Homemade Mini-Spring Pack Leveling Kit

[brettdacosta]

Hey guys. Had this idea after hearing so many people bad-mouth the use of the mini-spring packs on ebay. But there's not much to these, and if some of them aren't even made of spring steel (if someone could explain the difference to me, I'd really appreciate it), what's stopping me from throwing some plates together drilling a hole through them, and slapping them under my spring? So I'm looking for reasons and answers to the following questions.

Is there any support added to the existing leafs by going with some official DR pack as opposed to an ebay spring pack? Do the ebay types (plate steel from what I've heard) have any arch to them at all? If not, and I could fab some up on my own, what thickness steel do they utilize? Thanks in advance. And to please all the professionals out there, the $100 saved from building them myself would be put towards an adjustable track bar. Looking forward to the info in the professionally done VS. home made spring pack debate that is to come.

[choupique108]

they have to be spring steel. If you do it yourself you will not get a warranty... I do understand that it could be made cheaper but is saving $100 worth your truck or someone's life if the malfunction?

[brettdacosta]

You didn't explain the difference though. Maybe you could actually convince me instead of just saying there's no warranty.

[nydiver]

How do I explain spring vs CR simply.... Spring steel is made to rebound and not have a memory, its pliable and springy. Cold Rolled or basically bar steel is random in its molecular order, basically it has high memory and is not pliable, when bent it stays bent, and when strained it breaks rather than springs.

Frankly the mini packs I've seen on Ebay are scary to say the least, they're short, might as well throw a set of blocks in there. The leafs work if the weight is distributed over their length, not so well if you wrap them down over those short packs. They add no strength to the leafs nor load capacity. I like cheap, cheap is good, but those just don't look like a good idea to me as an engineer. Now 1 guy makes this longer bar like thing with box steel, better but its still not a spring. I needed a leveling kit for my plow so I got the kit from Summit for I think like $250-280 and it included the drop pivot mount, yeah, you need that!!!! If you do mini packs you need one too. Also when doing a leveling kit its a good idea to get lift shocks, I got a set of 2" lift ranchos after I busted a old shock by over extending it in a snow pile. Cheap is great, but this is one place to spend a little extra and get some solid parts to do it right.

[NotStock]

Originally Posted by nydiver

How do I explain spring vs CR simply.... Spring steel is made to rebound and not have a memory, its pliable and springy. Cold Rolled or basically bar steel is random in its molecular order, basically it has high memory and is not pliable, when bent it stays bent, and when strained it breaks rather than springs.

Frankly the mini packs I've seen on Ebay are scary to say the least, they're short, might as well throw a set of blocks in there. The leafs work if the weight is distributed over their length, not so well if you wrap them down over those short packs. They add no strength to the leafs nor load capacity. I like cheap, cheap is good, but those just don't look like a good idea to me as an engineer. Now 1 guy makes this longer bar like thing with box steel, better but its still not a spring. I needed a leveling kit for my plow so I got the kit from Summit for I think like $250-280 and it included the drop pivot mount, yeah, you need that!!!! If you do mini packs you need one too. Also when doing a leveling kit its a good idea to get lift shocks, I got a set of 2" lift ranchos after I busted a old shock by over extending it in a snow pile. Cheap is great, but this is one place to spend a little extra and get some solid parts to do it right.

Yup.... that 'bout covers it. Lol. Why drive a nice truck like yours and half arse something? Im not saying that you gotta go out and buy the most expensive parts on the market, but is saving a couple bucks worth the risk on a daily driven truck that is meant for safety and comfort? .... not for me

[NotStock]

If it was a mud truck or something like that, I would say go for it. Experiment all you want and decide if the risk is worth the reward, for what its worth.

[LOOSEWHEEL]

Originally Posted by nydiver

Also when doing a leveling kit its a good idea to get lift shocks, I got a set of 2" lift ranchos after I busted a old shock by over extending it in a snow pile. Cheap is great, but this is one place to spend a little extra and get some solid parts to do it right.

A leveling kit in the form of a mini spring kit will not necessitate longer shocks.Think about it. The lower shock mount is above the axle and remains in the same position. The added height comes below the shock mount. Hangers, add-a-leaf and re-arched leafs are a different story however.

As far as the mini spring packs, make sure they are spring steel for reasons stated above.

[nydiver]

I reviewed my shock part#'s and he's right, I got 0-2" lift shocks, technically its a stock shock. But hey, as long as your in there, you might as well throw on some new shocks.

My kit would of technically been labeled as a add-a-leaf style, it added I think 3 leaves, the shortest was probably like 13 " long, the longest was like 2'+ They were sold by Summit, but made by TCI. Really quality kit for not alot of dough. My plow barely moves the front end when its on, stock it went down like a cheap date.

[zpd307]

i am not going to get into a need new shocks debate when using a level kit... but my shocks are extended out/upwards 2 inches agfter putting in the 2 inch leve kit. the bottom of the shock attaches to bracket, which attaches to the axle. the top of the shock attaches to the bracket that is attached to the frame. when you lift, the distance from the axle to the frame lengthens....

[nydiver]

Originally Posted by zpd307

i am not going to get into a need new shocks debate when using a level kit... but my shocks are extended out/upwards 2 inches agfter putting in the 2 inch leve kit. the bottom of the shock attaches to bracket, which attaches to the axle. the top of the shock attaches to the bracket that is attached to the frame. when you lift, the distance from the axle to the frame lengthens....

I think mine did lengthen a little due to the new leafs having arch and making the load capacity higher hence the leaf doesn't dearch as much under load. Make sense? lets say the stock leaf squashed 4 inches from unsprung to under the weight of the truck being on it, now it only squashes 2 inches due to the stronger spring, so it looks like its 2 inches bigger distance from mount to mount, but its really no different. Ripping the shock apart in the snowbank may have just been a fluke or age and not an issue that required these 0-2" lift shocks.