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Anyone running 63" rear springs?

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CK5

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Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

Just wondering if anyone here is running 63" rear springs and how they like them and what mods were done to get them installed.

Steve

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Mall-Running poseur 4x4 with curb-feelers
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

I am going to still recovering from my front suspension install. Stephen Watson is going to order a set for me that has the center pin offset and I am going to use the stock front hanger. The axle will be moved back 2 inches from stock an it should just clear the tank skid plate. I am going to fabricate my own rear shackle hanger with some built in adjustability until I get where I want it. I plan on doing this in the near future. I'll let you know.

<font color=yellow>Steve Frisbie</font color=yellow>
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

Planned on doing it, but looked like it was going to be a lot of work (like the first replier mentioned). Decided to go with F*rd F-150 springs that were 3 inches longer than the Blazer springs.

--Rob
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

Steve
Do you plan on moving the front hanger forward at all? Are you going with Alcan's?

Steve

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Mall-Running poseur 4x4 with curb-feelers
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

Steve

I decided against moving the hangers since the frame angles down and the hangers would get lower it would induce to much fabrication, and the hangers are pretty sturdy in stock form. Stephen Watson has spec'd out a set of 125 inch pound springs that should give me enough flex to keep up with the front. And they will be Alcan's. I am going to redo my shock mounts and run them off the top of the axle and through the floor pan to an adjustable tower in the bed. I would like to get a set of King's to match the ones I have in the front so I am pinching my pennies.

<font color=yellow>Steve Frisbie</font color=yellow>
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

Steve, I am doing a frame-off rebuild and planning to run my rear shock mounts above the floor as well as raise the gas tank above the floor. If you have any more info on the springs as well as the longer shock setup I would like to stay in the loop of information. Thanks, Bill
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

I'll keep you posted. I raised my gas tank up two inches when I installed my body lift. It made a big difference in the drag factor.

<font color=yellow>Steve Frisbie</font color=yellow>
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

hey you gotta talk to twiztid... I think he's runnign 63" rear springs. I saw his fab'd setup when I picked up my axles and it looks REALLY clean.

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<font color=blue> Jeff </font color=blue>
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Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

someone clue me in! what vehicle to you get 63 inchers off of?
do you move the front or rear hanger or both?

<font color=blue>Striving for K5 world dominance</font color=blue>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://bluebeast.coloradok5.com/>http://bluebeast.coloradok5.com/</A>
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

you know I think he just moved the back hanger, but I'm not sure. he also had longer gm springs up front. he had a LOT of cool stuff he was doing. I keep telling him he's gotta post some pics here!

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<font color=blue> Jeff </font color=blue>
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Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

Steve, How did you raise your tank just 2"? Did you remove the cross braces in the frame and remount them higher? I plan on removeing the floor completely in the back and suspending the tank from the roll cage and mounting the shocks to the cage as well. Thats why I would like to know the best angle/size for shocks and springs.

Bill Hughes
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

I cut both crossmembers even with the inside of the frame moved them up and rewelded them. It makes it a little tricky getting the tank in. A large hammer and a lot of persuasion was required.

<font color=yellow>Steve Frisbie</font color=yellow>
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

I've done the 63" rear springs!

I took some pics of it, but they came out fuzzy (I was too close). I spent half of last weekend trying to figure out how to post them on zing. I got the pictures I had, scand them, and tryied to up load them to Zing but couldn't and I don't know why. I took some better pics monday night and I'll try to post them again this weekend. (I'am new to the net, 4 monthst!! So have some patience with me). I could probably use the U.S. mail and they'd get to you faster.

The 63" rear springs are normaly from the rear of a IFS chev truck. I had a stock set that I used as a mock up set and spent about a month measureing, changeing mounts and more measuring. What I finaly ended up with was almost amazingly simple! Almost a bolt up deal useing the stock hangers and some of the stock rivet holes (all that measureing for nothing!) All I had to do was knock out some rivets. Move both the front hanger and rear hangers out. Knock out some more rivets, Install the 90 deg. main hanger bracket to some of the places where the rivets were removed from, then bolt the large horse shoe shaped main hanger to the 90 deg. bracket. Then drill the rest of the holes on the frame useing the main hanger as a template. The rear shackle hanger was a little differnt story, but I still was able to use the stock hanger and a few stock bolt holes. I also had to get a A.M. liftted spring and swap out some leafs to get my 4" lift.

So.
What I ended up with was a 4" lift (but it could be more if someone need it to be) That soaks up every inch of my RS5012 shocks that are custom mounted out-side the fame rails (these shock have 13.5" of travel) And I think it would go further, but not much more. It also seams to be soft AND safe. It also moved the rear axle back about an inch or two. My current 36" tires fit right inside the stock fender wells, but a little close to the rear of the fender and the rear diff bum cover looks like it will come to within a inch or so of the gas tank shield.

I'm working on the pics, maybe Jeff can give me a hand?

Steve frizbie is right, it will move the hangers down if you do it like this, and the hangers will hit the stock body support. I put a 1 inch body lift on last weekend and it clears the under body support now. The lower part of the stock hangers are about as low as the stock T-case cross member.

Twiztid
 
Re: Anyone running 63" rear springs?

Um O.K.,,,?!?!?!???

Well, I did somemore checking and measureing here is what I found.

What I did to my '74 blazer will work on '73-'80 K5 Blazers/Jimmys only. In '81 G.M. changed the frame along with the front clip. So, What I discribed above will not work on the latter stlyles.

So, I measured the stock rear spring hangers on a new style (after '81) and I think you could fit the 63" springs in them also, but it will be tight.

Heres the idea; Sock spring measures 25.5" from the front eye to the center pin bolt, Stock 63" springs are 31.5 (more if lifted) So inorder to mount the springs, and keep the rear axle in the stock location, you would need to move the front mount about 6" forward.

So, I measured the ldistance from the lower rivet on the spring hanger to the lower rivet on the body mount infront of the hanger (3.5"). Then checked the next rivet abover the lower one in the same fashion (2.5"). So if you moved the hanger to the body mount rivets, it woul tilt the hanger and move the spring eye forward about 4" (look at your frame, it will be aperant). So, what about the other 2 inches? Well I eye-balled the rear bum cover to gas tank clearance, and I think you could move the rear axle back about 3" and still have an inch clearence, and all you would need would be 2 inches. Also, the hanger would be move down about an inch, and if you move the rear hanger back, but keep it on the same horizontal plane, the the sring would a forward slop (lower in the font than it isin the rear) This would pull the rear axle forward (kinda) as it would compress. I also eye-balled the body clearence, and I think it might clear with a little trimming on the mount. (I ended up needing a 1" body lift to clear the mounts on my '74, plus some trimming)

All measurements are just ball-parked with a tape measure, but it LOOKS like it would work. At least it might get some people thinking, hopefully!

Like my 63s
Twiztid
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

OK, here's my situation, I have the ORD 4" flip, I also have an ORD 1" add-a-leaf offset pin that relocates the rear axle back an 1-3/4". I was talking with Stephen from ORD and what he has done was put the right flip on the left side and the left flip on the right side (remember the flips angle back) by doing this you can mount 56" springs instead of the stock 52" springs and it will relocate the axle back about an 1" which is about perfect. Because I already have the flips installed this would be easy to unbolt them and swap sides so now I would be going from 56" to 64" and the axle is about where I want it. That leaves 8" longer, which means moving both mounts 4" in both directions, maybe even moving the front forward 3" and the back 5". I think this can be done, I have pretty worn and slightly bent springs now so I would go with 6" front and 3" in the rear with my 4" flip for 7" total to cure saggy butt .

Steve

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Mall-Running poseur 4x4 with curb-feelers
 
Re: Anyone running 63\" rear springs?

Wow, this post is over two years old, someone went grave digging.
 
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