A bunch of 52"F - 56"R spring swap questions...

[jarheadk5]

YES, I know this topic has been covered ad nauseum.
YES, I know I should search. I did. Try it sometime, and YOU try to find the good info hidden among the hits on people's sig lines...

My rig is an '87 K5. Soooo, on to the questions.
1. I've got an '87 C10 as a 6.2 donor with 5-leaf rear springs on it. Should I use them for the front of my K5, or just move my K5's rear springs up to the front? Keep in mind the 6.2 (roughly the same weight as a BBC as I recall) is going in my K5...
2. Approximately how much lift am I gonna see from #1?
3. Front spring mounts - as I understand it, I need to remove the front spring/body mount assemblies and reverse them (left to right, right to left), correct?
4. Even after #3, I'll probably still need to relocate the front spring's rear shackle hanger to fix the shackle angle, correct?
5. I was planning an ORD shackle flip out back. As I understand it, to mount 56" springs (donor still TBD...) I just need to reverse the flip brackets, correct? (again, left to right, right to left)
6. Depending on the donor (or maybe not... I don't know), what am I looking at for lift amounts with an ORD 2.5" flip?
7. Stock front springs have a "military wrap" front springeye. Stock rears (52's anyway - haven't seen 56's yet) do not. While I'm not building it to be a DD, I do have to keep it street-legal, and I will be driving it to 'wheeling spots as well as to school/work maybe once a week. Anyone have any concerns about the lack of military wrap springeyes on the front springs?

I know there's other stuff to be covered here, like shocks (I'm planning on F*rd SD shock towers up front (the nice forged ones) and a crossmember-type shock mount out back), steering (got a 2wd steering box in the C10 donor for crossover), axlewrap (planning something for it...), and driveshafts (I'll figure that out when the beast is a little closer to completion)...
Feel free to remind me of any other issues I should be thinking about. Thanks.

 

[nvrenuf]

While I haven't done these mods yet I've tried to keep up with them so I'll answer the ones I (think ) I know...

1. If the spring count is the same I would think either would perform similarly. Maybe use the springs from the donor so you don't have to tear the K5's rear apart until you're ready.
2. 4" of lift from stock 52" springs (lift springs would equal 4" + advertised lift amount)
3. Yes
4. Yes, the popular shackle length seems to be 7.25"
5. Yes
6. The overall lift amount is not effected by the 52" vs 56" conversion (using GM type springs)
7. I know the military wrap is supposed to be nice but I doubt not having it would be detrimental

Don't forget that using the 52's up front moves the axle 2" forward so crossover will be a "must".

HTH

 

[rubbinz raczn]

YES, I know this topic has been covered ad nauseum.
YES, I know I should search. I did. Try it sometime, and YOU try to find the good info hidden among the hits on people's sig lines...

My rig is an '87 K5. Soooo, on to the questions.
1. I've got an '87 C10 as a 6.2 donor with 5-leaf rear springs on it. Should I use them for the front of my K5, or just move my K5's rear springs up to the front? Keep in mind the 6.2 (roughly the same weight as a BBC as I recall) is going in my K5...
2. Approximately how much lift am I gonna see from #1?
3. Front spring mounts - as I understand it, I need to remove the front spring/body mount assemblies and reverse them (left to right, right to left), correct?
4. Even after #3, I'll probably still need to relocate the front spring's rear shackle hanger to fix the shackle angle, correct?
5. I was planning an ORD shackle flip out back. As I understand it, to mount 56" springs (donor still TBD...) I just need to reverse the flip brackets, correct? (again, left to right, right to left)
6. Depending on the donor (or maybe not... I don't know), what am I looking at for lift amounts with an ORD 2.5" flip?
7. Stock front springs have a "military wrap" front springeye. Stock rears (52's anyway - haven't seen 56's yet) do not. While I'm not building it to be a DD, I do have to keep it street-legal, and I will be driving it to 'wheeling spots as well as to school/work maybe once a week. Anyone have any concerns about the lack of military wrap springeyes on the front springs?

I know there's other stuff to be covered here, like shocks (I'm planning on F*rd SD shock towers up front (the nice forged ones) and a crossmember-type shock mount out back), steering (got a 2wd steering box in the C10 donor for crossover), axlewrap (planning something for it...), and driveshafts (I'll figure that out when the beast is a little closer to completion)...
Feel free to remind me of any other issues I should be thinking about. Thanks.

i will post what i know. #2 people say 4 inches. #3 yes you swap left to right.#4 yes it improves the shackle angle, you should also buy or make longer shackles i got a set of 7.25" hole to hole from whiterhyno. with the rear hanger move they sit nice! #5 not sure #6 not sure #7 on the rear springs i have seen stock i have yet to see the military style, but never messed with military stuff. does the 6.2 rig use 56's in the rear? i wuld use the 52's in the front,swap the 56's to your blazer. as far as weight being a factor on the front lift, throw a few more leaves into the front pack! i added 2 into mine from a front set of 3" lift ones. that should help compensate for the extra weight.

 

[txfiremank5]

While I haven't done these mods yet I've tried to keep up with them so I'll answer the ones I (think ) I know...

1. If the spring count is the same I would think either would perform similarly. Maybe use the springs from the donor so you don't have to tear the K5's rear apart until you're ready.
2. 4" of lift from stock 52" springs (lift springs would equal 4" + advertised lift amount)
3. Yes
4. Yes, the popular shackle length seems to be 7.25"
5. Yes
6. The overall lift amount is not effected by the 52" vs 56" conversion (using GM type springs)
7. I know the military wrap is supposed to be nice but I doubt not having it would be detrimental

Don't forget that using the 52's up front moves the axle 2" forward so crossover will be a "must".

HTH

Looks right to me, from the info I have read here and there. If you don't get all the answers here that you want/need, austink5.net has serveral members who have done the swap... may want to pick their brains a bit.

 

[Emmettology 101]

I've been trying to follow the 52" front swap as much as I could. But haven't seen it posted before about swapping the front spring hanger left ot right and vice versus. What is the purpose of this?

 

[jarheadk5]

I've been trying to follow the 52" front swap as much as I could. But haven't seen it posted before about swapping the front spring hanger left ot right and vice versus. What is the purpose of this?

From what I've gathered, if you don't swap the hangers, the front axle will be moved rearward about 1.5" with a 52" spring swap. Swapping the hangers moves the axle forward about 1.5", keeping the tires out of the firewall when stuffed, helping out with approach angle, and adding some length to the front driveshaft to reduce U-joint angles.


For the others -- Thanks for the info!

 

[85mudblazin]

you dont need to swap the hangers just move them to in front of the body mount.

 

[rubbinz raczn]

I've been trying to follow the 52" front swap as much as I could. But haven't seen it posted before about swapping the front spring hanger left ot right and vice versus. What is the purpose of this?

actually what swapping the front hangers does is put the body mount in the same spot as it was! if you move the hanger forward so does the location of the radiator support. if you swap sides the mount is behind spring hanger instead of front! putting it in the stock location. does my goofy explaination make sense here are a couple pics. 1st is front mount rh side. the holes behind mount are old holes from stock mount. (you can see how far mount moved) 2nd is shackle angle with springs installed with out moving rear mount. 3rd is shackle angle with rear mount moved forward much better.

 

[sapper]

That is definitly one way to do it, i think some of the confusion is most have done like i did and just pull the L bracket of and remount it in front of the body mount, both ways come to the same conclusion.

 

[jekbrown]

lol! i didnt read the text at first, just scanned the pics and I was dumbfounded trying to figure out how you loved the L-bracket to the front of the body mount without removing the rivets that hold it on. lol! anyway, I hadn't heard of anyone doing it that way... but it looks like it works. I have a spare set of L-brackets that I cut off an old frame I have... Im just gonna use them. My 52 swap is gonna have a very detailed write-up with pics and everything so fellow noobs can follow along.

j

 

[rubbinz raczn]

lol! i didnt read the text at first, just scanned the pics and I was dumbfounded trying to figure out how you loved the L-bracket to the front of the body mount without removing the rivets that hold it on. lol! anyway, I hadn't heard of anyone doing it that way... but it looks like it works. I have a spare set of L-brackets that I cut off an old frame I have... Im just gonna use them. My 52 swap is gonna have a very detailed write-up with pics and everything so fellow noobs can follow along.

j

yeah i think as many people that are interested in this swap a write would help!

 

[Emmettology 101]

actually what swapping the front hangers does is put the body mount in the same spot as it was! if you move the hanger forward so does the location of the radiator support. if you swap sides the mount is behind spring hanger instead of front! putting it in the stock location. does my goofy explaination make sense here are a couple pics. 1st is front mount rh side. the holes behind mount are old holes from stock mount. (you can see how far mount moved) 2nd is shackle angle with springs installed with out moving rear mount. 3rd is shackle angle with rear mount moved forward much better.

I see what you're saying now. But what were goign to do(and have seen others do it) is just move the spring hanger buckets(and "L's") and not touch the body mounts....

 

[rubbinz raczn]

I see what you're saying now. But what were goign to do(and have seen others do it) is just move the spring hanger buckets(and "L's") and not touch the body mounts....

that could be a safer way since if you didn't get the mount hole back where it was it could cause body fit or other problems!