Back from the dead & Alcan Leaf Springs

[joeydurango]

I'm back from the dead, I think. Haven't spent much time on here in years! Looks like you're all still at it. Happy 2024! My truck is 52 years old now.

Still have the K10. Toyed around with a 76 Trans Am for a while but just sold it last week. The truck was the keeper. Might use some of the T/A proceeds to improve the K10.

Anyone use Alcan springs for a factory-height K10? I've got Alcans on my Tacoma camper rig, and they're great. And I've seen them on lifted K-series trucks. But no stock-height examples, and I'm due for springs/shocks.

...and, here's a photo of the rig because we all like photos. I need some new photos! This one is several years old.

[LockDoc]

-
Welcome back, Good to see you posting again!

I will follow along and see if there is any info posted about the Alcans.

LockDoc

[MySons68C20]

https://www.google.com/search?domain...D%3A1%3B&hl=en

Lots of info here....welcome back!!

[Willowrun]

I've used Michigan Truck Spring with good results for stock height leaf springs on a couple of occasions and been very happy with the service, price, fit, finish, and ride. Call them and tell them what you're looking for. No affiliation.

www.truckspring.com

[joeydurango]

Originally Posted by Willowrun

I've used Michigan Truck Spring with good results for stock height leaf springs on a couple of occasions and been very happy with the service, price, fit, finish, and ride. Call them and tell them what you're looking for. No affiliation.

www.truckspring.com

Thanks, I'll look into that.

[57taskforce]

I’m pretty sure Pete has a set of stock height Alcans on his K20 and maybe his blazer too.

[54blackhornet]

Detroit Spring has been around since the beginning . They can build you a duplicate of your original or design to your specific request…

[sloGMC]

I don't have a K10 -- so there's that. But, I'll share my experience for what its worth.

In June of 2023, I purchased rear leaf springs from Alcan for my '71 c2500. I asked for a 1-inch lift over stock, base spring rating (2000lbs), and for the pin to move 1/2" rearward.

What I got was a 6-inch lift. My rear fender height went from 34.75" with the "old" springs, to 41" with the Alcans.

I don't know why my particular situation ended up that way. I can only assume my springs were original to the truck; they sure looked old, and were a correct 2-stage 5-leaf pack. Maybe they were just really, really shot, so I grossly underestimated their existing sag, but maybe they had been taken from something else years before my ownership. I asked Alcan about it, and besides them asking if I installed them incorrectly (I didn't--not sure how you would anyways), there wasn't much to be done.

I put in 2" drop shackles, removed one leaf, and now it sits at about 37.75". I've put a few thousand miles on it since then and hauled a few loads of gravel so I'm pretty sure this is where they are settling. The Alcans are noticeably tighter than my OE springs -- kind of makes sense though, given the OE ones were likely shot, and again, are a 2-stage design, unlike the Alcans.

I am happy with the end result however. Still rides like a sofa, but now sits like a spry young truck instead of an old, tired one.

[joeydurango]

Originally Posted by sloGMC

I don't have a K10 -- so there's that. But, I'll share my experience for what its worth.

In June of 2023, I purchased rear leaf springs from Alcan for my '71 c2500. I asked for a 1-inch lift over stock, base spring rating (2000lbs), and for the pin to move 1/2" rearward.

What I got was a 6-inch lift. My rear fender height went from 34.75" with the "old" springs, to 41" with the Alcans.

I don't know why my particular situation ended up that way. I can only assume my springs were original to the truck; they sure looked old, and were a correct 2-stage 5-leaf pack. Maybe they were just really, really shot, so I grossly underestimated their existing sag, but maybe they had been taken from something else years before my ownership. I asked Alcan about it, and besides them asking if I installed them incorrectly (I didn't--not sure how you would anyways), there wasn't much to be done.

I put in 2" drop shackles, removed one leaf, and now it sits at about 37.75". I've put a few thousand miles on it since then and hauled a few loads of gravel so I'm pretty sure this is where they are settling. The Alcans are noticeably tighter than my OE springs -- kind of makes sense though, given the OE ones were likely shot, and again, are a 2-stage design, unlike the Alcans.

I am happy with the end result however. Still rides like a sofa, but now sits like a spry young truck instead of an old, tired one.

Wow, that's quite the difference between old and new. Seems excessive! Did you do anything up front at the same time? Did the truck end up level (or close), or way jacked up in the rear?

[special-K]

Good to see your name back. still wrenchin' on mt. bikes? I enjoyed the ride I took in it all those years ago. Sweet truck!

I use local spring shops for stock spring work. I know Alcan springs are custom and known to ride far better than off the shelf lift springs. You do pay a good bit extra for that. I don't know what they could do any different to make theirs ride any better than stock minimal leaf semi-elliptical negative arch springs for all that money.

[DeadheadNM]

I have stock height, zero-lift Alcan springs on the K20 and K5 as Tyler mentioned. No complaints. US made, US steel and a nice ride.

[joeydurango]

Originally Posted by special-K

Good to see your name back. still wrenchin' on mt. bikes? I enjoyed the ride I took in it all those years ago. Sweet truck!

I use local spring shops for stock spring work. I know Alcan springs are custom and known to ride far better than off the shelf lift springs. You do pay a good bit extra for that. I don't know what they could do any different to make theirs ride any better than stock minimal leaf semi-elliptical negative arch springs for all that money.

Hey Tim! I still ride bikes, wrench on them less often - only when they need it these days, and not for the public. The truck is running a lot better than it was when you took that cruise for me - it's had a lot of work over the years!

Alcan is regional-local for me, so that's one reason I used them for the Tacoma. But yeah, they can be expensive. One of their methods is more thinner leafs vs fewer thicker leafs for any given ride height/load rating. Thought maybe that would provide a better ride than stock replacements from Summit.

[joeydurango]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

I have stock height, zero-lift Alcan springs on the K20 and K5 as Tyler mentioned. No complaints. US made, US steel and a nice ride.

Hey Pete, oh nice! What specs did you give them? Anything other than year/make/model? Sounds like you didn't end up in the crazy-different scenario as the guy a few posts back, so just making sure you didn't ensure that with more info.

Also, what shocks are you running? Many of the ones I've looked at that are nicer seem to be intended for lifted applications, not stock-height.

I know this truck will never be SMOOTH, but I'm pretty certain I can improve on the worn out, stock leaf springs and ancient shocks.

[DeadheadNM]

Good to see you back. The owner at the time, Bill, had all the OE specs and knew what to assemble. As an aside, these specs are in old 67-72 GM parts manuals. Ride quality was much improved over the old original springs. I placed lengths of teflon leaf spring liners between the perches and the spring packs and recommend that. Essentially, I was replacing the plastic liner the GM had in place at this location.

As for shocks I run GM Pleasurizers. I was able to find NOS examples. Work great with HD examples on the K20. Also used matching Pleasurizer steering dampers

[sloGMC]

Originally Posted by joeydurango

Wow, that's quite the difference between old and new. Seems excessive! Did you do anything up front at the same time? Did the truck end up level (or close), or way jacked up in the rear?

I did not do anything simultaneously, so the "excessive lift" was only attributable to the rear springs.

Kind of a bad photo but like I said, I'm happy with it. Rear end sits 2 inches higher than the front so I can load it up and it doesn't get all saggy, and I think it's right on the edge of looking weird when unloaded.

To each their own, however.