Regarding the SVC strike pad thickness, with the wire tie metal tab removed from the diff, it has supports which mate with the axle tube directly below where strikes should occur; IMO, this portion of the design looks well engineered. I did a shakedown run on mine yesterday evening, and there is a noticeable improvement in skittishness (Deavers). I will say that I do notice when I get into the bump stops, but I have no experience with hydraulic bumps so I don't have a reference whether or not they're harsh.
I summed the weights of what went in and what came out, accurate to my bathroom scale's error:
SVC bump stop kit (includes hardware): +43.9 lb
Stock springs, blocks, bumps: -136 lb
Deaver springs: +204.8 lb
Overall, these add 112 lbs to the truck.
Height at fender with OEM springs: 42.0". Height at rear fender with Deavers +2 (non HD) and SVC pads immediately after installation: ~42.25", most of the 0.25" is the SVC pads. Effectively, I saw no change in ride height. Height after a couple days and driving ~100 miles: 42.0", but this is with fuel added, so I claim no 'settling'. Will measure again with ~1/4 tank of fuel to see if it changes, but I'm not expecting it to.
FWIW, I ended up contacting both SVC and Deaver for documentation on torque specs and installation details. Deaver didn't respond to an email inquiry, but they picked up their phone on the second ring. Both were very helpful.
