Smoother ride ideas.

[Sutter1stgen]

My boss has that setup and two other friends of mine do as well. The suspension is supporting the frame farther back than our factory shackle does, this strengthens it. The crossmember that the setup is welded to is the tow package, and fassets to as many points as a tow package would. A grind of mine did a triangulated 4-link and airbags. There was no suspension supporting the frame beyond the axle. His frame taco'd first time he towed something.

The kelderman is plenty strong, and the finish ride is untouchable.

On a side note I took my truck down a pot-hole infested country road today. It was a night and day difference. I attacked the holes at different speeds, thinking I was goig too fast!!!! But no. The front soaks up the stuff on par with a coil setup. Wash boards still have an effect on the truck though, but that was a givin.

[Sutter1stgen]

Well went to go visit a friend today about 45 min away. Lots of mixed pavement areas:country, city, freeway, and rough country roads. In all of the situations the truck felt way better. I'm in need of some new shocks, and I think that would really help some of the ride as well.

What brand and model do you guys recommend?

[CumminsPower59]

I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer Bilstein 5100's.

[Sutter1stgen]

I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer Bilstein 5100's.

Thanks. That's what I've been getting referred to me by a lot of the locals. I'll have to get some measurements and get some ordered. This is the first time I've had a vehicle last long enough to where I needed shocks....... Don't know if that's good or bad. Lol

Hit the Sears speed bumps tonight at 15mph. Soft jiggle, followed by rear axle air-born-ness. Lol. Time to get the rear on par with the front.

[mknittle]

Bump Still happy with the ride? I am thinking about the same mod. In fact I incorporated the extra length into the front spring hangers I built for a 4X4 swap.

On a side note D250 rear springs ride a little better than the W250s do. They have one less leaf and the leafs below the main leaf are tapered where the W25s are square cut. Both trucks have the same GVR. I suspect the stiffer springs on the W250 are to prevent wheel hop. I am going to give them a shot and see what happens.

[Sutter1stgen]

Still rides great. I haven't had time to work on the rear of the truck yet, but once everything slows down I be on it.

[mknittle]

Yeah I figured you are pretty busy this time of year. aren't you pretty close to the Buttes? I hauled some boulders from the buttes a few years ago It is pretty neat up there.

Thanks for the response. My D250 rear doesn't ride too bad so for the time being I am going to keep the softer stock 2WD springs and W150 spacer blocks.
Right now I just want to get the thing converted to 4wd.
As for the front I made front spring hangers with two sets of holes one for stock and one set 2" to the front.

[Sutter1stgen]

Near the buttes??? Yeah just a little. Lol


I hauled about 30 yards out of my boss's quarry hear not to long ago. Made a nice little rock wall with some help from my coworkers.
I love the buttes myself. Even though I've lived around them my whole life I still find them to be pretty cool.
Where abouts are you from??

I also made hangersand shackle hangers with multiple holes. That way if I don't like something I can go back, or back to stock.

[mknittle]

Near the buttes??? Yeah just a little. Lol


I hauled about 30 yards out of my boss's quarry hear not to long ago. Made a nice little rock wall with some help from my coworkers.
I love the buttes myself. Even though I've lived around them my whole life I still find them to be pretty cool.
Where abouts are you from??

I also made hangersand shackle hangers with multiple holes. That way if I don't like something I can go back, or back to stock.

Any time you can make something adjustable and/ or reversible it a good thing.

I am a couple miles north of Auburn. But I learned to drive truck around Yuba City Also my sister and her husband live just out of Marysville.
One night my and I were coming home from the coast. and for miles we could see lightning in just one spot. As we got closer when the lightning would strike just right we would see a really cool ghostly reflection of the Buttes. pretty cool.
One of these days after I get this thing together Ill have to take my wife for a drive around the buttes. she hasn't seen them up close.

Mark,

[Sutter1stgen]

I hear you on the reversible thing. And it seem like you aren't too far away ether.

[mknittle]

I was going to use the stock front hangers from the donor truck but the serrated bushings tore the crap out of them then I saw your thread and thought "while I am at it." {the 5 words that slow every project}

Yeah I am not far from there. On a clear day after a rain there is a spot about a mile from here I can see the Buttes.

[Sutter1stgen]

Those teeth cut my factory front shackle pretty good. I took a flapper wheel to the new front springs bushings. I didn't need to repeat that with my new shackles. I also got the shackles snug, not super tight to allow for a free'er suspension movement. I've been setting in a tractor seat for 16hours a day, sorry for the late response.

[mknittle]

That is a good idea, those things are like a hole saw if they get loose. I am going to use polyurethane bushings for this round. My thinking was with the 1" OD bushing with a 5/8" OD tube running through it doesn't leave much room for the rubber. That alone restricts movement.

I figured you are pretty busy.

I am still working out the best way to do the 4wd swap on mine. I think I will start at the back with the rear differential that will give me a little more room to work. next the transmission cross member to keep the engine located then the motor mounts.

[Sutter1stgen]

I have looked at the thread able this one " chassis differences". But if these frames are the same width where the front shackle mount goes, I'd look into jungles new front shackle setup. He also builds drop hangers for the w250.

Another thing that could be done is to swing by WFO concepts or that other place near you, and get some universal weld on bushings for the shackle. Get your front axle centered and start measuring. I assume, and in good intentions that since your from the foothills, you like to wheel.??. And if you have a little wheeling background, you may want a lift??? So this would be your free way.
Another thing to think about is the factory k5/10 rear springs are flat under my front now. This is probably from age, but I'd play it safe and get some 2" lift springs to get a slight desired arch.

[mknittle]

I think the front will go pretty easy compared to other makes. My front spring hangers locate the same as the stock ones. I drilled out the 4 rivets that go through the lower frame flange and replaced them with grade 8 bolts. the hangers will be tied together by a vertical brace. I also made bigger flanges to from the hangers to the outside of the frame. One thing that nobody seemed to notice is the front cross member on the 2wheel drive trucks is a little thicker, Maybe because it supports the Rods that brace the lower control arms. I will cut the mounts off for the rods.

You give great advice. Sounds like you have been at this for a while.
I like the looks of Jungles parts. They show that he cares about what he makes. There isn't enough of that these days. My biggest problem is lately I can't afford to put much money into my projects. So I try to make everything I can and make it easy to change if I want to. Before I was a truck driver I was a basically prototype machinist for 20 years for a company that built scientific testing machines. I just love building things.

I have had four wheel drives since 1980. I started with a 68 Chevy K 20(should have kept that one) next came a 1942 Willys jeep that I have had for almost 30 Years. I used to Wheel a lot then all the guys got married and sort of faded away. That and now the places that are popular are too popular.
We still go out in the woods as much as we can.

I started a build thread here http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/ ... 14771.html