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shackle flip vs new springs?

keelue

keelue

1/2 ton status
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Mar 10, 2010
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mesa, az
i've read a lot about the shackle flip on here, but other than the $$ saved is there an advantage compared to just installing new 4" springs?

i've had the blazer about a year, 77 k5, 350/465, d44/12b on 4" blocks. rebuilt the motor, transfer case, new driveshafts, got the brakes right, etc. now i have a lock right sitting here just beggin to be installed out back along with ord's sway bar disconnect. before doing that though i gotta get rid of these blocks. eventually i'll get the d60/14bff combo but while hunting those down and saving for detroits i'm gonna play with what i got.

so what should i do? flip shackles or just get some new springs?
 
Shackle flip flexes better too, and if you bend the springs replacements are practically free.

Lift springs will be better with axle wrap.
 
i didn't think about spring replacement, good point. how often does that happen though? i've definitely pushed the limits of what i got now. but i've gone through 2 u-joints and a driveshaft cause of axle wrap.

now if i got this right, i can do the shackle flip with half ton gear, but i can only move up to a 3/4 ton 14bsf. but if i get new springs i can use them with either 3/4 or 1 tons. which leads me to, is it worth it running 1 tons?
 
What may be confusing you there is the fact of the true bolt in axles. If you are 6 lug then yes a semifloat 14 bolt will be your only "true" bolt in axle. 3/4 ton 14 bolts are a bolt in as far as springs go but require 8 lug wheels. A one ton 14 bolt will have bigger brakes and the spring perches and shock mounts are in different locations so it is not a true bolt on. The only difference between 3/4 ton 14 bolt full floater and a one ton 14 bolt full floater is the location of said mounts and the bigger brakes, they are the same beast.

Another advantage with the shackle flip is the use of a flatter spring. Flatter springs tend to ride nicer. Although it seems most rear springs up to about 4" and some 6" springs ride pretty nice.

Do you have blocks now? The reason I ask is if you have blocks and bad axle wrap the axle wrap should get better with the flip but will still be worse (as Chris said) than new springs
 
flip rides real good.

and if you want to kill that axle wrap search in the garage here for anti wrap . lots of good stuff and great designs that dont kill flex at all but do kill wrap.
 
thanks for all the help. i didn't know there was a 3/4 ton full floater. yeah i want to get rid of the blocks and then watch the axle wrap as that's been my most frequent problem. though now i've learned how to pick a line and crawl, which has helped a lot!
 
keelue said:
thanks for all the help. i didn't know there was a 3/4 ton full floater. yeah i want to get rid of the blocks and then watch the axle wrap as that's been my most frequent problem. though now i've learned how to pick a line and crawl, which has helped a lot!
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Axle wrap is really only solved with an anti wrap bar (which is a half assed way of doing links) or going to links.

There are things that can help: more leaves, overloads, less vehicle weight, etc. Most of these have compromises, less flex, more weight, etc.
 
I am on 5" blocks right now... Axle wrap is also a problem for me, and I have one bent rear spring right now. So I am going with a 4" shackle flip and a 2" lift spring out back. I thought about an add-a-leaf because I camp in it mainly and go fully loaded... But I think it will be too stiff on the trails.
 
DizturbedOne said:
I am on 5" blocks right now... Axle wrap is also a problem for me, and I have one bent rear spring right now. So I am going with a 4" shackle flip and a 2" lift spring out back. I thought about an add-a-leaf because I camp in it mainly and go fully loaded... But I think it will be too stiff on the trails.
Click to expand...

Why not take your ass out to pick-n-pull, get some 56s to replace those bent ones, and get a pair of 9" shackles, or 7"shackles +a zero rate. May as well get those longer springs while doing the shackle flip, especially scince your stockers are already bent.
 
i like my 4 inch lift springs.definitely helped with wrap and i got rid of my 4 inch blocks,which broke and about lost the rear axle.now have 4 inch spring and 1 inch 6 degreee shim zero rate.rides real nice and my stock springs were shot also,so it fixed a lot of ride and handling problems i was having.i have also towed with it and is better than the stock springs as well.
 
I'm doing 56s, flip, and 6" shackles. It seems to be the combo. I have a thread started with a few picture of members set up this way.

If you want it easy, buy new springs. Want it hard and cheaper with more flex, flip kit.
 
keelue said:
i've read a lot about the shackle flip on here, but other than the $$ saved is there an advantage compared to just installing new 4" springs?

i've had the blazer about a year, 77 k5, 350/465, d44/12b on 4" blocks. rebuilt the motor, transfer case, new driveshafts, got the brakes right, etc. now i have a lock right sitting here just beggin to be installed out back along with ord's sway bar disconnect. before doing that though i gotta get rid of these blocks. eventually i'll get the d60/14bff combo but while hunting those down and saving for detroits i'm gonna play with what i got.

so what should i do? flip shackles or just get some new springs?
Click to expand...
just my two cents but i had stephen at ord make me some custom springs and they are pretty sweet great ride and tons of flex. There was plenty of debate of me not going with a shackle flip but im happy i didnt here was the old post i had theres some descent info on there from stephen. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262768
 
kauzenkaos said:
just my two cents but i had stephen at ord make me some custom springs and they are pretty sweet great ride and tons of flex. There was plenty of debate of me not going with a shackle flip but im happy i didnt here was the old post i had theres some descent info on there from stephen. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262768
Click to expand...

So what lift did you get and how many springs in your frt and rear packs?
Any axle wrap in the rear?
 
Just over 6 inches of lift I think the fronts are a 10 leaf pack and stock length the rears are like 6 leaf and 64 inches as far as price I bought a ton of stuff springs hd shackels front and rear greasable bushings front swaybar disconnects and some other stuff I can't remember but I spent like 2g's I think the springs were close to 1200 for all 4. I took off a brand new tuff country easyride that rode like **** and sagged pretty bad in the rear and put this stuff on and day and night diffrence in flex and ride. Very minor axle wrap on hard accel I think the long arched springs help with that.
 
Unless your leaf spring is rock hard you will have some axle wrap, just one of the disadvantages of a leaf spring.

But any direction you go will be better than your current huge block

I don't know how handy you are at fab work but with the cost of a custom spring pack I think I would just link the thing
 
it is much easier to just replace the springs.6 bolts per spring instead of grinding the rivets out,getting the flip in and still replacing the springs anyway because your spring is already shot.4 inch lift is not as hard a spring as say an 8 inch with more arch.if i was going with more lift than 4 inch id go with a flip though.ultimately its up to you though.:dunno:
 
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