Spring and Spacer Swap Query

[kcb58h]

The first suspension mod I made to my '04 2wd EXT was a 2" Rough Country leveling kit. This consisted of a 2' spacer in front and a .75" spring insulator in the rear. This leveled it out satisfactorily. No changes were made to the '83 springs. This was done in Nov.'10 by a off road shop who assured me this was the only kit available for TBs. Shame on me for not doing my own research.
This setup did nothing to hurt ride quality. In fact, more than one passenger commented on the comfortable ride.
That RC kit leveled it out fine, but it still didn't look right. I was sure I could get it right the second time around. Naive fool.
ORTB was an excellent resource for spec'ing what I should've done the first time. I found out that 2wd TBs could be stretched out more than the 4wds 'cause of no cv issues.
Some 4wd guys used 3" LM spacers and went to '89 springs. I went with 3"LM spacers and "87 springs in front and CR25 springs, stock insulators and a Massive GMT360 ARCA kit rear.
This setup was just right, appearance-wise. But going from '83 to '87 springs made me feel every tar strip and expansion joint on the road. I might not have any teeth left if I had gone to '89s.
Here is my query - Could I get a more comfortable ride going back to the '83 springs and keep the ride height the same with an additional .75" spacer? The shock travel is only 5.06", so downward travel in that shock is reduced to 1.31". Would a deep pothole bust the shock out of the top mount?
I think I understand spring rate. A little. Maybe. Going to 3.75" of spacers is gonna crunch the '83 spring to where it is through a lot of its compression while sitting still. So perhaps the ride quality wouldn't improve because I'm squeezing that spring even harder. What I don't know is the progression of the spring rate. If the rate were linear, (which it can't be) I think it would sacrifice travel but improve the ride. However, if crunching a '83 spring with a 3.75" spacer would be about the same harshness as an '87 spring and a 3" spacer, it is not worthwhile. The only reason I'm tempted to do this is because I remember how comfortable the 2"RC and "83 spring setup was.
My hit and misses would've paid for a set of Radflos...
If anyone has a comment or suggestion, lemme hear it. Just be kind.
Happy Trails!

[Rickalicka18]

I have 87s with bilsteins up front with my 3" lift meister lift kit. Rides rough over bumps, but I like it being stiff because helps keep the truck stable on turns and what not, the stiffer springs also help keep the ride less bouncy on trails. Maybe you can meet in the middle and do 85 springs. What do you have in the rear for a set up?

[kcb58h]

Rear lift consists of Skyjacker shocks, CR25 springs and stock spring insulators - no spacers. If I'm dumb enough to lift a 2WD EXT, it had better look right, and level is a must for me.
'85s would lower the front, and require a thinner (than .75") additional spacer. I already have the .75" spacers (from LM), and the '83s. According to ORTB spring chart, '87s-'83s=.76" difference. Their calculation was spot-on for my application.
BTW - what springs came stock on your TB?

[Rickalicka18]

I had 85s