I've seen trucks with a stupid amount of shocks

Is this a bad idea?
I have an old 84 and over time I'm changing the front dana 28 to a dana 35 then the rear as well
etc etc till its frankenstein but I am wondering why do, or what solicits people to add more shocks or struts?
Any downside to that?

I looked all over and i couldn't find **** on this subject

 

You're already complaining about the harsh ride, more shocks will just make it worse.

 

SPRINGS!!!!!

The springs are the first thing you look at for best ride
Spring are rated for the weight they support, this is why pickup trucks often have a stiff ride when empty, the rear leaf springs are rated to carry 1,000lbs(1/2 ton) more than rear actually weighs when empty
You can get lower rated leaf springs with an added overload spring/leaf, the overload spring doesn't come into play until weight in bed reaches an extra 600lbs
So good ride empty and good ride full, just costs more so truck makers don't do it this way, unless you pay extra

Front springs are the same, rated for the weight of the front of the vehicle, coil or torsion bar
If you put on stiffer springs then front of vehicle is LIFTED UP, because springs have a higher rating so weight of truck can't push them down
So when you hit a bump the "springs" don't compress they just push vehicle/frame up, stiff ride, same happens in the rear

So you need proper weight rated springs for each corner
If you disconnect shocks you should be able to push down on each corner easily, bounce it, if not thats why ride is so harsh
The weight of the body and frame on that corner should be balanced with the spring weight so body and frame can easily bounce/deflect down and up to absorb dips and bumps

AND THEN you can pick a shock or shocks that work as you want

Best handling on or off road is when ALL 4 TIRES are touching the ground, steering and traction is gone when tires and the ground are not in contact, lol
With good springs dips and bumps are absorbed by the weight of the vehicle holding down the springs so tires stays in contact with the ground, if springs are too stiff vehicle is launched up after a dip or on a bump and weight comes off the tire, air borne is COOL, but not practical, lol

So softer springs are better to prevent this but you also don't want rebound effect of softer springs, this is where shock come into play
Shocks allow the springs to move, absorb dips and bumps but slow the deflection enough to prevent a "boat ride", more than one shock on each corner is when you are using overly soft springs, popular in off-road because tires STAY ON THE GROUND, and you need more than 1 shock to slow the deflection of the softer springs

 

I want to replace my rear leafsprings
84 ranger
has lift, im unsure how high, I assume 3-4 inches from just lookin at it (real suspension lift)

normal ranger that year has 3-4 (pretty sure this specific one had 4 leafs) leafs, this one has 5 now b/c of lift

Now id prefer nicer ride as I won't be using this truck to load a bunch of **** generally

How do I go about getting new rear leaf springs for this?

I really do not know where to start

I am honestly hoping you will kinda just tell me specifically what to buy and I will buy and install those lol
but any advice you have I will deeply appreciate