New srpings and shocks installed - pics!

[Flexiheep]

No, tires are staying the same for a while. The new MS2 rubber in the incentive not to mention the 25 MPG fuel economy!



Now the question of the springs. I am not following what this will solve. You want me to measure my custom arch to see if your springs are sagging? I will tell you right now, compared to mine, yours would SEEM like they are even if they are not!



Due to the custom arch I have on mine (for the 1" lift plus the load I wanted on them) unless you are measuring the same spec'd spring, it will not read the same.



If you would like I can measure for you, I just wanted to make sure I am following what you want!

Yes I am trying to figure out if my stock springs have lost arch, using wheel arch measurements and body lines to measure adds into the mix tires size etc. I was hoping that since your springs are 1. new and 2. a known lift (1" over stock) that a measurement of the arch while they are on the truck would give me something to compare to. In theory I could take the arch measurement from your spring, subtract an inch and have a "stock" spring arch measurement to compare with.



My interest in spring arch started after I installed the Softride 2" front springs, the truck now sits tail down. Everything I have read says that the 93 should have several inches of rake due to the 6" rear blocks (2" front springs should have leveled it). The way my truck sits tail down I am either getting more than 2" front lift, or my rear springs are worn out.



I don't want to assume my rear springs are sagging and buy new replacements just to find out it didn't fix the problem. I also don't want to buy 2" rear lift springs and sit really tall in the rear because my stock springs were worn out and I ended up with 4-5" of lift over the current springs.



I could also go air ride in the rear and eliminate the need to know about my rear leaves... ... ... . That won't be for a couple years though.



Thanks for your help Robert

 

[RSchwarzli]

Ok. No problem. I will do a measurement in the next day or two.

 

[PatrickHansen]

Nice tires!

 

[GHarman]

Nice 1st Gen!

BSchwarzli, Thats really a nice lookin truck! GregH

 

[RSchwarzli]

Nice tires!

BSchwarzli, Thats really a nice lookin truck! GregH

Thanks guys!



She is my baby! That is my year round daily.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I dont mind at all!



$230 per front, $240 per rear.



Looking back, glad I did not re-arch. They wanted $125 per side to re-arch plus then would need new bushing at $30 per spring. As it was I had to cut the rears out so better to have new!

Whoaaa!!! Is that $230 a PAIR!!! That's super cheap!! I've been making my own springs for years, adding leaves, heating on a forge to arch, and reriveting retainers. That's cheaper than the materials to add two leaves (. 650 thick) to each side!! WOW!



And, just for what it's worth, if you heat your springs before rearching, they'll retain their arch for a long time, unless you're heavily overloading them or the material is inferior. If you cold arch them, they won't retain their arch. Good material will last for years if treated right. And most Dodges don't have near enough arch nor near enough leaves for how they're treated. My '97 weighs @11,900 with my tools, fuel, and the DewEze bed on it, and my springs have been on there around 5 years and 150k miles, with very little sag. It takes around 2500 lbs knob weight to set it down on the rear posts of the auxilaries, and I like it!



OH, and yes it looks very nice. I like the older grilles, but I still think those are go-cart tires on there!! "I like big tires, and I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny, when a truck drives in, with some itty bitty tread... ... ... ... ... ... "



and, in your defense... ... . us guys with big tires..... "Do ya think he's compensating for sumthin?"

 

[GHarman]

Thats really funny HHhuntitall:-laf. I always wondered why the trend was to big wide tires! . I find that good quality tall skinny studable snow treads are almost impossible to find. 'Course, I may be tryin to compensate fer "sumfhin'" there, my-own-self:-laf. That is, till I gotta bust through 3+ feet of snow, goin over the pass to get to town. Fat tires just dont work that well for this application. GregH

 

[RSchwarzli]

HH - that's funny. That is a much better version of that song!

No. That is per pack/ side. Was $1200 ish total with shipping.



Greg - You are correct. Skinny tires rock in snow!

 

[HHhuntitall]

AH. I was wondering. That was awful cheap building material, there!! But still, that's not too bad when you need new leaves. I've had to build a few spring packs from new material, as my old ones had grooves wore in them, especially on the old 1st gens, and that gets expensive in a big hurry!! But if it can be overdone, I'll probably find a way. .



Luckily, most of what I deal with is deep mud and sand. More sand than I care for, as sand tends to have sand burrs... ... curse of the Devil, them sand burrs. #@$%!#@$%!#@$%!#@$%! Ever change a flat in knee high sand burrs on a 105 degree Texas day?!?! #@$%!#@$%!#@$%! In the really sandy parts of one ranch, we have to lift it partly with a high lift jack, and then lift the rest of the axle with a hydraulic jack, as just one will sink out of sight, even with a good 2x4 or mequite tree limb under it!!



Flotation, flotation!! I like to "spread it out!" No need to put all that pressure in one place! :-laf

 

[RSchwarzli]

Yes I am trying to figure out if my stock springs have lost arch, using wheel arch measurements and body lines to measure adds into the mix tires size etc. I was hoping that since your springs are 1. new and 2. a known lift (1" over stock) that a measurement of the arch while they are on the truck would give me something to compare to. In theory I could take the arch measurement from your spring, subtract an inch and have a "stock" spring arch measurement to compare with.



My interest in spring arch started after I installed the Softride 2" front springs, the truck now sits tail down. Everything I have read says that the 93 should have several inches of rake due to the 6" rear blocks (2" front springs should have leveled it). The way my truck sits tail down I am either getting more than 2" front lift, or my rear springs are worn out.



I don't want to assume my rear springs are sagging and buy new replacements just to find out it didn't fix the problem. I also don't want to buy 2" rear lift springs and sit really tall in the rear because my stock springs were worn out and I ended up with 4-5" of lift over the current springs.



I could also go air ride in the rear and eliminate the need to know about my rear leaves... ... ... . That won't be for a couple years though.



Thanks for your help Robert

OK. Here is your shot best I can do without going ontop of the front perch.



The level reads 2. 5" at max height tot he bottom of the level from the top of the top leaf.



/webdata/photopost/data/500/medium/DSC_3314.JPG#ad




Does that work for you?

 

[RSchwarzli]

AH. I was wondering. That was awful cheap building material, there!! But still, that's not too bad when you need new leaves. I've had to build a few spring packs from new material, as my old ones had grooves wore in them, especially on the old 1st gens, and that gets expensive in a big hurry!! But if it can be overdone, I'll probably find a way. .



Luckily, most of what I deal with is deep mud and sand. More sand than I care for, as sand tends to have sand burrs... ... curse of the Devil, them sand burrs. #@$%!#@$%!#@$%!#@$%! Ever change a flat in knee high sand burrs on a 105 degree Texas day?!?! #@$%!#@$%!#@$%! In the really sandy parts of one ranch, we have to lift it partly with a high lift jack, and then lift the rest of the axle with a hydraulic jack, as just one will sink out of sight, even with a good 2x4 or mequite tree limb under it!!



Flotation, flotation!! I like to "spread it out!" No need to put all that pressure in one place! :-laf

Sounds just the opposite of -30 with a cold wind. In knee deep snow. On a hill. At night. No spare.

 

[Flexiheep]

I can work with that, thanks Robert.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Any time sir!

 

[EDankievitch]

God I miss that 89 that I had. I see you installed the Banks intercooler I did the same along with a smaller turbo housing. Was the best truck I ever owned I put over 500,000 miles towing boat allover the east coast... . just wished it had Ac back then. Thanks for the pics and the memorys.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Glad it brings a smile to your face! That is the whole point of a thread like this!

Having played with and driven everything from a gen 1-3, I have to say I like my 1990 the best. Best road and driving feel. You just feel more connected with the truck somehow. And it has AC too!

 

[HHhuntitall]

Glad it brings a smile to your face! That is the whole point of a thread like this!



Having played with and driven everything from a gen 1-3, I have to say I like my 1990 the best. Best road and driving feel. You just feel more connected with the truck somehow. And it has AC too!

I think you're more connected with the road... ... ya know, every little pebble in the roadway surface, and the bottom of every pothole. :-laf



I've still got a '91 and a '93 4x4s. I recently traded an engine for a '92 2x4that had electrical issues. Turns out it was the wrong voltage regulator. But I knew that when I traded for it.



I love these old trucks. The cabs weren't as comfortable, but they still are my favorite, too. I wore an '89 and a '90 out, and got a lot of miles out of my '91 before I sold it. The '91 had been my Dad's new; I took it to prom. It had an extended cab conversion on it.

 

[EDankievitch]

It's better to know every pebble than find out your on thin ice ... Lol. If I had the money and could find one with out cancer I'd dump my 05. Dodge had one hell of a truck back then. Yea things are softer and quieter but they DON"T LAST. Ok maybe the door hindge is better I think I went through 4 of them on the 89. But I'd rather do a door hindge than ball joints any day Just did my 2nd set on the 05. Door hindge much cheaper... LOl.

 

[RSchwarzli]

I kinda like the every stone feel! When you are towing and zipping along, you have a much better feel as to when you are reaching the vehicles limits.

 

[GHarman]

I really like the 1st gen diesel trucks, also. You can feel what your tires are gripping (or not:-laf). I've only owned three pickups in my whole life. From a 1972 FERD F-250 gasser 4X4 to the 91. 5 and the gift '93 Dodges. I love em when they run and hate 'em when they dont#@$%!. However, I dont believe, in my case, that I would be better off with a new truck. Where we live, the county road crews use Magnesium Chloride on the dirt roads all year long. Dust control in the Summer and Ice management in the winter. This has caused a huge amount of damage to 2 of my vehicles over the years. The wireing connections are often the first to go in unprotected areas of the frames and tail lights.

It is much more difficult for me to do maintainence, but I would rather have that option than to be required to take the vehicle to a dealer every time the computer throws a code. Thats only cost effective(sometimes) for the 1st 100,000 miles!

I love the lock out hubs and the simplicity of the 12 valve engine, leaf spring axles that can be serviced and Iron gear cases.

If I could just find some tires and wheels that would give me a tire diameter of 36", load range E with a contact patch no wider that 7" with a studdable allweather/all terrain tread pattern:-laf. The truck would be almost perfect:-laf. GregH

 

[JKreiss]

Wanted to see if you had an update on the springs, how are they holding up? Anything you would change or do differently? I'm going to get new leafs made here in about the next month or two. I'm looking at a couple local shops but the Alcan product looks very good. How bad were the shipping rates?