Product Reviews

ORD rear add a leaf suspension lift

Does your full-size suffer from the dreaded GM saggy-butt, then Off Road Design has the cure. Many full-size Blazers, Jimmys, and even Suburbans sit a little low in the rear, mainly do to the extra weight of the fiberglass top, and the shear weight of the Suburban. Whether you are fine tuning ride height after a spring lift or just need a little extra clearance for those new meats, the ORD Add-A-Leaf can be installed to level out your suspension.

The Add-A-Leafs are 1" thick and will raise the ride height of your suspension by exactly the same amount and can be used in the front as well as the rear. These Add-A-Leafs may look like ordinary lift blocks, and in fact they share the same purpose, but the difference is in how they are installed, lift blocks simply get sandwiched between the spring pad and leaf springs while the ORD Add-A-Leafs get incorporated into the spring pack with the supplied center pins. What this does is provide a zero rate lift that will not effect ride quality or bring up safety issues.

Add-A-Leaf Ready to be Installed	Spring Pack Clamped Together	New Center Pin and Add-A-Leaf Installed	U-Bolts and Add-A-Leaf Installed	1" Add-A-Leaf Installed

Installing these are very straight forward, make sure the vehicle is on level ground and can not roll forward or backwards, then raise the axle and remove the wheels. We raised the rear of our Blazer by lifting the differential with a floor jack and placed jack stands under the frame. With the frame securely supported, remove the bottom shock bolts and all the axle u-bolts and lower the axle enough to remove the old center pins (Some scrap wood under the differential yoke will keep it from tipping forward). Using a clamp on each side of the center pin will keep the springs together enough for the old center pin to be removed. Next, install the new center pin up through the Add-A-Leaf (the beveled edge fits up against the leaf spring) and the spring pack securing the two together with the supplied bolt. The center pin is a "cut to fit" item so after the Add-A-Leaf is in place it will have to be cut down to clear the spring plate, we used our over worked sawzall for the job. Repeat the process for the other side and raise the axle to install the u-bolts (if u-bolts are now to short, longer ones will need to be purchased) and spring plates making sure the center pins line up in the spring pad correctly. After the tires are installed the axle can be raised enough to remove the jack stands that were supporting the frame, and the vehicle can then be lowered.

As with any modification to the suspension, check for correct angles and vibrations to ensure the proper operation of the vehicle. The Colorado K5 test Blazer now sits level with the front thank's to yet another quality product from Off Road Design. - Steve Fox