47-55.1 Leveling Rear Frame

[Driver_WT]

My 53 Chevy Truck is on a 1993 S10 frame. At the rear of the frame, the right side is 1/2" higher above the floor than the left side. And one of the rear shackles is angled toward the rear a bit more than the other. Can I just put on a longer rear shackle on the low side and if I make that rear shackle 1/2" longer will that raise the frame 1/2" or do I need to make it 1" longer to raise the frame by 1/2"?

Any other solutions?

Two new leaf springs are about $600 so I am not really up for that.

Thanks.

Wade

[dsraven]

you could re-arch the existing springs. sometimes they don't like that and break shortly after. a spring shop could give you a quote or you could do it the redneck way by disconnecting the shock and using a hydraulic jack between the axle and the frame......be careful.....
try disconnecting the shocks first, maybe you have one hanging up and not allowing the suspension to move like it should.
if you decide to fab a new shackle i suggest to make an adjustable one. when springs get weak and sag they sometimes keep sagging as time goes on. in other words, you could fab a new shackle and it would be good for a little bit, then you notice it sagging again because the spring is now subject to the real load again and has given up-again.
anyway, if the frame is straight and the front springs are not causing or contributing to the problem then the real fix is another set of springs, used or new.

[Driver_WT]

Thanks. Shocks are disconnected (or more precisely yet to be connected). I will pull the leaf spring apart and see if I can re-arch some leaves.

[mr48chev]

A lot of high mileage pickups lean a bit to the driver's side simply because they spend 70+ % of their time with just the driver in them.

Before you do anything else check the air pressure in all four tires to make sure it is even. Too little or too much air in one tire can throw it all out of wack. It's hard to eyeball pressure in radial tires too. I even fooled my self the other day when I aired a tire on my sailboat trailer up to what I thought looked right and when I put the gauge on it it was way high. So high I thought the gauge was bad until I checked another tire.

[joedoh]

I concur it might be the front drivers side that is down slightly.

Originally Posted by mr48chev

A lot of high mileage pickups lean a bit to the driver's side simply because they spend 70+ % of their time with just the driver in them.

s10s do this so often its got a name, the S10 lean. some guys use a small spacer on the drivers front coil, I just cut a short piece off the bottom of passenger spring, like 2" in length.

[dsraven]

also ensure the tires are the same size on each side, front and rear.
-tires same size each side, front and rear. can be staggered front to rear but should be the same size on each end of the truck
-tire pressures the same, per side, like above
-tire plys the same. some may have more or less plys in the make up of the tire so the same tire pressure equals a different amount of sidewall flex which equals a different amount of ride height
-check dimension from axle to frame, each corner
-check dimension from frame to floor, truck sitting on a level surface with nothing in the box and no rider.

really, if you're doing a make over, spend the bucks on a set of springs and get the base of the truck right before going further. makes sense to me. we all spend money on different stuff and in different ways with different priorities but, really, steering, suspension and brakes is what keeps us upright.

[Driver_WT]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. All four tires are the same brand and model, front tires are both the same size and rear tires are the same size. Tire pressure is correct in all tires. I will check the axle to frame dimension today. And I will probably pull apart the leaf springs as well.

[joedoh]

a quick way to tell whats out of whack, stand about 50ft away from the rear of truck and crouch, if the bottom of the bed is even with the axle, its the front springs. if its the rear springs the axle will be "crooked" to the frame.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by joedoh

a quick way to tell whats out of whack, stand about 50ft away from the rear of truck and crouch, if the bottom of the bed is even with the axle, its the front springs. if its the rear springs the axle will be "crooked" to the frame.

That doesn't always hold true though. When I worked for Frank Weaver Pontiac in Waco in the 70's I had to deal with a lot of "it doesn't sit perfectly level" issues on new Pontiacs. His customers were some of the most spoiled by the dealership new car owners you would find anywhere and quite often the complaint was that the car didn't set perfectly level and they were talking a half inch off.