I can tell you from experience, I literally just put 2500 coils in the front and all new rs5000 ranch shocks all the way around. The coils gave just about 2.75 inches of lift in the front, granted my coils and shocks were tired after 115k miles, but still got a lot of gain and stiffened up the front a whole lot. I highly recommend doing it, especially if your going to plow. With the ride, I honestly didn't think it stiffened up too bad, probably cause I still have the 1500 leafs in the rear but it's not as bad as I had expected.

Also, I got the coils for $94 shipped to my house from rockauto.com not too bad I thought.

 

I got used diesel coils off ebay for 70 bucks delivered.

Shoulda just got the new ones lol oh well

 

Searching the threads for some info and didn't know I already looked at this.

Well I did the Chevy 1ton brake upgrade and wow what a difference.
Now I want to put stability in the rear end, I plan on getting a utility trailer for some quad hauling, no more than 4000 pound so my truck should be fine, but my leaf shackles are on their way out and want to do 2500 leafs if I can get my hands on them. Plus with a load the truck just seems a little flimsy if I may say in the rear.

Is it true I can do the swap if I got a parts truck, got the Leafs, Shackles, and Perches and this can be done?

 

You can but then you still have the 9.25. For all the worth it takes to swap in a D60 with the 2500 leafs.


Gotta drill holes in the frame for the 2500 hangars.

 

Oh, I'm guessing its an easier swap than I presume? The only dilemma I run into is; finding one, and I just bought some nice rims which are 5 lug.

The 9.25 isn't a terrible axle is it?

 

The 9.25 is actually a decent axle, but, bumping to larger tires, on an already heavy truck......

A lot depends on how you use your truck, if you do a fair bit of off-roading, and want to run 35 inch, or larger tires, then bumping to a D60 really isn't a bad idea. Best bet would be to find a truck that was wrecked, or the engine/trans blew up, and the owner is selling it fairly cheap. Take what you need, part out the rest. Might find that you didn't spend very much on the conversion at all. (and might even make a few bucks.)

 

Thats what I figured, I don't beat on my truck by any means, and my tires are only 33.5in so they're not huge. I don't go off-roading, intentionally.

That's an idea, I'm just more so worried about my new rims I just purchases, and if I really need that heavier of an axle, yaknow. I would LOVE to, but time doesn't really give me the chance.

 

Then get a new spring pack or add a leaf and consider timbren helper springs whichever route you go for towing stability.