How to prevent rear bottuming? Please Help.

[jrods95]

I did a 5/6 drop on my 95 chevy c1500, i bout a complete beltech flip kit with c-notch that my friend had just tookin of his 99 gmc sierra becuase he was doing a 4 link with airbags, i also ended up using his leaf springs because mine where all beat up, now that everything is on the truck rides preaty good, but when i be driving on the freeway and i hit a bump my truck bottums out or in any hard bump so is there a way i could prevent this? And how could i get a better angle on my shocks? im running air shocks for now, ive heard about shock extenders do those really work i read some fourm where some guy didnt need them said it doesnt do a diffrense with or withought them.

[BOTMAN]

You need shock extenders

[jrods95]

Would you know wich shock extenders should i get?

[jrods95]

You need shock extenders

Would you know wich shock extenders i should get?

[BOTMAN]

I used DJM one's on my old truck, but belltech djm McGaughy would all be fine.

http://www.stylintrucks.com/parts/shock_extensions_by_djm/3358.aspx

[jrods95]

[QUOTE=BOTMAN;5469273]I used DJM one's on my old truck, but belltech djm McGaughy would all be fine.

Thanks, hopefully this fixes the issue.

[someotherguy]

If the cut for the C-notch wasn't centered well, you could be hitting the notch brace with the bump stop mounting pads.

If you didn't trim the bed brace over the differential, you could be hitting that.

If leafs were pulled from the spring pack, your ride is too soft, so you will be prone to bottoming out. Half ton pack is 3 leafs (+ 1 overload)

If you were dropped previously with shackles and/or hangers, and you still have either installed, you're lower than 6" drop in the rear and will be more prone to bottoming out.

Shock extenders are important and do work because they correct some of the extreme angle the shocks are in when you lower.

Richard

[jrods95]

If the cut for the C-notch wasn't centered well, you could be hitting the notch brace with the bump stop mounting pads.

If you didn't trim the bed brace over the differential, you could be hitting that.

If leafs were pulled from the spring pack, your ride is too soft, so you will be prone to bottoming out. Half ton pack is 3 leafs (+ 1 overload)

If you were dropped previously with shackles and/or hangers, and you still have either installed, you're lower than 6" drop in the rear and will be more prone to bottoming out.

Shock extenders are important and do work because they correct some of the extreme angle the shocks are in when you lower.

Richard

-When i first lowered it, it only had two leafs and had the 2in drop shackles and the hangers were never messed with, the bed brace was removed when i lowered it more and the leaf springs that i have now have all of the leafs. im using the original shackle that came with the truck because as you mentioned it droped it way more than 6in in the back, my c-notch seems to be centered right, the only thing that i dont have are the shock extenders.

[jrods95]

http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n525/jrods95/?action=view&current=c-notch.jpg

-This is how it looked when i had the 2in drop shackles ended up removing them and putin the orignal ones, also had to through in some axle shims, they wernt on in this pic.

[jrods95]

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n525/jrods95/c-notch.jpg

[someotherguy]

Yep in that pic you've got almost no travel at all due to flip kit plus drop shackles, along with one of your main leafs being missing. Also I'm guessing the flip kit came from a GMT800 '99, not a '99 classic, as it appears the notch was made for a different frame. Looks like the notch is somewhat of a bad fit and the slack is at the bottom, which moves the "roof" of the notch closer to the axle, giving up some of your travel.

So now VS. the pic, you have a full spring pack (3+overload) and the stock shackles? The shock extenders will help the shocks perform better but aren't likely the whole solution. Hopefully you're also running correct shocks for a 6" rear drop or the shocks themselves will bottom out internally if they're too long.

Using the correct notch would help a little but not a huge amount.

Richard

[jrods95]

Yep in that pic you've got almost no travel at all due to flip kit plus drop shackles, along with one of your main leafs being missing. Also I'm guessing the flip kit came from a GMT800 '99, not a '99 classic, as it appears the notch was made for a different frame. Looks like the notch is somewhat of a bad fit and the slack is at the bottom, which moves the "roof" of the notch closer to the axle, giving up some of your travel.

So now VS. the pic, you have a full spring pack (3+overload) and the stock shackles? The shock extenders will help the shocks perform better but aren't likely the whole solution. Hopefully you're also running correct shocks for a 6" rear drop or the shocks themselves will bottom out internally if they're too long.

Using the correct notch would help a little but not a huge amount.

Richard

Well Now i have the stock shackles but the leafs are as is, there of the 99 gmc sierra 1500, and i am using the toxic shocks for 6 in lowered trucks got them off summit. Yea, once i was intallin the notch i notice that it wasnt ment for my truck but basically i made it fit.

[someotherguy]

OK, well you do seem to be giving up some clearance by the position of that notch, though it would be hard to know for sure unless you compared the installed height of it to one meant for your frame.

I'm not familiar enough with the GMT800 trucks to know if that's a stock spring pack or if it's missing a leaf; your truck originally had a pack with 3 main leafs plus the overload. If the GMT800 half ton is the same way then you're missing a leaf and that's going to seriously decrease the spring rate, making for a mushy ride and very increased tendency to bottom out.

Richard

[BOTMAN]

OK, well you do seem to be giving up some clearance by the position of that notch, though it would be hard to know for sure unless you compared the installed height of it to one meant for your frame.

I'm not familiar enough with the GMT800 trucks to know if that's a stock spring pack or if it's missing a leaf; your truck originally had a pack with 3 main leafs plus the overload. If the GMT800 half ton is the same way then you're missing a leaf and that's going to seriously decrease the spring rate, making for a mushy ride and very increased tendency to bottom out.

Richard

GMT800 have two leafs.

[jrods95]

OK, well you do seem to be giving up some clearance by the position of that notch, though it would be hard to know for sure unless you compared the installed height of it to one meant for your frame.

I'm not familiar enough with the GMT800 trucks to know if that's a stock spring pack or if it's missing a leaf; your truck originally had a pack with 3 main leafs plus the overload. If the GMT800 half ton is the same way then you're missing a leaf and that's going to seriously decrease the spring rate, making for a mushy ride and very increased tendency to bottom out.

Richard

- About the notch, what do you mean by the position? it looks preaty centered to me il take some better pics of it and upload them.

And the leafs i believe they only come with 2 and the overload, i double checked on some other truck.

[jrods95]

GMT800 have two leafs.

-Would you know the diffrence of leafs springs from a 95 c1500 to the newer body style such as the 99 and so on?

[someotherguy]

I'm saying the notch looks taller than your frame, and the slack is at the bottom, which means the notch is lower overall in position which means it's closer to the axle. Could just be an optical delusion from the angle of the pic. :D

Richard

[jrods95]

I'm saying the notch looks taller than your frame, and the slack is at the bottom, which means the notch is lower overall in position which means it's closer to the axle. Could just be an optical delusion from the angle of the pic. :D

Richard

-Oh haha, yea the notch is a lil bigger than the frame, i thought you ment like the nocth was not centered right.