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Did the 52" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Zeus33rd

Zeus33rd

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Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Went fairly well. 5-6 hours or so. Gotta thank my bud Joey. Did alot of the bitch work. lol Had to make new rear shackles and modify the front hanger a bit. Heres a few pictures..

P5150024.jpg

P5150017.jpg

P5150015.jpg

P5150021.jpg

P5150020.jpg

P5150019.jpg


Bottom three pics are flexed pictures. Works sooooo much better. To account for the different size busings, for the rear I built new shackles out of 3/8's with 1/4" spacers. For the front, I welded in the same 1/4" spacers. Worked out pretty good. Thanks to Sandman for the inspiration on this one. /forums/images/graemlins/woot.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Nice job! Hope those brake lines are long enough for all that flex. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Bitchin, totally. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Yeah, the springs are nice and all but whats really impressive is you drove up that ramp sans engine! /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Two quick questions Joe.

1. How come you did not and the under the frame bracket to the frame? I see you have a little bit of a gap there.

2. I have always admired your welding skills. What MIG setup do you have?
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Oh, look's sweet as a mofo too! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Is that a cell phone on the floor /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

Looks very nice... can't wait to see it off-road /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

picture 3 looks like your short shackle is pounded into the frame
everything else looks great
(except the clash of red and pea green)
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Blazerguy- Had alittle help from Mr. John Deere to get it up the ramp. /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

Yunit- It was like 11:30 when I finally started cleaning up. Didn't really want to do anything else to it. I'm going to address that gap today. Not sure how yet, but it will be fixed for sure. Thanks for the good words on my welding. I've pretty much been a welder for a living for the past 10 years or so...Lots of practice. My machine is a Lincoln PowerMIG 200. Wire is .035 solid wire with 75/25 gas. /forums/images/graemlins/pimp1.gif

84GMCJimmy- Yup. It's a cell phone. lol! Fell out of my pocket right before I got up to take the picture. /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

mj- You are right about the shackle. I was kinda depressed when I saw that..hehe I thought I was making them to imitate ORD's shackels. Didn't realize ORD's were 1/2" longer than stock. I'm gonna make another set to solve that. Kinda sucks cause I spent alot of time tryin to make those as pimp as possible. /forums/images/graemlins/woot.gif Also right on the gross green color..
83.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

this is a good time to swap in a hydro clutch
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Nice work /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

The hydro clutch will be an easy swap whenever I decide to do it...Ditchin the front sheet metal for good. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/pimp1.gif

Anyways..

More pictures from today..

Backed it up the ramp today. This photo illustrates how bad the stock suspension (and blocks /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif) sucks. 90% of the flex is coming from the frame and front springs..
rear2.jpg


With the tire turned the other way, it's pretty obvious it would hit the firewall. Gonna have to clearnace the firewall, and possibly move the axle forward another 1.5"..
rear4.jpg


This is the passenger shackle flexed. Hard to see, but theres about 1/8" gap there. Easy to see the thrashed bushings though..lol! If the ramp were longer/steeper it woulda gone further up, so the problem will only get worse. Longer shackles pretty much required.
rear5.jpg


Front flexes waaaay better up front than the stock rear can keep up with. Gotta start working on that soon.
rear3.jpg


Heh, I went to Pick-n-Pull today for the half price weekend. Got a couple seats from an '01 Ford Focus for $26. Sooooo much nicer than the thrashed stock seats. Just gotta clean'em up. Spent alittle time today working out a mounting system..
seat2.jpg

seat.jpg


More updates next weekend. /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif /forums/images/graemlins/weld.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Over the weekend I installed my ord zero rates up front and was looking around......and thinking (this always gets me into trouble). so last week I started reading about the 52" spring swap, and zam, here is a guy with pictures about it.
My question is this: I noticed how the front hanger is, and where it gets moved for the swap. the bracket bolts to the frame and then also to the body mount bracket. When you do the swap, you utilize the conviently empty holes in the bracket that serves as a point for the body mount. Is this by chance and one day some dude was looking at it and thought /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif'hey this might work', or where 52" springs meant to go upfront? my questions always ramble /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif, so I hope it wasn't too confusing. but (especially in these picutures) it's pretty obvious to see what i'm talking about.
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Joe, the key is to run 7 1/2" shackles (eye to eye) by moving the rear shackle mount forward. Once you get that done there won't be a ramp out there that you can max out on. Pop the four rivets on the mount, move the hanger forward and use the original bottom right hole in the frame for the lower left coner of the mount. Rotate the mount to where it sits parallel to the bottom of the frame rail, drill a new 2" hole in the frame and 3 new holes for the hanger. It should only take about a hour a side and it really helps with the shackle woah's and gives you even better flex /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

Sweet! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

You'll really like how it rides also. Real smooth and nice. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

[ QUOTE ]
Joe, the key is to run 7 1/2" shackles (eye to eye) by moving the rear shackle mount forward. Once you get that done there won't be a ramp out there that you can max out on. Pop the four rivets on the mount, move the hanger forward and use the original bottom right hole in the frame for the lower left coner of the mount. Rotate the mount to where it sits parallel to the bottom of the frame rail, drill a new 2" hole in the frame and 3 new holes for the hanger. It should only take about a hour a side and it really helps with the shackle woah's and gives you even better flex /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Moving the shackle mount forward should not be required with a spring this long.

I did that with my 6" lift springs and it's worked out great for me.

My shackles are 7" long from eye to eye. You will have to measure the total length of your springs when flat and make sure the shackle is long enough to keep the spring eye off the frame.

Keep in mind the stock shackles/mounts were designed for negative arch springs the moved FORWARD under compression and this is why much longer shackles are needed to keep your springs off the frame.

Once you get those long shackles your front pinion angle is going to suck though. I got a HAD to solve the problem but the majority of people would probably run tapered zero rates and spring plates.
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

[ QUOTE ]
Joe, the key is to run 7 1/2" shackles (eye to eye) by moving the rear shackle mount forward. Once you get that done there won't be a ramp out there that you can max out on. Pop the four rivets on the mount, move the hanger forward and use the original bottom right hole in the frame for the lower left coner of the mount. Rotate the mount to where it sits parallel to the bottom of the frame rail, drill a new 2" hole in the frame and 3 new holes for the hanger. It should only take about a hour a side and it really helps with the shackle woah's and gives you even better flex /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought about going that route for mine, but then I aquired a K30 with 56" rear's. the nice thing about them is the offset center pin, putting the axle in the same placew as a 52's, but with added length on the rear of hte spring, I would'nt have to move the shackle hanger! /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

[ QUOTE ]
Sweet! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

You'll really like how it rides also. Real smooth and nice. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You think you'll have any long term issues with the springs sagging considering your big block? I'll be running a big block myself. Someone in my club brought this up...Think it'll be an issue?
 
Re: Did the 52\" front spring swap today...56K beware!

[ QUOTE ]
You think you'll have any long term issues with the springs sagging considering your big block? I'll be running a big block myself. Someone in my club brought this up...Think it'll be an issue?

[/ QUOTE ]

I doubt it will be an issue, rear springs are designed to carry the heaviest of loads in pickups.

His cadilac bb is much closer in weight to a chevy sb anyway so it wouldn't exactly be the best comparison to compare your bbc to his caddy.
 
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