Problems with lift kit (ORD) install...

[bucket]

No, I’m not really a spiteful person. I make mistakes, we all do. I admit as soon as I know I’m wrong—sometimes even before I’m certain. But as soon as someone starts deflecting blame, I shut down. I’m the same way with subs. They just won’t ever get my business again and everyone who asks will get my honest opinion.

I don’t do “close enough” with certain things, but I’m trying to learn to.

Maybe their typical customer isn’t measuring the springs eye to eye, or upset that their “custom valved shocks” can’t be installed without ordering extra parts that required a bunch of homework to find. They told me to install the shocks without bushing sleeves, “they’d be fine”…

Yeah I get it, I was just teasing you

I don't think anyone would be willing to except springs that were different lengths.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Yeah I get it, I was just teasing you

I don't think anyone would be willing to except springs that were different lengths.

I guess that last message does make me sound a bit spiteful, but in a passive aggressive sort of way.

I have a buddy that has a rock crawling rig that sees very little street mileage. He said he’s interested in the springs once the deavers go on.

For anyone in the market for custom leaf springs, Deaver is a class act, btw.

 

[shiftpro]

You are probably the only person I've read about that didn't have a good experience with ORD. Did you give those nice fellas a bad attitude? Lol, I'm just kidding of course.

I agree but add that we need to keep in mind we are at war and everyone is running with extra stress than normal. Having said that, regarding the saps that just effed up the OP's truck even cutting them slack still leaves them in complete clown world and making things DANGEROUS.

 

[mtbadbob]

Totally looks like an Amateur Hour installation. My god, that think has to ride like a tank with all those leafs up front! I'd definitely be raising hell with those clowns, I think the local high school Auto Shop class would of done better. I don't think I would of left the shop if I saw this. Hope they take care of it for you...

 

[bucket]

Totally looks like an Amateur Hour installation. My god, that think has to ride like a tank with all those leafs up front! I'd definitely be raising hell with those clowns, I think the local high school Auto Shop class would of done better. I don't think I would of left the shop if I saw this. Hope they take care of it for you...

All those leaves are a good thing. A bunch of thin leaves are WAY better than a few thick ones. The ride quality is much better.

 

[Blackbeard44]

check everything, especially make sure you steering tie rods are tight and the cotter pins are in there before you drive it again. see if the u-bolts got tightened propely. the sway bar bolt either was not re installed or it never got tightened, I'm guessing the rear shocks where probably never tightened either or it shouldnt have wallered out the holes, they obvisouly dont put pride in their work, if the rear shock holes where already messed up when you brought them your truck, they should have called you and let you know what they found and offered to fix it for X amount of dollars before just whaming it back together and sending you down the road, I would not give them another shot at touching it if it where my truck.

 

[Bextreme04]

I actually contacted bilstein over this and they said up/down doesn’t make a difference. I put the stanchion side down, because I figured it’d keep the seals happier.

@Giant Rock , I found it annoying that ORD sells these shocks as “custom valved” and ask you very specific questions about your truck, but the bushing sleeves they come with don’t fit the shock bolts. The correct sleeves won’t even fit in the bushings supplied with the shocks.

Overall, my experience with ORD was terrible. One of four of my springs was lost by UPS(not ORDs fault), but the replacement was a full inch longer eye to eye. This is unacceptable for a set of $2000+ leaf springs. Then they attempted to blame the truck. Ridiculous.

I ended up ordering a set of custom Deavers.

That really surprises me. Both the monroe and the Tuff Country shocks I have put on my trucks had an arrow and "up" stamped into the shock body. I can't imagine why anyone would want to install a shock with fluid in it, with the fluid always loading on the seals. Especially when they get hot.

 

[Vbb199]

My God lol

 

[bucket]

My God lol

Short and sweet. I like it, lol.

 

[Grit dog]

That really surprises me. Both the monroe and the Tuff Country shocks I have put on my trucks had an arrow and "up" stamped into the shock body. I can't imagine why anyone would want to install a shock with fluid in it, with the fluid always loading on the seals. Especially when they get hot.

It's been a buncha years since I installed the last set of Bilstein 5100s (13 years and close to 200k miles later, still doing their job), but I recall asking the same and Bilstein told me the same. Up r down, down, don't matter. I installed them boot up, shock body down. Reason? They'd look upside down otherwise! LOL

 

[Grit dog]

I am waiting for the update where @Giant Rock puts a boot in the repair shop's azz!
(And a great reminder of one of the big reasons why I still do basically ALL the work myself on all our vehicles, equipment and toys...)

 

[mtbadbob]

All those leaves are a good thing. A bunch of thin leaves are WAY better than a few thick ones. The ride quality is much better.

Every lifted truck I've ever rode in had a choppy, harsh ride. My V20 has 3 leaves up front after I added a 2" lift spring, still less than half that thick. To each his own...

 

[CalSgt]

That really surprises me. Both the monroe and the Tuff Country shocks I have put on my trucks had an arrow and "up" stamped into the shock body. I can't imagine why anyone would want to install a shock with fluid in it, with the fluid always loading on the seals. Especially when they get hot.

Monotube shocks are not position sensitive like twin tube or some other designs, besides with this type of design the oil is always loading on the seals regardless of orientation. There is 100-200+ PSI of nitrogen forcing a floating piston against the shock oil.

 

[bucket]

Every lifted truck I've ever rode in had a choppy, harsh ride. My V20 has 3 leaves up front after I added a 2" lift spring, still less than half that thick. To each his own...

I'm not trying to sound like an ass, but spring science is absolutely not "to each his own". When you have one pack that uses thick leaves and another pack that uses thin leaves, you cannot compare them by overall pack thickness. It's apples and oranges. There's many other variables, but generally, thin leaves will ride substantially smoother and softer than a thicker leaf. That leaf pack pictured that you commented about, very likely rides similar to the stock springs, if not softer and smoother. Custom ordered springs are a very different world compared to off the shelf lift springs or add-a-leaves.

 

[shiftpro]

That really surprises me. Both the monroe and the Tuff Country shocks I have put on my trucks had an arrow and "up" stamped into the shock body. I can't imagine why anyone would want to install a shock with fluid in it, with the fluid always loading on the seals. Especially when they get hot.

Just some history fyi...
In the '70s dirt bikes gained an inch of wheel travel every year. When gas charged shocks arrived, we discovered they could be run body up, shaft down. This reduced a lot of unsprung weight from swing arm and rear wheel, allowing the suspension to react much quicker.
Of course in the truck world this does nothing, like the goggles...
The 'upside down' shocks carried over to trucks and buggies racing off road, actually reducing unspruge weight which does make a difference with 3' long long travel shocks.