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Originally Posted by mjdipietro
Update #2:
So I just got back from a bouncy ride all the way up to Red Bluff to visit the Salem Kroger folks. Very nice people, but was surprised to find that the main mechanic knew very little about the conversion itself (which seems odd), and even less how to fix it.
We drove over to the blacksmith who made the springs, and he suggested re-curving the rear springs first which also seems odd, since it's the front end that is the problem.
At least I'm learning a lot. What I've gathered so far:
1. The shocks are fine, so check that off the list.
2. The front springs are 42" in length and have 7 leaves (that's pretty short, from what I understand). The back springs are the same length but only have 4 leaves.
3. Both the front and the back springs seem very "flat" to me, when I compare them to other springs on other 4x4 pickups and such. There's almost no curve left in them at all.
So, I'm coming to the conclusion that the rig simply needs new, and potentially longer, springs. Does that sound right to you folks?
The SK guys didn't seem too keen on tackling the project, so here's another question: Where is the best place to take the van for a job like this? -
- Should I take it to a suspension specialty shop like Deaver?
- Are there any shops in the Bay Area that do this kind of work?
Thanks all of you for putting up with me!  |
I had my van fixed by Salem Kroger after it was converted poorly elsewhere.
My springs are 48" eye to eye, there are 4 leafs in the front. The shackle
is in the front. If you look at the Ford pickups from the 90's you will see some
had the shackles in the front. I'm not an expert on this subject but I have seen
vehicles with the shackles at the front, and some at the rear. I don't think any
4x4 van is going to ride like a Fine sedan, afterall you are sitting very close to
a solid front axle. The 42 inch springs you have do seem rather short. Not
sure why yours has 42's and mine has 48's.
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