Lowering/Shock Help!

[Jay69fleet]

Hey guys

Ive got 1969 C10 with 73-87 front upper and lower control arms
It's currently sitting on a 3.5/5" drop all currently in the springs

Rides like ****. doesn't have a shock relocation kit on rear either.

My thoery is to replace the all the control arm bushes and shocks as they look very well worn.

Do I need different shocks since it's been lowered?
Is the shock relocation kit a good idea?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[HO455]

Replacing the bushings will help the truck drive better but not necessarily ride better. New tight bushings should make the truck feel tighter but, it also may ride rougher as your old bushings likely have gotten spongy as they got older.
With that much of a drop in front spring height I am guessing that you have very little distance between the lower control arm bump stop and the crossmember. The result is that you are hitting the bump stop every time you hit an average size bump in the road. Posting some pictures of the bump stop and the front and rear shocks will help us guide you in the right direction.
Shock relocation of the front shocks is needed when the lowering will cause the shock to bottom out internally. You may be at or near that now. To check with the truck raised and supported by the front wheels remove the lower shock mount and see how far you can compress the shock. The shock must not have less travel than the suspension does. A problem that happens when vehicles are lowered and the bump stops removed. Thus the shock becomes the bump stop until it fails internally.
Shock relocation of the rear shocks is a good idea especially on a coil spring truck as the angle of the shocks increase as the truck goes lower decreasing the ability of the shock to absorb the movement of the axle. There are numerous threads about the different ways of relocating the shocks to a more vertical position. Just search "Shock Relocation".
Remember that when you lower the truck you remove the amount of travel the suspension had to absorb bumps. This means the shocks have to be stiffer to absorb the same bumps with less travel. The lower the drop the stiffer the shock has to be and the harsher the ride.
That statement applies to lowering the stock front end components. There are companies that provide complete front (and rear) suspension replacements that are engineered to lower the truck and still give a quality ride.
Your choice of tire and wheel combination will also affect the ride quality and must be part of the solution for a better ride. Once again there are several threads on that subject here on the Forum.
And as mentioned photos are welcomed.