56" Rear Spring Users, Come In

[nvrenuf]

K5-Newbie's thread - http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132186 - got me thinking/worried.

How many are running the ORD flip brackets swapped side to side with 56" springs? How many with lift springs? Is this shackle compression/lock problem shown in the other thread common?

I've tried to follow the long spring info and it seemed like this is a fairly common combo but I haven't seen anyone else post up about this particular side effect.

Ideas / comments?

 

[85mudblazin]

I am a cheap bastard so I made my flip out of 2wd front spring brackets, you can place them for whatever shackle angle you want and control the lift, if you can do simple math $20 is alot better than $150 or whatever ORD wants.
Here are some pics of my install.
56" springs

 

[Silver84k5]

im running 56s out back... I switched sides with the Flip brackets, AND moved them back a little bit, The angle in that pic looks a little steep for my taste.

 

[nvrenuf]

im running 56s out back... I switched sides with the Flip brackets, AND moved them back a little bit, The angle in that pic looks a little steep for my taste.

Do you remember how far you moved them back?

 

[Nonesuch]

To get the most from the spring, you want the shackle to be laid back to almost flat when the spring is flat. This will give you maximum compression and maximum droop. Setting them up this way may not be ideal for a daily driver though.

I can explain how to do this if anyone wants to know.

 

[85mudblazin]

Do you remember how far you moved them back?

Its find of hard to tell you that since there are different brackets but my fornt spring mount-shackle mount on hanger is 53"s apart.

 

[nvrenuf]

How are you guys flattening out these springs to get the measurement?

 

[85mudblazin]

we arnt you just have to go by how your shackle angle looks, Nonesuch knows how to do all the math to figure out how far you can have your shackel back without it inverting.

 

[az-k5]

Measure a striat line from hanger hole back to the bottom shackle hole. If you are using 56" springs measure back 56". This is where your shackle will be at flat. Put your shackle strait up and down (pependicular ->90° to the ground) measure from hanger hole to the shackle hole. The difference of these numbers will be called leg 1, the current shackle length will be leg 2.

tan(leg2/leg1)= shackle angle.

You will need a new shackle to make this angle happen. To figure out how long of a shackle to make

sqrt(leg1²+leg2²)=new shackle length

 

[Silver84k5]

Do you remember how far you moved them back?

sorry no, it was a long time ago... when i get home ill try to make an educated guess.

 

[k5-newbie]

we figured out that if you make a longer shackle, the spring will not collapse onto itself and stick in the hanger. After talking to Stephen today, I decided to move the shackle hangers back on the frame and also look into making longer, and stronger shackels. The only thing I am concerned about is axle wrap. I may flip the springs back the right way until I figure out exactly what the truck is gonna do. ( I haven't had it out since I did the axle swap, and the lift, and the turbo 400/205 swap, and the X-over/hydraulic assist...well you get the picture.) Regardless, I will move the shackle mounts more to the rear. The truck has so many unknowns at this time, it may be better to get other things worked out and then worry about stretching it and building a trac bar.


Oh, by the way, even if I do run the 56" springs the right way, it will still give me about another 1 1/2" to 2" of "stretch" in the rear. That will take my WB to around 108 and then when I get my zero rates in (hopefully tomorrow) it will get me to around 109 to 110 overall. We will see. Sorry this is so long.