Suspension setup help

[Waydin_Stewart]

I noticed on my 1998.5 dodge that the passenger side is 1” higher than the drivers side? I have not to my knowledge adjusted anything on the truck that would make 1 side sit 1” higher? I measured with a tape measure and it’s 11.25 on passenger side to top of tire and 10.5 on driver side to top of tire. Isn’t there bolts with oblong nuts on control arms? Orrr how would I fix this? 

[AH64ID]

The adjustable mounting bolts on the control arms are for alignment and will not have any effect on the ride height. 

 

My guess is that after 20 year the heavier drivers side has sagged the springs more and now it rides low. 

 

Has it ever been in an accident? It could be a tweaked frame, but spring sag is more likely. 

[Waydin_Stewart]

Family owned since new. Never been wrecked. Well dang. I don’t like that it sits that much higher on the passenger side. I know I’m not buying new springs. Odd, I thought that the bolt on the control arm would lower when you turned it. How does it do alignment? When I was in college we never touched it when doing alignment. 

[dripley]

The bolts on the control arms are for the caster adjustment and part of a complete alignment and do not affect ride height. Your springs are the problem. Unless something is bent like @AH64ID mentions.

 A quick look at Rock Auto shows front springs that meet or for less than less than 100 bucks by more than one manufacturer. 

Edited April 2, 2018 by dripley

[AH64ID]

All they do is move the axle in the fore-aft axis. 

 

4 new springs is likely what you need to correct it. 

[Waydin_Stewart]

4 new springs? Mine only has 2? And they are less than $100 for my truck? For both? I might be able too I think race a salvage yard a driver side spring for my passenger side so the front end sits lower than the rear 

[dripley]

28 minutes ago, AH64ID said:

All they do is move the axle in the fore-aft axis. 

 

4 new springs is likely what you need to correct it. 

Would you have to replace four? 

 

15 minutes ago, Waydin_Stewart said:

4 new springs? Mine only has 2? And they are less than $100 for my truck? For both? I might be able too I think race a salvage yard a driver side spring for my passenger side so the front end sits lower than the rear 

I believe @AH64ID means front and rear to match up. I would defer to @AH64ID for the need on that. 

 I measured mine and they are only 9" fender to tire. Either mine have sagged equally or you have lift kit. Unless the 98 springs are taller than my 02 is. You would be better off replacing at least the front together. At less than 100 bucks for the pair it would be a no brainer for me. I would not want fight one of a junker compared to the cost of new ones. Just my opinion.

Edited April 2, 2018 by dripley

[AH64ID]

18 minutes ago, Waydin_Stewart said:

4 new springs? Mine only has 2? And they are less than $100 for my truck? For both? I might be able too I think race a salvage yard a driver side spring for my passenger side so the front end sits lower than the rear 

 

I am willing to bet all 4 (one spring per corner) of your springs are sagged, with the drivers side being the worst. If you just replace the drivers side springs then it will likely sit higher than the passenger side. If you want your truck to sit level side to side I would look into 4 new springs. 

 

I also wouldn't buy the cheapest spring you can find, or you'll be back in this same boat in much less than 20 years. 

Edited April 2, 2018 by AH64ID

[GSP7]

1 hour ago, dripley said:

 

 I measured mine and they are only 9" fender to tire.

 

 

What size tires?

 

 

.

1 hour ago, dripley said:

 

 I measured mine and they are only 9" fender to tire.

 

What size tires?

 

 

Quote

 

11.25 on passenger side to top of tire and 10.5 on driver side

 

 

You must have a lift kit of some sort or real tiny tires..

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

[dripley]

17 minutes ago, GSP7 said:

What size tires

Mine are 265 75 16. Got to be a lift on @Waydin_Stewart truck or my truck has sagged something fierce, just equally.

[GSP7]

38 minutes ago, dripley said:

Mine are 265 75 16. Got to be a lift on @Waydin_Stewart truck or my truck has sagged something fierce, just equally.

 

 I have 285/75/16s  I have 8 1/2" and my truck doesnt look sagged at all compared to other trucks around here

 

He's got a lift 

 

.

[Waydin_Stewart]

I have a 2.5" leveling kit. I got it off my buddy when i traded him for some tow mirrors. If i get 2 new springs for the front ill have the carolina squat and i do not want that. Im still confused about 4 new springs? I do need a new drivers rear leaf spring cause it has been broke since like 2008. So i should get both rear leaf springs and front coil springs together? Then maybe my truck wont have the squatting in the rear.  I want it to be level as im getting load leveling airbags aswell.

 

 

Rock auto only sells cab and chassis leaf springs. Salvage yard wants 150 for a set.

 

 

My truck has 7 leafs in rear i believe off hand. It has 2 skinny helper springs on top 4 mains and overload.

[AH64ID]

Could you have missed installed a spring isolater when installing the leveling kit?

 

Salvage yard springs may not be any better than what you currently have.

 

Do you have a local spring shop?

 

4 new springs is a replacement for all of the springs. If 2 are sagged out the other 2 are likely worn out as well.

[Waydin_Stewart]

the truck has seen alot of weight alot of times in its life. No spring shops to my knowledge. My town doesnt have much of anything except oreileys and autozone. if i go 1 town over. Spring isolator is the rubber cab? Yes i installed it on lower side of leveling kit on both sides. Everything on truck is factory besides 1 tie rod end on the front end. When you take off a bolt it still has shiny metal on underside and no rust. I wouldnt doubt it is sagged. I have 285/75/16 on the truck. Soooo like a 33? If they are all 4 sagged this truck is alot bigger than i thought it was haha. Where could i buy all 4 together. besides 1000(just a guess) or more from dealership.

[AH64ID]

If it's still going to see a lot of weight on a regular basis I would consider removing the 2.5" level. It takes a LOT of air in the airbags to support a high GVW when you want it to stay level and the ride suffers a great deal.

 

If you still want somewhat of a leveled look then consider a Top Gun Customz 1" level spacer.

 

Aside from aftermarket springs, such as Alcan or Deaver I am not sure where to look.

[dripley]

1 hour ago, Waydin_Stewart said:

ill have the carolina squat

Careful now, us folks from Carolina don't like  it either. 

 

The springs I saw on Rock Auto are about the cheapest. If You are hauling heavy loads and have busted rear spring, it's time for 4 new ones. I could not tell where to buy them.

 

[Waydin_Stewart]

Well shoot. I dont plan on anything heavier than a 28ft cattle trailer full anymore. If anyone knows a good place to get oem spec coils and leafs i would greatly appreciate it. On rock auto they have all different sizes of leafs and i am an oem level look guy. Im getting on board air compressor  leveling bags for rear so i need the stock height and fit. In conjunction with all the suspension stuff. I am getting full moog hd steering and DOR track bar. Fox 2.0 shocks. I wouldve rather had a 2" but he paid $50 plus his leveling kit for it. 

 

 

Upon further measuring cause i was curious. I measured from top of wheel itself to wheel well and it is 1" lower on drivers side front and rear Now the main flaw in this measurment is i park at a very slight angle in the driveway at my house. It slants to the drivers side just ever so slightly. The busted leaf spring is on the drivers side aswell. So I need to get oem size coil springs and oem style leaf springs. Install it all and measure again. That's gunna be very pricey. But alas i do have a girlfriend that has a lift at her shop. i might get lucky and find a 1.75 or 2" leveling kit that would like to trade. Or just get the bags and just squat when i pull a load. Im so on the fence now.

[dripley]

Mine has had the stock rake all its life. When I put my 5th wheel on it sits level. Thats with right at 6k on the rear axle. It just sets on the overloads nicely. I, like you, dont like the rear squatted. I have always liked the look of the stock rake on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

[Waydin_Stewart]

I dont mind the rake that much. These 33" tires almost touch my cab and front bumper when turning without the leveling kit. Now I have loads of room to fit a 10" wide wheel and tire setup. It sounds dumb but i didnt realize how much bigger the truck would get with the 2.5" leveling kit. I am getting shock tower delete plates and new shocks. I guess i could order the moog front coils. Then I could find out how wide my leafs are. I lied earlier. My typo earlier might have confused some people. I have 6 leafs. 4 on bottom. 1" spacer, 2 skinny overloads. If i order the moog springs in definitely going to be squatting a good inch in the rear. Which im not gonna like. I guess i could take out leveling kit when installing new coils. Then i could just find another set of rear springs to lift the rear back to stock height. Measure and see what i will be sitting at. Then decide if 2.5" will be too much. If not Ill re install it, add shock tower delete. And later down the road add 2.0 shocks.

 

 

My truck is completely factory inside and out besides new headlight and tail lights with bigger tires. I dont like squatting. I dont mind nose diving but prefer leveled.

[AH64ID]

The level is is why your tires almost touch the bumper, as it moves the axle aft with the stock control arms. 

 

A lower leveling kit would actually make more clearance between the cab and tires.