Weird Lift Issue

[aces74]

'98 AWD 5.0 Mounty

31x10.5 on 15x7s

This weekend I put new leaf packs from LMC truck on it and some warrior shackles, and TT'd the front end approx. 1.5"

My front end is now higher than the rear, probably an inch or so?

I had assumed that new leaf packs would actually help pop it up in the back, then adding the shackles... yet something doesn't seem right.

My leafs look almost straight after everything is hooked back up, and the shackles are @ an angle (like: "\", or more).

Can't really see what would have been done wrong, unless I need to somehow bring the shackles "in" at the bottom?

What gives?

(I'll take a measurement later from ground to top of wheel well, maybe someone with a similar setup could do the same so I can compare?)

 

[Brandon96]

If I understand what your saying correctly, it seems like the leaf packs you got are not up to the specs of the Explorer's OEM ones.

Do a real quick visual inspection and take one of the LMC packs off and compare the arc/length to your OEM ones. It's a possibility you got the wrong ones from LMC, maybe they're too short/don't have the load capability of the OEM ones?

It's a start... take a picture and throw it up on the thread so others can get a better look-see, it may be more helpful to the experts.

 

[aces74]

Sort of what I thought, but that'd piss me off if that were the case. They were the same size as the stock ones (I junked them this week after the new ones were on), but the spring rate is something I'm now wondering about.

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fex/full.aspx?Page=95

The 4-leaf packs were the ones I bought. I can't imagine the aftermarket leaf packs actually having a lower load capability, especially since it doesn't mention anything about string rates in the site. I'd hope they are at least equal to OEM....

I only TT'd the front about 1-1/2"... maybe it was already TT'd?

The leafs I pulled off however, made me wonder a couple things..... they weren't just leafs, they also had another (no idea what to call it) held to them via small u-joint, almost like a leaf "helper" or something. Maybe the truck already had the TT and aftermarket leafs, and I added more TT to the front?

No idea. The rear leafs were splaying so I wanted to replace them both. ugh.

 

[Brandon96]

ahh there you go, it had one of those helper leaves on it.

Being a 5.0, i assume it had the 'B' code torsion bars, if you haven't maxed out the driver's side bolt (about 2" of lift), then I doubt it had a TT before ((most threads I've read people had to buy a longer bolt to really get the TT they were looking for, especially on the '95-'97's)).

I dunno what to tell yah now.. All I can think of is to check part #s on the leaves, see if they match up with the site or paperwork..

I'm assuming the shackles are fine btw, WAR-153's?

 

[aces74]

It's a 98

But, yes - the shackles are WAR153... the leafs actually seemed slightly LESS beefy than the ones that were on there. Hmm...


Guess for now, best bet is to lower that front TT back down to level it out. Doing 2500 miles next week, would prefer it to not break anything or wear anything out prematurely...

 

[Blee1099]

The LMC ones aren't the greatest. A few members have bought new leaf spring packs from them and only discovered that they aren't the same arc or thickness of metal.. A original leaf pack from a Explorer is heavy compared to the ones from LMC from what I've seen.. Best thing to do is go to a local spring shop and get your old set re-arched or find a junk yard and pull a set off another Explorer.

 

[aces74]

Yeah, I'm beginning to think that the LMC leafs are to blame.
:thumbdwn:

 

[SuRrEaLNJ]

i "W"d a set of those real quick, ordered replacements, got 2 different even less substancial looking, unmached springs then sent those back and went back to a set of oem prings