Feels like front suspension 'bottoms out' over speed bumps.

[Originalthor]

Great advice from everyone. I just have to add, I've never seen a spring pack with just two leafs. Maybe an attempt to soften the ride, leafs were removed causing the suspension to bottom out much easier.

Mine is a v1500 suburban and only has 2 leafs in the front aswell.

 

[idahovette]

75 K20, bought new. Factory 2 leaf front springs.

 

[donnieray]

Im still learning about these trucks! My 84 K-10 had the original negative arch front springs when I bought it. Definitely more than two leafs. It rode rough as hell.

 

[Redfish]

Im still learning about these trucks! My 84 K-10 had the original negative arch front springs when I bought it. Definitely more than two leafs. It rode rough as hell.

The K10s, as far as I know, came with just two leafs (leaves?). Yes, they had a negative arch and yes they rode rough. Very little suspension travel. It was very common to add a third leaf to give a slight lift. In some cases the third leaf might be strong enough to give it a significant lift.

But they were originally a 2 leaf setup.

My Mom bought a 1984 Chevy Blazer brand new in '84. Two front leaf springs, very little travel, rode like a war wagon. It was so rough that we installed a set of Monroe Gas Magnum shocks that eventually pulled the shock bolts through the frame.

 

[Dano500]

@Redfish gave you some solid advice there

One small thing... Correct terminology goes a long way when asking for help or shopping for parts

Body lift = spacers between the body and the frame
Suspension lift = increasing the distance between the frame and axles

Agreed. This was spacers, but instead of between the body and frame, they used the blocks up front under the leafs, like in the rear. I'll be switching to proper springs asap.

 

[82BBC20]

I owned a 79 K10 I purchased new & a 90 burb 4x4 1/2 ton that had the 2 leaves on the front springs.

 

[Dano500]

I ordered the drop pitman arm, sway bar bushing kit and drag link end. After that, I'll get it aligned. Hopefully that will take the slop out of the steering.

 

[Grit dog]

Ok, so remove the blocks. What is normally used for body lift up front? like cab mounts/ bushings & look for a bushing kit.

Maybe the missing missing swaybar bushing is more the cause of the sloppy steering than the steering box?

That truck doesn’t have a body lift from looking at your other pics.
But it does have a janky home made suspension lift. Aka the front blocks.
Sway bar or lack thereof like yours with a blown out bushing won’t affect how sloppy the steering is.
But that truck is old and beat up. It could easily be bottoming the front springs.
Given your lack of knowledge, if you plan on replacing the springs dont order any steering components until you know what lift springs you’re putting in it and then order a drop Pittman or drag link accordingly.

Having read most of your posts from the beginning when you were talking about making it a tow monster for a big 5ver or whatever, and not seeing the truck until recently, you would be best off to come up with a solid written plan and learn/ask/know enough to gain some moderate knowledge about trucks (which you dont) before you launch your Visa card into orbit.
If you’re still even considering a comprehensive rebuild to make it a good solid reliable safe daily driver and/or tow rig, you’re almost starting n from scratch with what you have.
You’ll have a lot of thousands of dollars like maybe 10 grand and lots of hundreds of hours at a minimum just to get it mechanically “like new” or somewhere close.
And that’s before even touching anything cosmetic interior or exterior.
Think real hard about where you want to go with this.
And consider buying one in very good condition to begin with and then add to it from there. Even if you place zero $ value on your time, you’ll still be even or money ahead by buying a good truck as a base for your build.
Out here, $7-9k will get you a truck that needs 10% of what that one does to be a good reliable sound straight driver. Not to mention it won’t be a years long process filled with learning countless more things the hard way before giving up with a bunch of sunk costs or finally getting it past the fixing and rebuilding and on to the next round of thousands of dollars even if you diy the body work, paint and interior.

This is not meant to discourage you as one generally only learns by doing and often by struggling or failing, but moreso to get you on the path to a good old truck that can actually be a reality based on my perception.

If there aren’t good trucks around you for decent price, look in the PNW. Look at what I’ve posted recently and in the recent past for trucks for sale around here.
Hell, theres a turn key, good paint new 383/trans/ list of parts as long as your arm K20 for sale in Spookane (Craigslist) for $8500. Drive it home to Texas and drive it every day with only tinkering or modifying to do to it.
And another beauty all original 6.2 diesel K20 for sale near here for $7800 for months now (cL as well).
Either one or many others like it would put you money/frustration ahead and in instant gratification mode for less $ than you’ll spend getting your truck to that stage.

Heck, keep yours for a “project” if that’s what you want. Presuming it was dirt cheap given the condition so not a financial and mental burden (yet, unless you tear into yours in earnest, in which case you’ll be burning dollars and hours like a fat kid eating candy).
JMO Good luck.

 

[Grit dog]

Hey, Redfish, you are completely right! lol This thing is in a bad way; worse than I thought before, but luckily I'm not in a hurry. I'm down here for work until the end of the year, so it gives me something to do on the weekends. I was wanting to install the new tank, sending unit, and front suspension rebuild this weekend, BUT in BIG OLE' HOUSTON, TEXAS, I can't even buy the drop pitman arm anywhere. lol Can't get it in until next week, so it shall continue to sit.

Yes! So, this must be the reason for the bottoming out. That makes sense. I will be removing the blocks and switching to 3" lifted springs, so I guess that will take care of that. Thank you!

It and you gotta move by the end of the year?
Sell it now and thank me later.
If it actually moves, steers and stops under its own power and the body is less rusted than the undercarriage, get a couple grand for it or whatever it’ll sell for down there and spend a few weekends finding something worthwhile and the rest of the weekends improving something that isn’t a basket case.
Like @Redfish said, not trying to criticize you or piss on your parade. Just imparting knowledge that will help you. Guaranteed.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I’m not an expert, but I believe the factory front springs being 2 vs 3 leaves is related to engine more than k10,20,30.

The BBC and 6.2 diesel got the 3 leaf packs, whereas sbc and 6-cyl got the two. That’s not to say there aren’t other factors, but that is what I’ve seen and read.

 

[Grit dog]

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By way of comparison to show you proof of what I’m talking about.
This is an $8k truck I bought that towed my 6klb boat over mountain passes at whatever speed I could afford to put in the gas tanks the day I brought it home.
Less than $1000 and well under 100 hours into anything mechanical and it gets daily driven still. (Fuel pump, 1 tank, shocks, drag link, brake hoses only be used the original ones were stretched like banjo strings due to the last guy who cheaped out on the lift install, 2 mufflers, an alternator and that’s aboot it).
But not counting the tires and wheels, I got about $4k and hundreds of hours into paint, trim and interior.
And I have a shop and the knowledge to do most anything to it, in the right order and without re-work and fairly efficiently.
If I started with your truck I’d have the same $8000 or more into it and it would still look like a dogs breakfast. Although it would arguably be a tad better mechanically. But only a little bit. And only if I was smart about it.
And zero use of heat cutting wheels or a liquid wrench to disassemble a good portion of the truck. And zero trips to the store for new bolts/hardware save for a select few things that are accessories.

Which would you prefer?

 

[Frankenchevy]

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By way of comparison to show you proof of what I’m talking about.
This is an $8k truck I bought that towed my 6klb boat over mountain passes at whatever speed I could afford to put in the gas tanks the day I brought it home.
Less than $1000 and well under 100 hours into anything mechanical and it gets daily driven still. (Fuel pump, 1 tank, shocks, drag link, brake hoses only be used the original ones were stretched like banjo strings due to the last guy who cheaped out on the lift install, 2 mufflers, an alternator and that’s aboot it).
But not counting the tires and wheels, I got about $4k and hundreds of hours into paint, trim and interior.
And I have a shop and the knowledge to do most anything to it, in the right order and without re-work and fairly efficiently.
If I started with your truck I’d have the same $8000 or more into it and it would still look like a dogs breakfast. Although it would arguably be a tad better mechanically. But only a little bit. And only if I was smart about it.
And zero use of heat cutting wheels or a liquid wrench to disassemble a good portion of the truck. And zero trips to the store for new bolts/hardware save for a select few things that are accessories.

Which would you prefer?

Not every choice has to be the most logical option. This may be the truck that teaches Dano all the stuff that you know. I haven’t read every post in this thread, but there’s nothing wrong with a good basket case, if your approach is realistic. You learn a lot from these types of projects. You don’t necessarily need a shop. I laid in the gravel and dirt and got quite a bit done to my truck.

I will agree, it’s not always the most economically feasible way to the end result desired.

 

[Grit dog]

Not every choice has to be the most logical option. This may be the truck that teaches Dano all the stuff that you know. I haven’t read every post in this thread, but there’s nothing wrong with a good basket case, if your approach is realistic. You learn a lot from these types of projects. You don’t necessarily need a shop. I laid in the gravel and dirt and got quite a bit done to my truck.

I will agree, it’s not always the most economically feasible way to the end result desired.

Agree wholeheartedly, but diving into this project as a first timer essentially, combined with his lack of resources (my perception) and even moreso the time constraint he mentioned, is a quick recipe for extreme frustration and disappointment in combination with a much skinnier wallet with little to show.
I didn’t, and guessing the same for most, learn it all by basically starting from scratch with a vehicle that needs 1000things to be right.
To be fair I had vehicles like his and-drove them and fixed them, as a kid. But they were, hopefully, on a good day, A to B beaters and cheap transportation only. And not antiques which is a blessing and a curse.
I had one antique project back then and even with the very good resources I had at the time, was quickly a learning lesson in how much it actually takes to bring a totally neglected pile back from the dead, much less make it nice.

I was and am only trying to help him make an informed logical decision.
And logic says, there are thousands of these trucks in good condition one way or another or all around. And they sell for less $ than the sum of parts only required for him to get his truck to the same stage.
Furthermore, there will be no lack of “learning” with even a good old truck. There is and will be plenty to do, even if just upgrades. BUT in a much friendlier, more manageable way.

 

[Grit dog]

^Yes we all learn from our mistakes (hopefully anyway). And we all still make them. (not just with cars).
But I personally am more interested in financial security than “learning the hard way” as I assume most are, even if it may not appear so….(we all know those people who are just a sht show and can’t ever seem to do anything right, not an insinuation on Mr. Dano)
To that end I will take good advice all day long and twice on Sunday if it helps me with what I’ve just said above.

Furthermore, I would rather have @Dano500 be upset and think or even say I’m an ahole…go F off, if it prompts him to think more about the situation and ultimately is of value to him, even if it’s down the road a ways (literally and figuratively).

 

[Dano500]

Agree wholeheartedly, but diving into this project as a first timer essentially, combined with his lack of resources (my perception) and even moreso the time constraint he mentioned, is a quick recipe for extreme frustration and disappointment in combination with a much skinnier wallet with little to show.
I didn’t, and guessing the same for most, learn it all by basically starting from scratch with a vehicle that needs 1000things to be right.
To be fair I had vehicles like his and-drove them and fixed them, as a kid. But they were, hopefully, on a good day, A to B beaters and cheap transportation only. And not antiques which is a blessing and a curse.
I had one antique project back then and even with the very good resources I had at the time, was quickly a learning lesson in how much it actually takes to bring a totally neglected pile back from the dead, much less make it nice.

I was and am only trying to help him make an informed logical decision.
And logic says, there are thousands of these trucks in good condition one way or another or all around. And they sell for less $ than the sum of parts only required for him to get his truck to the same stage.
Furthermore, there will be no lack of “learning” with even a good old truck. There is and will be plenty to do, even if just upgrades. BUT in a much friendlier, more manageable way.

^Yes we all learn from our mistakes (hopefully anyway). And we all still make them. (not just with cars).
But I personally am more interested in financial security than “learning the hard way” as I assume most are, even if it may not appear so….(we all know those people who are just a sht show and can’t ever seem to do anything right, not an insinuation on Mr. Dano)
To that end I will take good advice all day long and twice on Sunday if it helps me with what I’ve just said above.

Furthermore, I would rather have @Dano500 be upset and think or even say I’m an ahole…go F off, if it prompts him to think more about the situation and ultimately is of value to him, even if it’s down the road a ways (literally and figuratively).

I'm not upset about anything and thanks for your concern, but I think you are coming up with all of this advice based on your 'assumptions' and not really knowing anything about this situation, and it's odd that I have to sit here and report all of this stuff, but oh well.

I can't be the first person to take a pick up like this that has been sitting for years and bring it back to life. What is the big deal?? You mention resources, but not sure if you are assuming I don't have money, or maybe you think I'm almost homeless, or no tools? lol Resources are all good, I'm just lacking on knowledge, but I have worked on vehicles my whole life, thanks to my dad. I did mention going back home to Dallas at the end of the year, but I didn't say that I had to have it done by then. I'll just drive it home and continue working on it, so I don't understand the concern there.

I'm not sure what you mean about a truck that needs 1000s of things done to it, but I would like to know on this one, seriously. lol In case I am missing something huge. I got it running by replacing the MC, carb, sending unit and tank. Now it starts and cranks fine and doesn't leak, thankfully. All of the lights work outside, although the horn doesn't. lol Now I have replaced the pitman arm, drag link & sway bar bushings, which I do have a question on the anchor plate. lol

It looks really bad right now because the P.O. painted a mural on it with latex paint, so that is a chore getting it off, and under, it is crud and surface rust, which I have been removing slowly, I was pretty happy that I got it running for $300 bucks.

Anyway, no hard feelings at all and I appreciate your concern. Time I have plenty of, so it gives me something to do on the weekends. lol