tRusty is sitting on 57\'s now (early spy pic\'s up now...)
I'm not quite done but she is back on her tires with the 57" long Ford F-150 springs under her./forums/images/icons/cool.gif/forums/images/icons/cool.gif
I recently picked up a used set off a 90 F-150 and spent 3 days grinding, buffing and painting the indvidual leafs. I added new UHMV slip pads and new center bolts and coated each leaf with 3 good coats of flat black epoxy paint. I redrilled the center bolt hole 1.5" farther back to keep the axle centered in the wheelwell.
I did a poor mans shackle flip by cutting the bottom out of the hanger and gusseting the top side of it. I extended my shackles 1.5", and I moved the hanger back 2.5".
One thing that I found out was the Ford springs use a 7/16" center bolt so the head of the center bolt does not fit the 14 bolt diff perch. I had to open up the hole to 5/8" for them to drop in. Using the stock perch location I'll need to add a 3 degree shim to get my pinion angle where it was before...that's on tomorrow nights list of things to finish. The U-bolts haven't been torqued yet so it shouldn't take long.
I have been taking detailed pic's of my progress at each step including a few with the tape measure out for comparison to the 52 stock spring. As it sits right now (no topper on it) I gained 1/2" of lift without adding or removing any leafs from the stock 57" leaf packs I bought. I used the 4 leaf + overload springs. I figure it should settle down to the same height with the top back on due to the much softer spring rate.
I will also get some ramp pic's (our club has it's own RTI ramp). My previous numbers were 935 frontwards at 20 degrees and 1065 backwards at the same angle. I am hoping to pass those numbers by a fair margin.
As a side note I did all this on my back patio and in the single carport we have a home. I normally beg my boss for the shop at work but I no longer have that job so I had to do it the hard way.
Rene
*edit* check mj's post below for spy pic's...no laughing at the chrome exhaust tips please!/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
I'm not quite done but she is back on her tires with the 57" long Ford F-150 springs under her./forums/images/icons/cool.gif/forums/images/icons/cool.gif
I recently picked up a used set off a 90 F-150 and spent 3 days grinding, buffing and painting the indvidual leafs. I added new UHMV slip pads and new center bolts and coated each leaf with 3 good coats of flat black epoxy paint. I redrilled the center bolt hole 1.5" farther back to keep the axle centered in the wheelwell.
I did a poor mans shackle flip by cutting the bottom out of the hanger and gusseting the top side of it. I extended my shackles 1.5", and I moved the hanger back 2.5".
One thing that I found out was the Ford springs use a 7/16" center bolt so the head of the center bolt does not fit the 14 bolt diff perch. I had to open up the hole to 5/8" for them to drop in. Using the stock perch location I'll need to add a 3 degree shim to get my pinion angle where it was before...that's on tomorrow nights list of things to finish. The U-bolts haven't been torqued yet so it shouldn't take long.
I have been taking detailed pic's of my progress at each step including a few with the tape measure out for comparison to the 52 stock spring. As it sits right now (no topper on it) I gained 1/2" of lift without adding or removing any leafs from the stock 57" leaf packs I bought. I used the 4 leaf + overload springs. I figure it should settle down to the same height with the top back on due to the much softer spring rate.
I will also get some ramp pic's (our club has it's own RTI ramp). My previous numbers were 935 frontwards at 20 degrees and 1065 backwards at the same angle. I am hoping to pass those numbers by a fair margin.
As a side note I did all this on my back patio and in the single carport we have a home. I normally beg my boss for the shop at work but I no longer have that job so I had to do it the hard way.
Rene
*edit* check mj's post below for spy pic's...no laughing at the chrome exhaust tips please!/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
