Is Add-a-Leaf the Answer?

[65sixbanger]

Ok my pass side front tire ia wearing down a little fast for my liking and after looking the bump stop clearances, I noticed the bump stop on the pass side is about .5" away from the axle. What should I do? I really want to Add-a-leaf

 

[Jake S.]

I would check the alignment out first. I have three front springs and I feel every crack and bump in the road. But when I lift the 9' plow the hood only lowers a 1/2 inch. Sitting w/o the plow raised I have a 1/2 gap on the bump stop too. I don't know what a front end replacement is(from your sig), but spring bushings and pivot bushings going bad can do the same thing.

 

[Jake_IN]

I just put rough country add-a-leafs on mine. Raised it about an inch and is a pretty easy job. I would go and get an alignment done then. Before the add-leafs i had really bad neg. camber. The add a leafs gave each wheel positive camber. I don't know if all alignment shops do this but i took mine to the "Tire Barn" and you get a print out of your alignment dimensions before and after they align it. Its nice getting a print out showing how it is and not just a high schooler saying "yeah i aligned it".

 

[65sixbanger]

Ok I will try that I guess, What position is it called when the tire is wearing on the outside??? Negative camber?

 

[dyoung14]

they old truck i sold my buddy was leaning in real bad he put add a leafs on it that raised it quite a bit then he had it leaning out so we took it to the alignment shop and for 55 dollars the fixed it right up

 

[Jake_IN]

Neg camber is when the tire tops lean in and positive is when they lean out. The alignment shop offerd to work on the camber, but they were gonna charge about 40 bucks a bushing so sense it wasn't that bad i just told them to leave it.

 

[65sixbanger]

Ok, which ever one I have is not noticable at all. Although the out side of the tire is worn down, so that mena I would have a positive camber right?

 

[Jake_IN]

Correct, or your toe is messed up. The tires that came with my truck when i bought it had some tread left (it spent most its life in fields). After about 2000 miles on the road the passenger side tire was a racing slick. When i got it aligned with new tires it turned out that tire was toed in WAY to far. With new tires and proper alignment it steers like a dream.

 

[65sixbanger]

Ok thanks a bunch, but I am still a little confused because even with the springs on that side sagging how does it have positive camber? It always seems that when you take the load off or raise the front end the tires point out really bad..

 

[CJCJ]

Jake, how far off the bumps are you now? Just curious since I added new springs, tie rods, ball joints, pivot bushings this last summer and my truck is exactly 1" off the bump stops after 8k miles on the new components. Any bump that is tall and short has the fronts hitting the stops. Knowing what I know now I would have forgone the new springs and went with bags/aal up front. I put Timbrens on the rear for the camper though and couldn't be happier.

 

[65sixbanger]

Jake, how far off the bumps are you now? Just curious since I added new springs, tie rods, ball joints, pivot bushings this last summer and my truck is exactly 1" off the bump stops after 8k miles on the new components. Any bump that is tall and short has the fronts hitting the stops. Knowing what I know now I would have forgone the new springs and went with bags/aal up front. I put Timbrens on the rear for the camper though and couldn't be happier.

But wouldn't bags upfront screw with all of your alignment, camber and toe stuff?

 

[CJCJ]

I'd imagine a new alignment would be in order. I may just try some Bilsteins and see what they do as the I'm not too impressed with the Rancho9000's. The adjustability is nice but....I need to get off those front stops.

 

[Popeye2347]

My F250 [see sig] has about two fingers clearance between the spring and bump stops. I approached a well respected spring shop about getting 'hi lift' springs made for it, and his reply was I would be wasting my money. From what he said the problem is not the lack of clearance, it is a either too stiff shock, the ten ply tires, or both. IIRC he recommended an 8 ply, 6 ply sidewall, as a better riding tire, along with 'weaker' shocks.

Is he right??...I don't know. I am not going to get rid of my almost new/expensive 10 ply tires to find out....and the shocks I installed were gas filled and now that they are used I cannot return them, so they are staying on the truck. I have thought about removing some leafs and using air bags to gain some soft ride, but probably will leave it as it is now. The Timbren bump stops sound interesting, something I may install once warm weather returns.

 

[Jake S.]

Jake, how far off the bumps are you now? Just curious since I added new springs, tie rods, ball joints, pivot bushings this last summer and my truck is exactly 1" off the bump stops after 8k miles on the new components. Any bump that is tall and short has the fronts hitting the stops. Knowing what I know now I would have forgone the new springs and went with bags/aal up front. I put Timbrens on the rear for the camper though and couldn't be happier.

If this is for me, I run about 5/8" off the stop. But my spring bushings are shot, so that will lower it some.