I plan on installing the 2 inch GM blocks on my truck this wekend....any ideas, tricks or things i should keep in mind while doing the installation, or is it very straight forward

i dont know about this but i wana do it let me know how it goes and how it rides

allensmith, ill let you know how it goes, however i have the blocks but still waiting on the u bolts from gm, so i may not get to it this weekend if they dont come in

GM Sells factory blocks? do they have a 1'' block?

uh i think they have a 1 inch but im not sure....

I am not sure about a one inch block from GM but someone does sell them. They were called 0-rate springs and you can re-use your U-bolts with them.
I will try to find you a link.

It is fairly straight forward to install the rear blocks. I jacked up the back of my truck pretty high up and put stands under the rear frame. (I think the rear tires were still touching the ground) I put a floor jack under the axle pumpkin to raise, lower and keep the rear end from falling all the way down. Lift the rear end up with the floorjack and remove the rear wheels. I also disconnected the rear shocks at the bottom to let the rear drop more and then just start removing the U-bolts. Install your blocks and new U-bolts. The factory blocks make it hard to get out of alignment. Snug up your U-bolt evenly going back and forth so you have about the same threads showing.

After it is all assembled and down on the ground your emergency brake will most likely need adjustment. Just back up slowly and depress your E-brak pedal a couple of times with the release pulled out until your pedal come back up and stops the truck.

Be careful this is some heavy stuff to work with.

Also you may want to go back after putting some miles on the truck and check your U-bolts and make sure they are still tight.

Hope this helps!:)

There are pictures and part numbers for the blocks and U-bolts in my Garage. My U-bolts are a little too long. There is one size a little shorter but I don't have the part #. I think mine are 315mm long and the shorter ones are about 296mm long.

I found the 1" blocks, here is a link:

http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/Zero%20Rates.htm

The 1" "zero rate" leaves from Offroad Design are not lift blocks. The zero rates are attached to the spring pack and are considered an additinal leaf and will not "pop out" under extreme troque or axle wrap. Even though my experience with lift blocks is based on modified K5's, I would not use blocks that simply sit on the spring pad and are held in place by the u-bolts to achive lift. ORD also offers a 1" body lift that I would highly recommend.

probably need longer shocks too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonestar06
The 1" "zero rate" leaves from Offroad Design are not lift blocks. The zero rates are attached to the spring pack and are considered an additinal leaf and will not "pop out" under extreme troque or axle wrap. Even though my experience with lift blocks is based on modified K5's, I would not use blocks that simply sit on the spring pad and are held in place by the u-bolts to achive lift. ORD also offers a 1" body lift that I would highly recommend.

So what exactly do these 0-rates do then???

These short leaves are CNC machined solid steel with offset holes to allow you to move the axle 1" or 1.5" forward or backward from the spring pin location. You can also leave the axle right on the spring center pin if you like and only use them to raise the truck 1". The top corners are radiused to prevent stress risers in the spring pack.

They appear to work as 1" blocks too.

And you could always use 1" blocks that aren't called zero rates springs

http://www.jackit.com/store/supercart.cgi?s=pcs_95_100b

It is fairly straight forward to install the rear blocks. I jacked up the back of my truck pretty high up and put stands under the rear frame. (I think the rear tires were still touching the ground) I put a floor jack under the axle pumpkin to raise, lower and keep the rear end from falling all the way down. Lift the rear end up with the floorjack and remove the rear wheels. I also disconnected the rear shocks at the bottom to let the rear drop more and then just start removing the U-bolts. Install your blocks and new U-bolts. The factory blocks make it hard to get out of alignment. Snug up your U-bolt evenly going back and forth so you have about the same threads showing.

After it is all assembled and down on the ground your emergency brake will most likely need adjustment. Just back up slowly and depress your E-brak pedal a couple of times with the release pulled out until your pedal come back up and stops the truck.

Be careful this is some heavy stuff to work with.

Also you may want to go back after putting some miles on the truck and check your U-bolts and make sure they are still tight.

Hope this helps!:)
Thanks for the help, i actually used the part numbers from your garage so i really appreciate it

"So what exactly do these 0-rates do then???"

I am simply pointing out the fact that the zero rates can function as lift blocks, but differ in the fact that they actually attach to the leaf pack, where as a lift block will have a pin or stud that will sit in the hole in the spring pad and is held in place by the U-bolts.

"So what exactly do these 0-rates do then???"

I am simply pointing out the fact that the zero rates can function as lift blocks, but differ in the fact that they actually attach to the leaf pack, where as a lift block will have a pin or stud that will sit in the hole in the spring pad and is held in place by the U-bolts.

It is a good point Lonestar06.

Sorry, I am a little short fused this evening, it has been one of those days.:eek:

What Texasdeere said is pretty much it, but I also like having a second jack under the front of the differential so it can't tilt forward. Sometimes they will depending how the jack under the diff is shaped and it's hard to get it tilted back, a second jack makes that much easier.

I put 2 inch blocks in the rear of my LBZ and it was almost a little too much, even with my front bars cranked it was sitting a tad higer in the rear than I liked. I was running 20 inch Helo maxx's with 305/55/20 Nittos, I think the cats meow would be if a guy ran that cognito leveling kit up front along with the 2 inch rear block out back.

Also you gotta get that baby aligned right away, your steering wheel with be crooked but the truck itself will track straight

I put 2 inch blocks in the rear of my LBZ and it was almost a little too much, even with my front bars cranked it was sitting a tad higer in the rear than I liked. I was running 20 inch Helo maxx's with 305/55/20 Nittos, I think the cats meow would be if a guy ran that cognito leveling kit up front along with the 2 inch rear block out back.

Also you gotta get that baby aligned right away, your steering wheel with be crooked but the truck itself will track straight

"..cats meow..."...Hey...thanks! :D Just kidding...

Check out my garage if you want to see what Cognito leveling up front and a 2" block in the rear looks like. Essentially, I reduced the factory rake by about 1" cause I was able to squeeze 3" outa the front. I didnt want to loose the whole rake cause I tow occasionally and didnt want it to squat in the rear. Just 500lbs of ballast drops the rear enough to level it out!

One thing I forgot to mention is to jack the axle up against the leaf springs when you start loosening the U-bolts. That way the axle won't fall or hopefully move much until you are ready to lower it down. Then you can jack it up back into place and line everything up when you bolt in your new hardware.

Can't really think of anything else.

I found the 1" blocks, here is a link:

http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/Zero%20Rates.htm
Thankyou !! I appreciate that!

I have a 2" block in the rear of my truck. Check my garage for pics.
I went with the 2" instead of 1 or 1 1/2 because of the added weight of the topper and 100 gallon steel transfer tank in the box.

I have a 2" block in the rear of my truck. Check my garage for pics.
I went with the 2" instead of 1 or 1 1/2 because of the added weight of the topper and 100 gallon steel transfer tank in the box.
So what do you have in the front? Green keys cranked or stock keys? That 2'' block seems to give ya the factory rake judging by your pics.

so i have air bags in the rear would these blocks effect the bags??

Thats what I used the 0-rate blocks and the factory bolts ..works great..




I am not sure about a one inch block from GM but someone does sell them. They were called 0-rate springs and you can re-use your U-bolts with them.
I will try to find you a link.

So what do you have in the front? Green keys cranked or stock keys? That 2'' block seems to give ya the factory rake judging by your pics.

Just stock keys. Check out my garage and look at the pic that shows how much my truck looked like a cat in heat when it was new. lol I think the torsion bolts were ready to fall out.