56" rears done, now shackle question EDIT: lots of pics

[perp]

I finished my 56" spring swap last weekend and just got around to some pics. it moved the axle back 4" as i ran them backwards, worked out just like i hoped. now my rear shackle angle looks good to me for lots of droop, but as measured it is 1.5" to short for full compression (full flat). i have the ride height right where i want it, so i am thinking of running a 2" longer shackle, and swapping my 4" ORD shackle flip for a 2.5" shackle flip. or maybe build my own 1.5" flip and use an even longer shackle thoughts/comments?? anyone in Phoenix AZ area with a ORD 2.5 flip want to trade up to a 4"? mine was mounted but never driven. Currently mounted in swapped positions (right to left)


also I am running 4" lift 56" long springs backward no overloads, 38.5 boggers, 4" shackle flip, tapered frt/bk will be trimming body after axles are done being relocated, 454/400/203/205 14ff/60 (if any of that helps in the comments suggestions?)

 

[MTMike]

If the ride height's where you want it, why not keep the flip kit you already have, run 6" shackles (2" longer than stock, thus providing 1" more lift) and remove 1 leaf from the lift springs. You'd keep the same ride height, the removed leaf would make the springs flexier, you'd have the extra droop of the longer shackles and you could do it with only having to buy the longer shackles intead of finding a 2.5" flip kit.

 

[perp]

These springsare already very soft and flexable, if I pull another leaf i will have axle wrap problems for sure. then again, that gives me an excuse to build the anti-wrap bar I wanted. By the time I put in the cage and fuel cell, it might sag in the back anyhow, so at that point I could just use the longer shackle and maybe move the hanger back an inch too. I may have to wait and see. Thanks for the input

 

[perp]

btw, how do you like your 52" front springs, that is my project for next weekend. any tips/tricks/pitfalls? how did it clear the x over steering. my 60 in the front may be different than your 10b, the draglink gets prety close to the high steer tie rod at times if i move the axle forward it will hit for sure. and did you really get a true 4" of lift or what from them

 

[MTMike]

I LOVE the 52's. Trail obstacles that bounce Jeeps around & teeter them on 2 wheels, I just crawl over and the truck's body hardly moves. The X-over is great too. On full driver-side stuff, my pitman arm (where it connects to the draglink) may contact the the spring briefly, but that will be solved when I get bumpstops in there, other than that I see no ill-effects from it.

With the 7.25" shackles I used and the angle they're at, I probably got 4.5" of suspension lift out of them.

The main thing I can tell you about the project is that it will cost twice as much, and take 3 times longer than you think By the time I added up all the little things like 48 lbs of Grade 8 hardware, shock towers, brake lines, drill bits, more drill bits, a new drill when you toast the one you've got, grinder heads, cutoff wheels, more drill bits, etc etc I figure it doubled the cost of my project.

 

[perp]

everything I have done to this truck costs double what i planned on. thanks for the feedback, I am now completly sold on 52's up front

 

[MTMike]

You'll love the 52's. My dog slept through the tough spot on a 4-rated "Lockers & Winch Required" trail becuase the suspension handled it so smoothly. My wife was reading a book going up the trails on our last trail ride because she said "This thing rides like a cadillac over the bumps"

 

[steve_kibbe]

thats a great looking blazer. I would just add longer shackles and wait until you got it ready to go with your cage and all before I'd change the flip.

 

[perp]

thanks for the compliment, I think I will wait until all of the weight is on it to do anything, not like I'm going wheeling without the cage, it might fold in half with the roof gone

 

[BigCountryx]

what exactly is your setup in these pics? Looks like you swaped sides with the shackle flip, but still mounted in factory location and installed the 56"ers backwards, correct? What size front springs do you have up front? Zero rates front or rear?

 

[perp]

back---
56" Rears backwards (Super lift 4"). perches cut and rotated. no blocks in rear. ORD 4" shackle flip mounted in stock holes, sides swapped (right to left). stock shacles. Overload leaf removed.
.
Front---
8" superlift (stock length/location). Zero rate in stock pin location. D60 ( taller perches ). 1 inch over stock shacles. ORD high steer/crossover
.
Next week or so i am putting a set of 4" lift 52" long rear springs on the front of the truck. this should net 8"-9" of front lift, but with a 454/400/203/205 that is all very heavy i am guessing i will get closer to the 8" level. with this setup the front axle should go forward 2-3" and i will hope to eliminate the zero rate as it makes my high steer sit very close to the spring. i am also switching the ORD d60 steer arms out to a WFO arm that relocates the highsteer tierod behind the differential, so the drag link and tie rod wont hit each other after the axle is moved forward. as they sit right now they rub slightly.

I may have stated some of this previously, but i want to answer Bigcountryx's questiom completely

 

[BigCountryx]

Thanks a ton perp, That info is gonna help me out quite a bit! Can't wait to see your rig when your done!!

 

[spoolnaround]

The main thing I suggest is to get some beefy shackes so they dont end up looking like this:

 

[BigCountryx]

eeeeeeewwwww!

 

[perp]

Good point!

 

[surpip]

did you swap a 73-75 windshield fram onto your truck?
how bout some closer pictures of what you did to the cab, and frame.
thanks

 

[PeteH]

need more pics . isnt your body tapered?

 

[perp]

i will try to ge more pics and details in the next day or too. my water bed had a blow out and now i am having to spend my evenings rebuilding the bedroom
breifly though, yes it is tappered and no i didn't use an older window frame, why bother, with a taper i can't put a top on it anyhow so i just cut the roof as straight as i could.

 

[PeteH]

getting roudy on the bed huh?

 

[perp]

more pics as requested, one of the remodeled bedroom too ( so you know i wasn't lying)
Cab cut off repair was made from donor metal from fender and front of hood as the factory curves were already very close to the shape of the bed side and both front fenders/hood were bent up anyhow