The first thing, the stock shocks are JUNK. Replace them with a good set.
I talked with our Bilstein contact and they are going to release
theirs for the Dak's pretty soon. I'm going to get some for my truck so I
will let you know how they behave, but we use Bilsteins on just about every
vehicle we test, and haven't been dissapointed yet
If you just change the rear spring shackle on the leaf spring, you will add
a ton of understeer. What this does is put the leaf spring on
more of an angle to the ground. When the body rolls in a corner the rear
end will steer to the inside (try to picture in your head how the
axle will move when you adjust the mounting angle). This points the front
of the vehicle towards the outside of the corner, and wallah!
more understeer. (Our trucks don't need any more than Dodge designs in)
The one inch drop in the front will work fine (but why only one, you won't
be any lower than a stock R/T). You will have to change the jounce
bumpers or you will hit them on the smallest bumps.
-----Original Message-----
From: GSWillhite <GSWillhite@ualr.edu>
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Date: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 1:10 PM
Subject: DML: Re: Suspension Mod Questions
>Gary, I was thinking about lowering my Dak 1" front
>& rear. Probably using springs in front and hangers
>in back for that cool "R/T I'm gonna kick your @**"
>rake.
>Would I have to change anything else ? Shocks etc..?
>
>Thanks
>
>GS
>
>> This is why I am working on a 2 inch drop only. This problem is most
>> noticeable when you lower the vehicle without increasing the rate of the
>> sway bar and/or the spring rate. My factory springs are 600 #/in, which
=
>> I
>> always felt they were way to soft, the truck never really felt balanced
>> (i.e. the front tended to bounce, not the kind of bouncing from worn out
>> shocks).
>
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