I have been wheeling my truck for a while now with plans to mod more later (read: whenever I find that money tree)...but I have decided that I need to make some changes before I hit Rausch Creek at the end of the month. (At least I left myself plenty of time) I was running 34x9.5's because I was on stock axles, but I have put in longs since then, chevy springs w/ AAL because the springs alone didn't give me enough height, and a dual case crossmember/skid from TG because the deal was too good to pass up, even though I only have a single case. Anyway, I find myself getting high centered on larger/harder obstacles lately with this setup and I have already trashed a driveshaft...twice, so I am looking for a bit more clearance, plus I want my rear springs to better match my front. Of course, all this has to be on the cheap since this truck is a ghetto budget build. (wabbit and cheese have begun to quiver in fear)
The chevy springs w/ AAL didn't give me enough lift to match the front and were too stiff compared to my rears up front (not bad, just that RUF are REALLY soft) plus they are too long to allow me to bob much. I am swapping in some Ford F-150 springs that I got for $70 from a local scrap yard, they are only 57" long and 31.5" from the rear to the center pin. I am running them reversed so that I can use the chevy mount in front and the stock rear shackle hanger, also I cut off the rear half of the overload but left the front to counteract axle wrap. These are thinner and have more arch than the chevy spring. On a test fit it looks like I will get 4-5" out of them and match my front height rather well.
They will be wired wheeled, primed, painted, and put in tonight.
The dual case crossmember hangs pretty low (you can see it in the bottom pic), so I sold it and have ordered a budbuilt made for a 1" body lift, that should arrive friday. I got a set of worn 36" SX's that will be grooved and put on the truck hopefully in the next couple weeks...and last but not least I will be cutting my fenders tomorrow (finally, they are rusty and bondo'ed by the PO). Hopefully once I am back from Rausch I will start chopping the rear, I am looking to bob somewhere in the 11-14" range, I haven't settled on that yet.
(tire rolled forwards a little in this pic, disregard my soft top, it is still messed up from my flop)
Should be lots of pics to follow.