you sure its not just those total shit djm shocks?

theyre known to be extremely harsh/knock your teeth out...

you shouldnt be bottoming out unless your leafsprings are getting dearched.

 

you sure its not just those total shit shocks?

theyre known to be extremely harsh/knock your teeth out...

you shouldnt be bottoming out unless your leafsprings are getting dearched.

It is possible.. They've got around 45k miles on them I believe (the stock xtreme shocks). How do you know if they're shot? The truck doesn't have a bounce to it if you jump on the rear bumper then let off. Do the stock shocks just not give enough dampening for harsher hits or what? The DJM's that were on it both (supposedly) only had a few thousand miles on them, both leaked oil but compressed really slow (and wouldn't return back like the stock ones would) but I am feeling the same "bottoming" with both sets. Bump stops are trimmed, btw.

 

gotta be the leafs imo.

ive heard you can rearch leafs but i dont know if its worth it.

the stock shocks are usually a bit soft for some people and the djms arent responcive enough/harsh.

if youre getting the same responce from both shocks then id say leafs.

 

Oh man..thats no fun lol. That sucks if so, its got 55k miles on it and I didn't think the guy before me ever hauled a thing (had a camper shell then hard tonneau cover on it its whole life).

Thank you for the input kerad11!

 

my names darek, and stay classy my friend.

 

From your pic, you look waaay lower than you should for a simple 1/2 drop, even on an X-treme.

If there is a Colly/Canyon in a bone yard near you, swapping out leafs would be a full day's project, but should get your the suspension response that you should have, and hopefully get rid of most, if not all of the scraping.

I would also imagine that you have the stock transmission crossmember. With a bit of research in this section and the interwebz (JTR.com or other members who have fabricated a home-made one), you could probably come away with one that will not break the bank. Replacing the stock crossmember with a low-profile model should go a long way to helping you.

 

Dang! Didn't know I'd get this kind of feedback! You guys are awesome

To a previous poster, what'd be the best way to check if my leafs are de-arched? Before I go out and buy other ones to possibly learn they were fine? You guys know what I mean..I'd just rahter check something first before my broke-ass shells out money haha

I would also imagine that you have the stock transmission crossmember.

I do still, I looked into getting one, and went through the How-To, mine has scraped a couple times

That looks to be about a 1/2 drop.

If you want to keep the dropped look, helper bags or air shocks is the only way to go. Then you can haul your bike all day long.

I was thinking that'd almost have to be my next route to leave it in its current stance. It wouldn't kill me to see the back 1" higher really, just seeing if you guys thought that'd help out on my bottoming issue here. (and see what you guys though about that stance). The rear tire is up there a good ways, down just a bit from level with the fender. It wouldn't kill me to see it a little higher.

x2 on the qa1's, show us a pic of the setups. front and back. also want to see how much room you have between axle and bump stops.

helper bags or air shocks is a very good way for adjustability for hauling

I looked into those a little while back, when I saw the Cal-Max's were leaking right after I bought the truck. Look awesome!, but eating into funds for a port/polished head for the wheeler too lol. I won't be by my truck for a couple days, I'm out of town, but I'll definitely get some pics up in the thread when I get home for you all to see what I'm talking about!

I wonder if he knows he has 4 bumpstops....

Two front, two rear right? The rear is what's doing the bottoming, and the bumpstops are cut to maybe 1/2".

remove your bumpstops.

I would if I HAD to, but I'd like to keep them on there so I don't smack frame lol.

What or where on the truck are you bottoming out on.

Trans crossmember
Axle slapping bumbstops
Tires hitting inner wheel wells
Leaf Hangers?

It's bottoming between the axle-bumpstops. I'd imagine that'd sound pretty nasty with the trans cross member hitting the asphault at 60!

 

That looks to be about a 1/2 drop.

The stock springs in these trucks sucked when they were new. My truck bobbed up/down on the highway since the day I bought it. Mine is dropped 2.25/3 and it practically sits the frame on the axle. i installed helper bags to raise it an inch because I have 600+ lbs of gear in the bed at all times. When i'm at meets or car shows, I drop the helper bags to get it to sit lower when I want it. I also upgraded the shocks to QA1 adustables on all four corners and that was the greatest improvement of all my suspension upgrades. It wasn't cheap building up my suspension but it was well worth it.

If you want to keep the dropped look, helper bags or air shocks is the only way to go. Then you can haul your bike all day long.

 

x2 on the qa1's, show us a pic of the setups. front and back. also want to see how much room you have between axle and bump stops.

helper bags or air shocks is a very good way for adjustability for hauling

 

I wonder if he knows he has 4 bumpstops....

And srslytho, dont use fuckin air shocks. Theyre a one way trip to a shit ride.

 

remove your bumpstops.

 

Yea, then he can smack frame. Great idea.

 

What or where on the truck are you bottoming out on.

Trans crossmember
Axle slapping bumbstops
Tires hitting inner wheel wells
Leaf Hangers?

 

Compared to my zq8 that truck looks to me like it has a 2/3 drop! The top of the tires are almost at the fender.:shrug:

 

I think the Xtreme flares make it look lower than a truck with no flares.

 

after pics, well be able to give you more insigt

 

Right on. Pics are definitely worth a thousand words to you guys. I'm sure you all would be able to tell if the leafs are de-arched by looking at the height of the blocks and distance from axle to bump stops. I'm just new in the 355 scene!

 

You have four bumpstops in the back, two in the front.

Take a pic of thr leafs for us. Take a pic of the passenger side leafpack from behind the driver rear tire. Get the length of it in the shot.

If it looks like a "w" then its definatly the problem.



See, honestly, thats all it could be. The arches provide support and ride height. All the shocks do is keep the rear from bouncing out of control.

Same as a horse carriage.



Just take us a good pic or three for poops and giggles.

 

I hate when im slow to respond :lol:

 

You have a total of 4 bumpstops in the rear, 2 are above the axle on the frame and the other 2 are mounted to the bed and are a lot longer. The 2 on the axle look like little pads, I would leave those in and take out the longer ones if you don't lift it back up.

*Edit. ditto :lol:

 

Mounted on the bed more toward the center of the axle? Or where do the other two hit at? The ones above the axle mounted to the frame are the ones I'm aware of, and the ones that are cut down. Never looked any further for an additional two!

 

The problem you will find is the stock leaf springs are way too soft even when new. Raising the rear an inch will not eliminate the bottoming out issue. The helper bags will give you the greatest improvement.

 

Rshadd, Thank you! That helped me out a lot. So your lowers are cut and uppers are left the way they were? Or what do you have going on there?



Raising an inch would give an extra inch of travel before it smacks though wouldn't it? I understand what you are saying though..

 

Here are the locations of the rear bump stops....

 

when i put my blocks in, it dearched my leafs, it could be the blocks that caused or are causing the dearching if that is the case. that is why i sit so low.

 

Those are the stock un-cut rear bump stops.

 

The Monroe ma762 are the best " result/cost " solution available for your problem bro IMO.. Im a bricklayer and I always have 3-4 hundred pounds in the box. I have 50 pounds in the system and it's fine. When I load masonry bags I raise it up to 100 psi and still no bottoming up!!

They are amazing!! Btw Im lowered 3/4 over the z85 and before the monroe I had to slam the brake on the highway too loll !!

 

Alright guys, I was trying to talk my 12 yr old brother through what to take pictures of over the phone lol. This is what I got.. I was hoping to get a better picture of the leafs, but this is the widest he got with it. Also, does my axle/blocks look kicked to any of you guys :ugh:

Also, he didn't get a measurement in the picture..he was trying to crawl under it by himself and take a picture while mom was probably yelling at him to do social studies or something . Truck looks disgusting under there also, I embarassed..:eek7:

 

Yours look fine. I have seen some shaped like the golden arches. Mine look "S" shaped lol

ZQ8 leafs are fairly flat when new compared to Z85 leafs.

 

haha alright. All towing aside, with nothing in the bed I'm still smacking pretty good if I'm not careful. Even with an empty bed and 2" blocks in rear. You guys think this would be shocks? From the rule of thumb I knew, and I don't know for sure, if you hit a bump and it bounces the next 6 miles, shocks are shot. And if you jump on the back bumper than let go, and it doesnt return to its position with extra bounce in it, shocks should be alright, Which is why I don't know?

 

Your making me not want to put my kit on...I have a 3/4 spring tech kit!!!! Going to start shopping for a chiropractor now...

 

I mean I don't know what the deal is. Just doesn't seem right for only 2" blocks. I see other guys on here with 3" drop that dont seem to be having problems. I had 2" blocks under my dime and not sure if that thing ever smacked!

 

With 2" blocks your frame is about an inch from the axle. Remove the tall bumps stops and see if it helps.

You have to remember, A ZQ8 is already lowered 1" in the suspension. then add 2" blocks and it's now 3" drop. Only reason I get away with it is because of the helper bags.

 

I have the same (zq8) lowered with 3'' blocks and hated it! I added helper bags and couldn't be happier, even towing. They are easy to install too.
Oh, I had 2'' blocks and hated it, added the bags and then decided to go with the 3'' blocks.