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52" Spring Swap Question

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Bowtiedad

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Jul 7, 2005
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Rochester, Indiana
I would like to do the swap to my 81 half ton that i just bought from a guy in Arkansas. He had put 4" blocks and longer shackles on the front. I dont beleive they are safe as well as anybody else. My question is do the springs have to come from a 4x4 or 2wd. This mod is something new to me. I was just going to buy springs from BDS or Tuff Country but i saw the mod and it intested me. Any help would be appreciated.
 
don't think it matters what they come from, so long as they are 52" long and in servicable condition. If you have any other questions not covered in my write up, lemme know!

j
 
Thanks for the quik reply and great job on the write up. It is easy to understand and follow. I will look you up if i have any problems . Again thanks
 
the big diffrence is not in the springs. its in the rear hangers. all have same part # but the 2x4 or 4x4 hanger is what does it.
 
10-4 big buddy. you are correct. but there is some versions with 3, 4, 5 leafs plus the overload leaf. most use the 5 leaf plus overload packs. part#22-553 is the spring # that any spring shop will know that seles springs in your area.:wink1:
 
how many leafs are used most commonly for the swap? 3,4,5 and overloads if used to get the 4 to 4.5" that jekbrown got with his swap. How many leafs did you use in your swap jekbrown? Sorry i just realized you said most use 5 leaf packs.
 
Bowtiedad said:
how many leafs are used most commonly for the swap? 3,4,5 and overloads if used to get the 4 to 4.5" that jekbrown got with his swap. How many leafs did you use in your swap jekbrown? Sorry i just realized you said most use 5 leaf packs.
Click to expand...
number of leaves you want to use can/would depend on alot of factors, including engine sbc or bbc. winch/ bumper :dunno: i am running 52's with 6 leaves with no overload!( 2 from a 3" stock lift)
 
my 52 packs have 6 leaves total. Pretty sure they came with 6 leaves. I did remove the overload and replace it with a short leaf from another set of 52s though so it isn't quite as tall as a factory 52" spring pack would be. I did this for the reasons I outlined in the write up... clearance for my tie rod being primary.

j
 
Bowtiedad said:
...i just bought from a guy in Arkansas. He had put 4" blocks and longer shackles on the front...
Click to expand...

Are you saying that he had 4" blocks on the front, or the blocks on the rear and just long shackles on the front? If the truck has blocks on the front, please to the world a favor and go back and hit that guy in the head w/ a tack hammer.
My 52's came out of the rear of a 86 K5, but I removed the add a leaf and added a middle leaf out of a pack of 6" Skyjacker springs... I needed more tierod clearance.
 
I am saying the guy had blocks and longer shackles in the front. I wont call him a idiot because of the blocks up front.They maybe legal in Arkansas but i dont think they are here in Indiana and i know they definitly are not safe.Hey jekbrown what hieght lift do you think yours is comparable to? Is your front end very stiff riding using 6 springs? Some of the brand name rearched springs ride like log wagons.
 
I have about 4" of lift up front. They are very flexible... I haven't maxed them out yet though because I have no shocks and I still havent installed bump stops, lim straps etc. My front driveshaft is going to be sent home to Jesse to be lengthened also. Anyway, because of all that crap I don't have much info on how they perform yet. I'm not to worried about it, Im sure they will be 100x better than the STIFF AS HELL rancho HD 4" springs that used to be on there. If the 52s dont do it for me, I'll just throw a set of 56s in there. ;)

j
 
thanks jek, iwas just curius. I am going to go ahead with the install and hope the height it gives me is about the same as it is right now. The truck is only 1/2" lower in the front than the rear and i like the way it sits. Again thanks
 
not a problem. Ya know, if you are gonna run normal low-steer type of steering set up, there is no reason why you couldn't add a leaf or two to your 52" pack to get a little more height if you need it. The only reason I kept so few leaves was to clear my tierod.

j
 
52" Spring Swap

I had many of the same questions after reading the article. I have a set of "nicely worn" 5 leaves from a '77 2wd Blazer (yes, they existed!) that were so flexy, i couldn't change tires opn that truck with my Hi-Lift. The bumper would get about as high as my nipples and I would get scared and one more click on the thing would cause it to fall right off the jack. I plan on pulling them from my '77 junker, popping them in my TBI '79, and adjusting the rear lift with a combination of homegrown shackle flip, (fabricated, not ground) and shim. It's just too bad there isn't some kind of equation to determine lift height from spring rate with this kind of mod. Seems really cool, though!
Good luck!
Should be a flex monster.
 
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