I have a 1996 TLC with 250K miles, and I'm soliciting advice for new front shocks and springs.
The truck only gets about 5K miles a year, I don't DD it. (My DD is my bicycle.) I'm a moderate to moderate plus trail difficulty kind of guy, not a rock crawler, and I usually drive a few hundred miles to get to the Sierras or the desert, where I use the rig.
About 30K miles ago, I installed a TJM 50MM kit all the way around. Since then, I have added a Slee Short Bus, Superwinch SR9500 (synthetic line) and an AGM battery (single battery system), which I'd say totals up to about 185# of weight above stock sitting in front of the front wheels. I added 20mm poly spacers to get back to the original 50MM lift height. The truck drives great on road, but on the trails the front end dips dramatically on the whoop-de-dos, and I'd like to get some more stiffness up front for that.
Should I just replace the springs? Or both springs and shocks? What would you install? I like a soft ride, I'm not excited about getting a really stiff set up in the front end. Incidentally, I put air bags in the rear, and I'm happy with how that is working out. So, I'm just looking to switch things up in the front end.
All advice appreciated. If you're going to tell me to use search or check out the suspension FAQ, please don't bother. I already did both, there is some good info there, and I've taken it under advisement. I'm seeking specific/recent thoughts on my particular question and set-up.
Thanks,
Russ
The truck only gets about 5K miles a year, I don't DD it. (My DD is my bicycle.) I'm a moderate to moderate plus trail difficulty kind of guy, not a rock crawler, and I usually drive a few hundred miles to get to the Sierras or the desert, where I use the rig.
About 30K miles ago, I installed a TJM 50MM kit all the way around. Since then, I have added a Slee Short Bus, Superwinch SR9500 (synthetic line) and an AGM battery (single battery system), which I'd say totals up to about 185# of weight above stock sitting in front of the front wheels. I added 20mm poly spacers to get back to the original 50MM lift height. The truck drives great on road, but on the trails the front end dips dramatically on the whoop-de-dos, and I'd like to get some more stiffness up front for that.
Should I just replace the springs? Or both springs and shocks? What would you install? I like a soft ride, I'm not excited about getting a really stiff set up in the front end. Incidentally, I put air bags in the rear, and I'm happy with how that is working out. So, I'm just looking to switch things up in the front end.
All advice appreciated. If you're going to tell me to use search or check out the suspension FAQ, please don't bother. I already did both, there is some good info there, and I've taken it under advisement. I'm seeking specific/recent thoughts on my particular question and set-up.
Thanks,
Russ