56" Spring Swap

[sjvcon]

56\" Spring Swap

I have a 3/4 Ton Suburban (K-20) that has 52" springs. I want to swap to 56" springs. I have seen it posted on another site and it looked simple to do (that guy had the holes pre-drilled at the factory--mine doesn't). Anyone have any experience with that? Is it worth doing? What benefits other than higher spring rate? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[skratch]

Re: 56\" Spring Swap

Well for one it will ride better on rode, and flex better off road.
I'm suprised you don't have the holes, I've never seen a Burb without them.
What year is yours?

Basically if you don't have the holes line up the bracket's front holes with the rear holes in the fram and drill all the others from there. That should be exactly where they are, but I'd have to go look again or ask someone that has already done the swap.

I'm not at home but I have a link to the article there, when I get home later I'll add it for ya, unless someone beats me to it.

 

[Silver84k5]

Re: 56\" Spring Swap

i used shackle flip brackets. Used them on the opposite sides that they are suppose to be on. Then moved them about 1" back, maybe more. Drilled new holes, and bolted the springs in place. If i had it to do over again, i wouldnt of moved the brackets so far back thus giving me a steeper shackle angle, and i wouldve used longer shackles... ill prolly do these changes soon.... As far as flex goes, theres a little more, but nothing to Get hard about....

 

[BadDog]

Re: 56\" Spring Swap

On my son's K5, we switched to 56" springs at the same time as the shackle flip. In order to improve the shackle angle, we moved the cut hangers back only about 3" or so. Very simple mod that anyone can do with simple tools, but having general fab tools helps make it quicker and easier.

 

[Silver84k5]

Re: 56\" Spring Swap

for sure, those rivets made me want to shoot myself a few times.

 

[MR4WD]

Re: 56\" Spring Swap

I did this same thing over the weekend on my blazer. Except I mounted the springs backwards, due to my shackle flip rotating the axle forward. Then I drilled new holes in my axle and spring plates moving the axle another inch ahead. The net result seems to be a centered rear axle with a driveshaft a bit longer...

we'll see how it works.

 

[skratch]

Re: 56\" Spring Swap

OK, here's the link I promised last night.
52" to 56" Conversion
However it looks like I was wrong about the location of the holes, the ics in the link will show where they really are.
Good luck trying this out. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[sjvcon]

Re: 56\" Spring Swap

Thanks for all the help guys. I have seen that site for Oliver......that's the one that shows the extra holes predrilled. But with the information here, I think I can get 'er done. I think I will wait until I do an ORD 4" shackle so that I do it all at once. That with a 2" spring should get me the 6" I will need for the 37's I am planning on.
/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif