ORD custom rear springs? Opinions?

[colonel mustard]

I would not move shackles, flip shackles, or buy someone's "custom springs." There are only 2 spring manufacturer's that you want to use. Dayton or Flagg. Do not settle for any other foreign junk. You should be able to get those springs for around $150 each or so and that's kind of high. Shackles do not move your axle or help your ride. Generally if you do not raise a vehicle more than 3 inches then pinion angles will be fine. Airbags are nice for ride and load carrying capacity. I recommend


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ALCAN springs are not foreign.

why would you not move shackles?

 

[colonel mustard]

I have a heavy farmer made rear bumper that would get in the way with moving the rear hangers back... unless I got rid of the bumper.

Heard back from ORD today. To use their custom springs and still have load carrying ability I'd need to add air bags. Don't want to do that- would add even more money to the already expensive springs.

They do have Tuff Country rear springs also. How are those springs for load carrying? Any ride advantage with TC springs instead of old worn stock ones?

Lastly I thought about doing the 2.5" shackle flip (as I've heard there wouldn't need to be a pinion angle correction on a long bed) along with the 1" zero rate block. With just a 2.5" shackle flip will it still move the axle forward? How much? The zero rate can move it back- or would it move back too much?

Does doing a shackle flip improve the ride or articulation? Otherwise I might just keep the blocks.

I have a heavy rear bumper also. 35" BFG MT and homemade bumber. I used ORD springs. the rear still sits a bit higher than front. heres a pic.

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[colonel mustard]

anybody have these? They are supposed to use a bunch of thin leaves that will flex more than typical aftermarket springs. And they say they can build them to still be able to carry a load.

Right now I have blocks on the back under the stock 3/4 ton 35 year old springs. And the rear is slighly lower than the front. Want to bring it up another 1" or so.

Up front I have the Tuff Country HD springs. I like the way those ride.

I thought about the shackle flip, but the springs hang down so low in the back I'd worry about smashing them dropping off of something. Right now I have a heavy rear bumper that takes a beating. And with the shackle flip then I'd have to do some sort of shim/pinion correction right?

Or just do Tuff Country rear springs? But once again I'm concerned about load carrying ability.

And I do pull a 5th wheel that has 700 lbs of pin weight. Not much, but then there is firewood, chairs, coolers...

IMO..for your situation I would run the tuff country rear springs. because you towing the ORD are not meant for that. with a loaded K5 and 700# on the hitch itll be too much.

 

[Dish]

I've been in suspension business myself since 1994 a thinner leaf spring pack with more leafs does ride better than thick leafs with less leafs.. the thinner leafs ride better but they also settle more than the stiff thick leafs.....I've never had ord springs ...but have run 18 inch atlas springs and also run alcan 18 lift springs on different trucks in the past

 

[77 K20]

ORD springs are made by Alcan. ORD just knows what spring rates work for these trucks and factor in if you have a big block or a heavy winch bumper. You tell ORD your setup and what you want out of it, then they order them for you thru Alcan.

For the rear I went with some new stock 56" rear springs (I have 52" now) and a 2.5" shackle flip. Hopefully it will ride like I want it to.

 

[Dish]

You should the alcans I had rode great especially for the amount of lift i was running

 

[77 K20]

I got the front end done today. Only had a little time to take it out for a quick spin. So far I don't like it... maybe I will after I fix the steering. My steering wheel is 1/2 way off and every bump or dip in the road the steering pull all over. Makes the front end feel wobbly and not stable. Guess I've always corrected the steering at the same time as new springs.

I've ordered a raised steering arm to try and level out the drag link. I might think about putting the sway bar back on with the quick disconnect fittings too.

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[Craig 85]

From your picture, it looks like your axle is sitting on jack stands and under full weight. The raised arm should get rid of the major bump steer. On my last and current truck, I installed ORD's sway bar disconnect kit and their greasable bushings. I believe your on road stability will definitely improve. I would recommend it to anyone with a "K" series truck with a lift. It prevents the spring and sway bar from binding as they travel through their separate arcs, giving a much more compliant ride.

If you need to replace the cone washers when you install the new arm, the part number is GM #3965138.

 

[77 K20]

Yep, your right. The truck was being held up with jack stands under the axle.

With my Tuff Country springs they were firm enough I took off the anti sway bar and loved how it rode. These springs might be too soft to get away without running one.

I will see how it is after the steering correction.

Any tricks to getting a 40 year old steering arm off? I've started soaking the cone washers/nuts with penetrating oil. I've heard they are a real pain sometimes...

Thanks for the part numbers!

 

[Craig 85]

Any tricks to getting a 40 year old steering arm off? I've started soaking the cone washers/nuts with penetrating oil. I've heard they are a real pain sometimes...

Thanks for the part numbers!

When I did the axle swap with my last ruck I had to remove the old one. Being from California it was pretty easy as it wasn't all rusted up. I recall 1 or 2 of the studs pulling out with the nut. so it made it easy. You may have to hit the arm with a hammer. Those washers are a pain to release if there is a bunch of rust scale.

 

[colonel mustard]

1. are you running factory steering arm?

2. have you checked caster angle? caster can make a truck ride all over the place.

3. others have commented on here about sway bar. I have to agree.....I use mine. I don't have any issues with bump steer.

4. steering wheel is half off...maybe your trucks tires are fighting eachother in the TOE area. alighnment may help.

5. PB blaster on the steering arm. then a big ass hammer. mine came off with a few hits and a night of soaking in the PB.

cool shocks btw

 

[77 K20]

I have a heavy rear bumper also. 35" BFG MT and homemade bumber. I used ORD springs. the rear still sits a bit higher than front. heres a pic.

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Did you use rear axle centering plates for yours? I have new stock 56" rear springs and the 2.5" flip kit and it shoved my axle forward more than I like.

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[colonel mustard]

Did you use rear axle centering plates for yours? I have new stock 56" rear springs and the 2.5" flip kit and it shoved my axle forward more than I like.

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no I didn't. I actually ordered them thinking I would surely need them. but my axle was centered pretty damn close to perfect so I left it alone. with new stock springs that makes sense why your rear axle moved forward. the centering pin is in the factory location. on ORD springs the pin is moved rearward to accommodate for the shift from the shackle flip.

 

[77 K20]

Forgot you are running ORD rear springs.

Still a bit annoyed though- this is from their website:
"With a factory spring, the 4" shackle flip will move the axle forward about 1/2".

With my 2.5" kit then I was thinking about 0.3" of shift...

Looking at their axle offset plate now. Didn't want to go up another .25" as the rear is already high...

But I'll order 2 sets of the offset plates. Put one on the rear to move the axle back 1" and will put a set on the front. Might either leave it as "0" or might move the front axle forward 1/2".

Need to find a ditch somewhere and flex it to see how far the front tire moves back when stuffed.

 

[colonel mustard]

Forgot you are running ORD rear springs.

Still a bit annoyed though- this is from their website:
"With a factory spring, the 4" shackle flip will move the axle forward about 1/2".

With my 2.5" kit then I was thinking about 0.3" of shift...

Looking at their axle offset plate now. Didn't want to go up another .25" as the rear is already high...

But I'll order 2 sets of the offset plates. Put one on the rear to move the axle back 1" and will put a set on the front. Might either leave it as "0" or might move the front axle forward 1/2".

Need to find a ditch somewhere and flex it to see how far the front tire moves back when stuffed.

you wont wont notice the 1/4" the offset plates raise the truck by. its only a 1/4"