1st Gen Leaf Spring Question

Okay Folks - I received my GS HD springs today via FedEx. Bilstein 4600s come next week - the Rear Passenger side was tough to find - out of stock in many places.

Question: One of the leaf springs has more gaps in the leaves than the other. Is this going to be a problem? Should I try and get a replacement?

The bottom LS has a bigger gap between the leaves.


Up close

The other leaf spring - much smaller gaps (photos might not do this justice)

 

Looking at that you should be fine once the weight of the truck is on the spring.

You could send it back the next one might be even worse.

 

Thats a fair point

 

You could install the one with the gaps on the left to help with the fuel tank and weight of the driver .

I doubt there would be enough difference to notice in any case.

 

Non-issue.

They move, it's normal.

There's a pin that centers the leaf pack on the axle; nothing else matters.

 

Totally - sounds good to me. Lookin forward to gettin this done.

Thanks @Kwikvette @Bivouac @Andy01DblCabTacoma @Kevins60 @nptesta16 @DarrenM for your input and guidance - much appreciated

 

Update: It is all done and looks absolutely awesome. However, a noise in the side bearing of the differential has developed and will need to be replaced...so I don't get my truck back quite yet.

While they are in the diff - I might have them replace the locking actuator - I haven't got it to lock since I bought it .

I'm itchin to drive it too....

 

Just came on this thread. Glad you went with the GS HD's, that's what I'd have recommended for you with the cap, if I'd seen your post when you posted it back at the end of July.

Hope the write-up on replacing the rear leafs was helpful! By all means, let me know if you have feedback on it, and I'm happy to update it.

 

I'm not sure what replacement options are available- but there are some things you can do to service the actuator. Either way- make sure they don't toss your OEM one.

 

The GS HDs look great. That write up is excellent and gave me a ton of confidence when ordering the parts. I didn't do it myself simply because of the rust on the shackles, ubolts and shocks. The shop owner told me today that they had to burn the bushings off of the old shocks. I guess it was a really hot day so the garage bay doors were closed and rubber smoke was everywhere. I felt bad for them. If it was not as rusted, I would been more inclined to save the $$ in labor. Alas. Thanks for the great write ups. Some incredible info there.

Good advice. I didn't even think about saving the OEM one. I will have them save it and I could refurb and sell.
I've found a replacement for about $350. I am going to go to the shop tomorrow and try to drive it a bit - see if the locker will engage. It is possible that I never followed the correct process.

 

Drove the truck today - holy moly - it rides 100x better than before.

I also followed the proper procedure for engaging the e-locker and it WORKED! It absolutely blew my mind to see that light go solid, hear it engage and feel the difference. Wow.

This truck is starting to feel like less of a liability and more like MINE. This is so fun.

 

Bah - the elocker isnt working again. Seems like i should swap it out and sell the original to be refurbished

here is a pic of her with new springs and rear shocks

 

Wondering if Front coils and shocks need to be done. It looks like it

 

What if I'm running air bags? I've had a set of firestone ride rite air bags installed for about a year with the original leaf pack. I also have a SnugTop on the truck. I always run 5 psi in the air bags when the truck is unloaded (with camper shell on) and air them up as needed. Oh and I added some 1" spacers to the front coils to level things out because the air bags added about an inch of lift when unloaded.

Took a peek at the leaf springs today and it looks like they are starting to give a little bit with the truck unloaded. So I'm considering replacing them.



Should I go with a standard replacement set or a heavy duty set?

After reading about the heavy duty springs and seeing pics of 1st gens with them installed, I worry it will create additional lift in the rear with the air bags, which I don't want. And I like the fact that I can easily level the truck with the setup I have.

Here's a pic of my rig fully loaded down, which is usually just on weekend trips:

 

If you used airbags for managing additional weight, the leafs don't matter all that much, and from your photos, the curvature you have on yours looks pretty normal to me.

With airbags, leafs are primarily for lift. If you like the lift you have with the current leafs (+bags), you're good, don't get the HD springs.

 

I have the HD springs and firestone airbags. The HD springs did give a little lift. In my case, since I have a topper, lots of stuff in the back, and tow a trailer, I really wanted the HD, even though I didn't want a lift. Truck had rake for a while, but then I needed to replace my front springs and coils and went with OME, and now I have ~1 or 1.5" of lift all around. Like I said I didn't want a lift, but it is what it is. I wanted quality springs that would do the job I need them to do, and ended up with a lift.

Problem I've run into on these trucks is that firestone doesn't really make an airbag for first gens. They fit, they work, but they're a little too big. So like you, I have to run them with less air than is recommended, at rest, to keep them from lifting my truck. Even 7lbs and I get a little lift. And once they're "engaged", so to speak, the ride quality goes to crap. So combine flat leaf springs with airbags that are a little too big for our trucks, and you're pretty much always riding on the airbags instead of the leaf springs. Rough ride.

If you really want to avoid the lift then yeah, don't go with the HD. But with a topper and stock springs, you're pretty much guaranteed to always be resting on the airbags instead of the springs.

I'd be interested to see how the truck sits unloaded, with the air bags aired down. If I had put my OME suspension up front (which probably gave me 1.5" lift), but kept the non-HD springs in the back, and had no air in my airbags, the rear end would easily be 1" lower than the front.

I get what you're saying though. You can level it using the airbags. Still with the slight lift you're already getting from the airbags, I wonder if you'd actually get any additional lift from the HD springs.

 

Mine looks like this with the non HD ones because they were sold out at the time. I’ve had them on for about a year now.

 

Appreciate the input so far on this @turbodb @MT-98 @FinsFan909 !

Initially I ran the air bags with 0 psi in them when I had nothing but the camper shell on and before I had installed the 1" spacers on the front springs. But quickly noticed it was like riding on bump stops - it was horrible around town. I was mostly just trying to avoid the rake that the 5 psi in the bags introduced.

Now with 1" spacers installed on the front springs + 5 psi in the air bags the trucks sits level:




So I guess I will stick to the standard leaf pack if/when I do decide to replace them. Although I imagine even then a fresh pack vs a 20 year old OEM pack may add a slight lift, right?

All this has also got me thinking about upgrading shocks. I replaced the original shocks + struts with the same Bilstein 4600 prior to adding the air bags and camper shell.

Wondering what effect a set of Bilstein 5100 shocks + struts would have with my set up? I know the front are adjustable, so that would get rid of those spacers I have. But what about the rear?

 

Shocks/struts won't give you any lift, the 5100s will just have a slightly different (internal) valving, and so give you a bit stiffer ride. You may or may not notice that stiffness, depending on how much dirt vs. pavement and because of the constant weight you're carrying. With the weight, it might feel like "stability" rather than "harshness."

 

I didn't notice much difference between whatever the stock Bilsteins are for TRDs, and the 5100s. Definitely didn't notice a lift. The OME coils and shocks up front I definitely noticed both. Next time I replace the rears, I'm going OME back there, too. The 5100s haven't been up to the weight I carry back there, even with the HD springs and airbags.