretty much exactly where the stabilizer used to be. It's tight in there, but it works and there's no contact between the ram and inner C at full left turn.

It's a darkk and crappy picture, I'll try to get some better ones.


The Cummins :: IMG_0708.jpg picture by Croatan_Kid - Photobucket

 

[kennyw]

Nah, zero rates are just like an add-a-leaf. They bolt to the spring pack.

The last 2" add a leaf I removed from a truck (and most I have seen for sale on parts websites) were not designed to bolt into the spring pack. It just stacked in between the axle and stock leaf pack. Also, the longer leaf acts as an overload spring and stiffens up the ride where the zero-rate will not. Adding a 2" add a leaf to a worn out, sagging front spring pack makes for one horrible ride too.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

Hence the name zero-rate. They add "zero" to the rate of the spring, they're just there for an extra inch of lift and/or offset capabilities.


Now as for the add-a-leaves not bolting to the spring pack....I'm not going to blantely say that you're wrong, but how would the center pin still reach down into the locating hole on the spring perch of the axle if you just stacked a leaf between them? When you buy a lift kit that has a rear block and add-a-leaf, they always have the extra leaf and a new center pin. Just saying.

It also depends on where in the spring pack the leaf is designed to go. The short, thick ones go on the bottom, but above the overload and make the vehicle ride like crap generally, but the longer and more flexible ones go just under the main leaf and aren't as bad on the ride.



Parts website, you can see the center pins in the picture

Add-A-Leafs - from National Tire & Wheel @ NTW

 

[kennyw]

The ones I have worked with and seen online in the past, had a built in pin on the bottom side (just like a lift block). It was not the same version as the link you posted, but it has been a long time since I looked one up so I don't know if they still make them like that. Either that or CRS is kicking in...

But even if you bolt them into the spring pack, it is not the same as adding a zero rate since it changes the spring rate of the pack and doesn't offer the adjustment capability.

I removed a set of 2" add a leafs and replaced them with 2" lift springs in the front of a friends truck once and it made a MAJOR difference in the way the truck handled. Adding them in the rear would not likely make anywhere as much of a difference as in the front though.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Kenny, pretty much all of the aal's today are the type Croatan described. Meant to be bolted into the pack.

I've had good luck with long aal's in the past but that was on vehicles with positively arched springs, not sure how they'd work on our stock front springs.

 

[cucvdonk]

Ok first and foremost, 5 inches of lift raises the truck above the axle 5 inches, to go from a 32 inch tire to a 42 inch tire you must divide the total difference by two netting a 5inch increase in size above the hub. Secondly, the lifts me and spink are using are for flex and low center of gravity. I personally wheel alot on rocks, and dry creek beds, up near vertical rock ledges and so on. Lower center of gravity is much more important to me that trimming the fenders slightly. Now the width of the tire, would have caused issues with my steering equipment, but I went to fully hydro steering, but crossover steering will also fix these problems.
The hardest obstacle with a low lift and large tires on a chevy is first the back of the front fender(hence why most use a offset zero rate) then the inner fender causes issues but can easily be trimmed and reshaped to clear.

I enjoy trying to make the most flexible suspension (cheaply also) as possible. I have used and built 4 linked, rockwelled,air bag, even 1/4 eliptical setups, but my favorite has to be just a simply 60f and 14bolt rear with a long leaf suspension.

cucvdonk the ford springs I used were off a 97 f150

Will the springs off the 97 f150 bolt right in or do you have to move the hangers any? Also did you use longer shackles with these springs?