Question on suspension

[SilveradoDriver]

Ok well me and my friend went to a truck lot where they sell lowered trucks with 20's on them. I look at the suspension and the springs are just upside down. LIke instead of making a stretched out "U" shape. its more like a stretched out "n" shape if you get me. Is this what a flip kit looks like? I have no if they just installed the springs upside down *if thats possible. My friend wants to drop his GMC and wanted to know if thats what they did, i had no clue. So was that a flip kit or what?

[FeeD]

i have heard of lowering this way before but an actual flip kit keeps the springs arched the same way and relocates the axle from under the springs to above the springs

[454ss]

I heard that the upside down springs is an old hot rodder trick..., not sure if it's good or bad:think:

[Physh1]

Yeah...I've seen that. It's a cheap "hot rod" way to do it. The problem I see with it is in that position the leaf springs are in constant unloaded state. It wouldn't ride very well IMO.....also, because they are inverted, they are not working in the way they were intended too.

Overall, I dunno....if I bought one done that way I'd order a flip kit or rear drop kit and do it a better way.

Cameron

[SilveradoDriver]

So this will lower the truck and keeping the suspension. This is free right? All he has to do is just install them upside down?

[FeeD]

...and notch the frame. i wouldn't do it though. like physh said the springs and shackles are not being used the way they were engineered to work. just buy a flip kit. i would think that if it were ok to do it would be a lot more popular ;)

[tjputerboy]

like the other guys said , i wouldnt do it , its almost like dearching the spring pack, you are basically jus using the springs as a locator for the rear end, so in theory and practicallity there is no suspension to it anylonger, think of it as a two link with out bags it kinda sucks.

[Silverado02]

If you remove enough leafs it will also cause them to bow the opposite directon. One of the other mechanics at work has an S-10 with a few leafs removed and his springs have a slight upside down arch.

-Ryan

[Physh1]

Man....I could only im imagine how that would feel if it broke while I was driving....:eek:

Cameron

[Silverado02]

Originally posted by 5-8CHEVY

That's because it's a monoleaf supporting the entire weight of the rear, not a good idea. :read:

Here's a pic of a broken monoleaf. :scared:
http://www.deviouscustoms.com/Wall%20of%20Shame/7.jpg

There's more than one leaf back there, I don't remember how many but I know we did add one when he first got it to raise the truck up a bit. It's not the way I would have lowered it, I'd rather just have the correct amount of leafs with blocks but it's not my truck.

-Ryan

[Silverado02]

Originally posted by 5-8CHEVY

You can't put blocks on a f/s unless there's a flip kit already on it, they'd lift it rather than lower it since the leafs are above the rear. :read:

I was talking about my co-workers S-10 that I mentioned earlier in this post ;) .

-Ryan