rear leaf spring shackle flip

[asmith]

So i have been searching and have not come up with what i was looking for. i need to change the rear hangers on the truck because they are rusty. my truck is lifted, but i dont know how much. it has some pretty tall blocks in the back. since the hangers have to come off i was thinking a shackle flip would be a good way to go to get rid of the blocks, but i dont want to affect my towing and load capabilities that much. will doing this make it squat real bad when loaded up? i thought about air bags, but i dont have the money time or skills to fab those up. any one with first hand experience?

 

[franklin2]

No experience with the flip kit. I do know you can just go back and measure the height of the block, and that will be the lift. It should have two blocks on it, the shorter one is the factory block, the taller one is the lift block, so just measure the taller block.

I have considered the flip kit to get rid of my blocks also. I do get some axle wrap when pulling a heavy trailer. But I just can't get by the theory of putting those flimsy factory shackles in compression when loaded. The factory has them under tension when loaded.

I am considering leaving my blocks and adding some bars to the rear axle to control axle wrap. I only have a 4 inch lift but I am afraid I might break a u-joint with the rearend twisting up and down under load when shifting gears.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

My truck still tows just fine with the rear flip. Gained about 3.5-4in. what i had to do was put a small block in (for added height to match front) but installed backwards to correct my driveline angle.

I'm sitting on 37's. tow pretty heavy. No issues here.

 

[franklin2]

I guess it would be easy enough to box the shackles in for extra strength. The angle of the pumpkin that was mention in the previous post would also be something to consider, hadn't thought of that. The blocks move the rearend straight down, the flip kit swings the rearend down, the front leaf mounts stay up high on the frame.

 

[90ididoorguy]

Air bag kits run around 300 no fab work needed from ride rite. I installed my kit in 30 minutes. Ran the valves to the bumper now anytime I tow I just add air to the air bags they work great

 

[Blind Driver2]

No experience with the flip kit. I do know you can just go back and measure the height of the block, and that will be the lift. It should have two blocks on it, the shorter one is the factory block, the taller one is the lift block, so just measure the taller block.

I have considered the flip kit to get rid of my blocks also. I do get some axle wrap when pulling a heavy trailer. But I just can't get by the theory of putting those flimsy factory shackles in compression when loaded. The factory has them under tension when loaded.

I am considering leaving my blocks and adding some bars to the rear axle to control axle wrap. I only have a 4 inch lift but I am afraid I might break a u-joint with the rearend twisting up and down under load when shifting gears.

No it's not. If you have a 4" block, then you need 8" of extra shackle.

 

[BudLight]

No it's not. If you have a 4" block, then you need 8" of extra shackle.

It this case, it depends on the flip of the shackle hanger. Built or bought hanger? I don't know anyone that makes flip kits, for Fords, like they do for the GM trucks. The GM kits give you about 4" of lift with stock shackles.

I will go look.

edit: http://diy4x.com/cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=24&product_id=125

They have them for GM and Dodge, maybe email them and ask?

 

[Dieselcrawler]

sky man. makes kits for ours. very nice kit. bolts into stock location. adds 3.5-4 inches of lift. i flipped mine and removed my 4 inch block. needed to shim the rear to rock the pinion back down.

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that last pic i still have the blocks in. didnt get my ubolts in time.also your shackle angle will be different from mine. your will be leaning forward some. i put mine where i wanted it when i was shorting the frame.

 

[asmith]

Air bag kits run around 300 no fab work needed from ride rite. I installed my kit in 30 minutes. Ran the valves to the bumper now anytime I tow I just add air to the air bags they work great

do you have pictures of your set up? can you run them with a flipped shackle? because that is what i would do in a perfect world is flip the shackles to keep the height it is at, but run airbags to keep the towing and hauling capabilities.

 

[asmith]

sky man. makes kits for ours. very nice kit. bolts into stock location. adds 3.5-4 inches of lift. i flipped mine and removed my 4 inch block. needed to shim the rear to rock the pinion back down.

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that last pic i still have the blocks in. didnt get my ubolts in time.also your shackle angle will be different from mine. your will be leaning forward some. i put mine where i wanted it when i was shorting the frame.

that is a sweet setup. are you using the stock shackle? i would probably order from ruffstuff, i know a few guys who run those kits on their broncos and they hold up to some serious abuse. although the sky kit looks good to. also if i go that way i heard you may need some zero rates to re-center the wheel in the opening. can the shims accomplish this too?

 

[Dieselcrawler]

i use the stock shackle and put it threw more abuse than anyone towing. i have no idea on the recentering. both trucks i have put it on have been flatbeds.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

btw the airbag kits will only work on stock trucks. lifted rigs will need a custom mount for the bag.

 

[gonecrazyi]

We just flipped the stock rear bracket on my brothers ford and netted4 inches of lit.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

i have seen guys do this too. but i am unsure of the strenght of the stock bracket when flipped that way. considering every flip kit i have seen have always been beefy.

 

[90ididoorguy]

Not true airbags are bolted to the top of the leafpack and the frame rail. So if you have a block lift the relationship between the two parts stays the same just the distance between the axle and frame changes