Anyone ever seen a shock damaged by the spring before? I bought the truck like this a year and a half ago, and now I am planning to replace the shocks. I don't want the same to happen to the new shocks (Rancho 5000's?). I tried to take good pics of it, but I can take more from other angles if it helps. It looks to me like the way the spring sits in the cup, it isn't centered over it. This puts the spring farther away from the shock on the left side, but on the right side, it sits too close to the shock. I don't see how it can be rotated any differently, because of the way the spring mounts at the top. Could it just be poor design, or is there a fix here?

Also, I have no idea what brand of lift kit this might be - if anyone recognizes it, can you tell me what it is? I think it's a 4" lift, but I am not even 100% sure of that. What can be measured to tell?

 

Never seen that happen before, that spring definitely isn't sitting right though. I wonder if someone just did a halfa$$ed homemade lift kit. Are there drop brackets on all the axle mounts and radius arm mounts?

-Jon

 

Yep. I am told the brackets are definately larger than stock. Also, the pitman arm is larger. It has a 4" drop to it.

 

yeah cuz you can defintely tell there is some serious load on the spring. The thing is binding. The only other thing i can think of...is there i-beam drop brakets as well?

And thats not a 6inch spring is it? Those look like 4 inch drop brackets to me but that spring seems to big ..or something is causing it to bind off like that.

 

I just got back from a trip to the local 4x4 suspension specialist. He's going to get me in next month for a whole new lift kit. He sells BDS and Rancho kits, but Rancho only comes in 4". He quoted me right around $2k for the whole BDS kit, including steering stabilizer, and installation. The stuff looks pretty heavy duty. If I felt like throwing money at the current suspension, I could have had him fix it for less, but that idea bores me. I know that Skyjacker is the fav around here, but does anyone have experience with BDS stuff?

 

I've never used BDS but it looks like a nice kit, it even has the curved radius arms.

-Jon

 

Upon further research, I found that BDS doesn't sell to any online vendors, or mail order companies. They only sell to qualified shops. I saw some of the parts on his shelf, and they were much heavier than the examples of other brands that he showed me. He's been the most reputable custom 4x4 suspension and drivetrain specialist in this area for a long time, so his endorsement of the brand has value. However, those red Skyjacker parts are pretty! I'd choose it if he carried it. I guess it'll all be a custom shade of mud brown soon anyway

 

I decided to have the suspension lift kit replaced, so I took it to a 4x4 suspension specialist. I dropped it off yesterday, with the job estimated to take several days. He called me today, and informed me that not only was the frame cracked at the radius arm bracket (which I knew), but it was also cracked where the steering box mounts. He tells me this is common for these trucks, especially when they are lifted using certain types of kits (he tells me the old one was Superlift). Has anyone here had these types of frame cracks repaired, and how successful were the repairs? I am starin down the barrel of a dang expensive job here...

 

interesting pics, sorry i dont have the answers to your questions.