The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Patrick's leaf springs and thoughts on truck

Has anybody used Patrick's newer lowered leaf springs? How to they ride? I hear these are an improvement over the monoleafs. I am looking for a decent ride for a daily driver. All of my friends say I should go with a Mustang ll front end and a Chassis Engineering rear kit. But, I thought I should explore the lowered leafs from Patricks. The truck is a '52 1/2 ton. I will be running a 235. I still have the torque tube, four speed. Although, my friends say to ditch that and go open driveline with a T5. Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Wayne

Well Wayne that is a can of worms on this site. Alot of guys here will steer you to keep it stock. Im building a 57 and have a 70 Nova front end on my truck and a 70 nova rearend in back. Im putting in a LT-4 corvette engine and 4L60E four speed auto. Im also putting in air conditioning etc. I bought it with the front clip installed and staying with it. If I had a stock front end originally I would of gone with the mustang II. Its fits right in between your stock rails and you dont have to change bumper and radiator cross member mount points. You loose all those mounts when you cut off your stock front end. Yes I would change the rearend and update it. It will handle more power from your engine and have a better ratio. That is if you arent worrying about not being box stock. Yes a Mustang front end will ride and stop better than any lowered stock 52 front end. It all depends what direction you want to go in. Im told you can get a decent ride out of a stock front end with lowered leafs and disk brakes. I went the modified route cuz my truck was already modified original engine, trans missing and it had a modern front clip and rearend installed. If I wanted to do a bone stock truck which I intend on doing in the future then I will buy one complete and original. Its your truck build it as you like. Good luck!

I'm one who likes the original I beam front axles left in place on those trucks.

I like to go by the mantra of K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple, stupid.

If your truck runs and drives fine and is in good working order....why mess with it?

Get some lower leaf springs and drive drive drive.

Just my .02

As far as "Patricks lowered leaf springs" I have no clue.

But I do know you can take some leaves out of the original pack and lower your truck around 3".

Just want to add that I am in no way against modifying stuff either.....

Personally, I'd take out the six and put a beastly v8 in it. Ferd, chevy, pontiac, mopar...whatever. Stick a snarly v8 in it and a ferd rear end....9"

Run two different bolt patterns....

Don't carry a spare tire....

Lighten the truck with race weight glass parts....

etc etc....

In other words, HAVE FUN and don't worry whats right or wrong.

......but whatever you do K.I.S.S. and you won't go wrong.

i have a pacer IFS and if i had it to do over, i would go with mustang, but mine was done 20 yrs ago, i also have a nova rearend and a 235 with a t-5 trans and the t-5 is a joy to shift and to drive. mine is a daily driver and never will be a trailer queen i use it as a truck. ron BTW i also run two different bolt patterns by mistake. 4.5 in the front and 5.0 in the rear and no spare.