I relocated the stock rear shackle mount forward abit to help with shit poor shackle angles. Fairly easy project- probably an hour per side. I don't think the longer 7" shackles are going to work though. With a jack under the front tire, I could jack it up only a foot or so and the spring bottomed on the frame...ugh. One thing after another. Process of elimination here, hope I get it right soon. I'm just going to re-drill the upper hole in the shackles and do some experimenting. I'll drill holes at 6" and at 5" and see what works best.

Pictures..

Before-
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/before1.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/before2.jpg

After-
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/after1.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/after2.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/after3.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/after4.jpg

In the 3rd pic you can see the spring bottomed on the frame. I'm hoping the shorter shackles will fix this.

Well, after thinkin about it a bit and reading replies to the same thread on anoter board, I relized that shorter shackles will make it worse...sigh...Now I have to make yet ANOTHER set of shackles- I'm on the 3rd set now. I'm sooooo tired of making these things, such a pain in the ass. Others have suggested 7.5" shackles, I'll probably end up makin up a set of those tommorrow. :rasta: :crybaby2:

Your needed shackle length is real easy to figure out.

-First, you know how far the leaf spring can posibly come back...its when the leaf spring is flat... So measure along the main leaf by bending your tape measure or using a piece of wire to get the true length of your spring when flat.

-Then Stretch your tape from the front spring eye back to figure out ware the spring eye will be and mark it...or tack a piece of tube about the same size as your rear spring eye to the frame in this spot.

-Then measure from your shackle pivot to this tacked on tube - add 1/4" or so so it clears your frame and doesn't touch - this is the shackle length needed to clear the frame and give you full range of motion...


You should only have to make shackles once...

Your needed shackle length is real easy to figure out.

-First, you know how far the leaf spring can posibly come back...its when the leaf spring is flat... So measure along the main leaf by bending your tape measure or using a piece of wire to get the true length of your spring when flat.

-Then Stretch your tape from the front spring eye back to figure out ware the spring eye will be and mark it...or tack a piece of tube about the same size as your rear spring eye to the frame in this spot.

-Then measure from your shackle pivot to this tacked on tube - add 1/4" or so so it clears your frame and doesn't touch - this is the shackle length needed to clear the frame and give you full range of motion...


You should only have to make shackles once...

Yes, you're right about only makin them once. I hoped I'd get lucky with the "Kentucky Windage" method...Obviously I didn't. lol And of course, I didn't think of measuring the spring and calculating it all out the right way. That method has been pointed out to me a couple times now...Definatley gonna use it this time.

Did you ever think about using 56" rears insted of moving the shackle piviot?

I'm guessing you did and it came down to a matter of $$$ (you already had the 52's right?).

I really like the resultant marketing angle the 'Kentucky Windage' method has afforded you in regards to a booming custom long shackle business that I see coming your way :)

Did you ever think about using 56" rears insted of moving the shackle piviot?

I'm guessing you did and it came down to a matter of $$$ (you already had the 52's right?).

Thats pretty much the case. I didn't have the 52's in my possesion, just had to drive 20 miles to a friends house to get them. And wouldn't using the 56" springs leave the axle in the stock location due to the offset center pin? I needed to move the axle forward anway, so this worked out fine.

I really like the resultant marketing angle the 'Kentucky Windage' method has afforded you in regards to a booming custom long shackle business that I see coming your way

HAHA! Once in awhile you say some funny shit mj. LOL! As for any "booming buisness" that may arise, I'm sick and tired of makin shackles. Takes a good 1-2 hours to make a full set. They'd cost waay more than most people would pay for them, just cause I hate makin'em. :flipoff2:

Anyways...

I finally got everything with this swap completely done today. No more makin shackles, no more testing, no mare smashing my fingers, no more catching rags on fire, DONE! weeeeHaaa!!

So I ended up givins Tims "math" method a shot. While I was measuring things, I stuck the tape on the shackles that I thought I made at 7", I dunno what the hell happened upstairs, but I had them at 6"... :eek: No idea why I thought they were 7". Anyways, using measuring and do it right method, I came up with about 7" from the upper shackle bolt to the spot on the frame where the springs would hit. So I made the new shackles 7.25". Here's a some more pics...

New shackles-
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/finished6.jpg

New shackles bolted up, with shackle mount relocated forward, no weight on springs-
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/finished1.jpg

Truck is actually balanced on the drivers rear tire only in this picture-
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/finished3.jpg

Shackle to frame clearance one one tire..
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/finished5.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/finished2.jpg

Here I stacked about 450lbs of stuff on the front of the truck to see what stuff looked like. There's a 14b housing and an old chipper bar from a wood chipper we have- about 350lbs. I climbed up on there too- I'm about 220. Pictures..
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/testing.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/testing1.jpg

Pretty sure it's like 99.9% finished now. Gotta replace the spring bushings and this phase will be 100% finished.

Also, someone wanted pictures of how I did the front spring hangers, I can't remember who you were, but here they are..
You can see the 1/4" spacers welded on eiter side of the spring. Not an exact science. I just grabbed the closet piece of steel, which happened to be 1/4" and welded them in. If it's off by a bit, no worries, when ya tighten the spring bolts, it'll close up the gap a bit...
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/fronthanger.jpg

And just for shits and giggles, heres a couiple pics of how the truck sits as of today..

http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/overall5.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/overall2.jpg
http://img20.photobucket.com/albums/v60/KidJethro/overall4.jpg

:grinpimp:

The 56" springs would have worked the same as the 52" springs because they both have the same distance from the center pin to the front spring eye...the only thing you would have to worry about is clearance at the body mount.