To make it short, I installed the GroundForce 9933 lowering kit (2 inches front, 5 in the rear) with the use of front lowering springs and a rear flip kit and shackles.

I am FAR from pleased with the ride quality. The truck bottoms out with NO load on small dips, speed bumps, driveways, etc. By "bottoms out" I don't mean scraping, but the suspension maxes out and slams against the already trimmed (can maybe trim another half inch or so) bumps stop and jars everything and everyone in the truck very hard.

Add a full load of people and it is a freaking joke.

I'm willing to do just about whatever it will take within reason to get this thing back to stock ride if possible. Some suggested different shock mounts, others said coil-overs in the rear, and I thought about the Firestone load relief $2-400~ airbag kit.

PLEASE help.

 

but you've changed the factory-engineered suspension design and (likely) removed axle travel. What did you expect? It can't ride the same because of that.

I'm very wary of these suspension modifications... I may be wrong, but I just don't think they're a great way to go.

 

I'm fully aware that I have changed the engineering and geometry here. The thing is, I know there are ways to at least improve the ride quality...if not made it as good or better than stock.

What really pisses me off though is the fact that the GroundForce website directly quotes that it IMPROVES ride characteristics. I got GF because I was told it is "the best" and now I am thinking I should have saved my money and gone with a cheap kit since it appears they are all basically the same- crappy.

 

did you trim the bump stops? if you didnt, you are probably hitting them way too soon. With a flip kit, you should experience the same spring rate, just at different heights, if youre bottoming out, its either your bump stops are not trimmed or the shocks are bottoming out. did you use groundforce shocks or are you still using the stock shocks?

airbags may help, but you need to find out WHY you are bottoming out first. If you have the ground force shocks for your kit, and youve trimmed the bump stops, then maybe helper air bags are the way to go. Im not going to lower my truck until i can afford the airbags at the same time

 

well i just read your other thread, i assume you would have to trim the stops to work with the kit, i have no idea why yours is riding so rough, youll just have to work it out wtih your shop or groundforce, if you had left the stops at the stock height, you would be bottoming out MORE

 

This kit just doesn't make sense to me. It looks like the leaf springs are flattened out WAY too much after the flip kit and I think it is degrading the spring rate.

I would think a new leaf pack would be a good start...any ideas on where I could have a quality leaf pack made?

As for shocks, I used the supplied GF shocks. I don't think they are worth their weight in bread. I mean, literally..ROLLING out of a semi-steep driveway going straight forward with no load or passengers it still will clunk as if the entire shock absorber was used and it ran out of shock.

It's just ebyond me how they could make a kit to intentionally ride like this...

 

I have a huge feeling they flipped the entire leaf spring over

And now i cant make myself stop laughing, we need pics and i can help you

 

I sure hope you are right. A solution is all I want...

I'll try for some pics tomorrow in the light.

 

I installed the Belltech 3/5 kit on mine and the truck would bottom out in the rear over small bumps. I Forgot to install the shorter bump stops. The stops should only be maybe an inch tall. Did you trim them that much. I also just added a belltech rear anti sway bar. The sway bar was a pain to get on but it really improved the ride. So much smoother. I dont think the sway bar was meant to be installed with a rear flip kit. Has anyone else installed one. I ended up putting the bar under the axle instead of over it like the directions said.