I wanted to get rid of the 1" rake so the truck would sit level. I had read that cutting a full coil off the rear gives you 1" drop but all those post were regarding Belltech springs. I figured I would start with 3/4 of a coil off my GF springs and see what it did.
After cutting 3/4 coil off each side and driving around last night and today I ended up with netting about 1/2" more drop on the driver side and NO more drop on the passenger side.
This is puzzling to me. I cut the exact same off each spring. I made sure to get the springs seated exactly back in their original spot in their top pads (see pics below). I also tried to install the springs back in the same position that they were before they were taken out. I made sure the bottom of each spring was cocked the exact same way it was before I removed them, obviously the top of the coil is in a slightly different position because the cut was made at the top of the coil.
Only thing I can figure is that the springs rates are different from side to side to compensate for gas tank and driver weight on the driver side. I'm going to drive around for the weekend, making a trip to the lake house, and see where it sits when I get back home.
I still need another 1/2" of drop on the driver side to get level with the front and still need the full 1" drop on the passenger side to get level since the first cut seems to have done nothing. If it doesn't settle at all I will inspect everything to make sure nothing moved during re-installation. If all appears the same I will remove them again, cut a little more off the driver side, and even more than that off the passenger side. Check back next week for updates.
Here are some of the pics I took. Didn't get a bunch as I was trying to get this done after work and before wifey had dinner ready.
Where I made the cut
How much was cut off
Spring out on drivers side. Lower shock bolt removed. Truck up on jack stands with rear end being supported by jack. Lower the rear end down just enough to get the springs out. You can also see the rubber pad that the top of the spring seats in sitting on the ground in this pic.
Driver side spring still in but with rear end lowered. Just hadn't pulled the spring out in this pic for comparison.
In this pic you can see the spring seated in the rubber pad at the top. Imperative you get the spring back in the grove worn in this pad. Then the pad must be seated in the spring pocket.
shot from inside the spring looking up. spring and spring pad seated in the spring pocket.