The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 3/4 Ton ruff ride...change springs to soften ride?

What springs and shocks to use?

I was thinking 1/2 ton, but want to be successful first try if possible

Please advise

Thank you

Longer springs give smoother ride, shorter give rougher ride, Cannot remove all the short ones however, have to stagger. Removing every other one is helpful. Teflon between leaves helps, plastic pads under tips of leaves also helps.

Ed

Sell it and buy another truck to suit your needs. Let someone else use it for what was designed for? Just a thought.

Here is the information packet from GM Heritage Center for the 1950 trucks, https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/do...hevrolet-Trucks/1950-Chevrolet-Truck.pdf

About 1/2 into the packet is the information on springs, length, width, leaves, and spring rate. The spring rate ( rate of deflection ) is how they measure the stiffness of springs. They are measured by adding weight to them. For every 100 lbs the spring is compressed 1 inch, 200 lbs - 2 inch etc ......

Look at the rates between 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks, then compare sizes. You can go through more years looking for a softer spring that might bolt in. Detroit Spring, and I'am sure others can make softer springs if you have the cash to do so.

Removing leaves is also an option, keeping the two top ( longest ) and removing every other one, but you will also give up load caring capacity.

My '51 3600 has a flatbed which I suspect weighs more than the standard bed. That said, for years it road Great. I'd run about 30 lbs of air in the rear tires to help soften the ride. It just soaked up bumps and pot holes.

Then....I installed overloads. The ride went all to heck. Unless 1,000 lbs or so is riding in the flatbed and then it's pretty good but not as nice as no overloads. Plan is, if I take it on a trip again I'll spend 30 minutes or so removing the overloads and enjoy the soft life again.

So, if your truck has overloads and you don't use it like a 3/4 ton truck, take em off and lower the rear tire pressure a bit. You might be surprised.

RonR

Just for a test, put 100 pounds in the bed near the tailgate.
I have a '50 1/2 ton which smooths out incredibly when I tow my boat behind it. I need to put a set of scales on the boat trailer tongue to figure out what I need to add to the rear of the truck when not towing the boat. Rather than putting the weight in the bed I might come up with a way to attach something of that weight where the spare tire used to go which would be easily removable.

Carl, if you have receiver hitch, make a weighted plug for it. It would be secured, and easily removed when adding the boat.

I thought about that, then subsequently forgot about it. I even had some lead shot lined up to fill a square tube to go in there. The deal fell through on the lead so I gave up for now.