All,

The rear needs some help on my EB. What do you think. Nationals or F150's? Take into account ride (both on and off-road) and flex.

I was thinking about going coiled, but I don't think I want to go through the headache.

So lets hear you opinions and see some pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Also, tell me how much lift you're running with them. I need 5 1/2" of lift.

I just did the F150 rears. Call Mike Ladd up at Bent and Twisted and buy his kit. Then go get yourself some springs, and swap them in. I am running thosae in back and 5.5" springs up front. Dude, you can't go wrong with the setup. You have stability and you have flex. M<ikes #

530-342-3003
Tell him Dimitri Sent you

Dimtiri

I can't say which would be better, but the longer I'm into wheelin, the more I try to stay away from aftermarket stuff.

If you can make an OEM spring work, that's GREAT, and cheap! They're only leaf springs... easy enough to "tweak".

I bought skyjacker leafs oohh sooo long ago, and now they've pretty much fallen apart. Stupid on my part. I'm now looking at going back to an OEM spring of some sort and reworking the shackle hanger, etc.. for a much better end product at only the fraction of the cost of aftermarket springs.

My vote goes to f-150 or some other OEM spring.

goods and bad
F-150's are nice because
-Cheap
-Adds 2 inch more WB
-Flex good
-but with small pack you get axle wrap

Nationals
-$$$$$$
flex good (they flex about the same
-$$$$$$
Bolt on :D

When i had money i bought the Nationals, I like em, but again $$$$

I'm on my second pair of National 3.5" leafs in 4 years. They ride great, flex great, sag way too soon and cost way too much $$$. I now need to replace the ones I have and I decided to go with Mike Ladd's F150 set-up. Now I just need to find the time to install them :(

Good luck!

buy 11 leaf Nationals and bolt them in. Done!

Originally posted by Rubicrawler
I'm on my second pair of National 3.5" leafs in 4 years. They ride great, flex great, sag way too soon and cost way too much $$$. I now need to replace the ones I have and I decided to go with Mike Ladd's F150 set-up. Now I just need to find the time to install them :(

Good luck!

Yeah the older nationals had a sag problem, my old WH ones did, WH gave me new ones though

Originally posted by welndmn


Yeah the older nationals had a sag problem, my old WH ones did, WH gave me new ones though

How'd you get Jim to give you new one's? Damn, I knew I shoulda bought mine from WH! I guess I'm fawked!

Oh well, F-150's are sittin on the side yard patiently waiting :)

does bent and twisted have a website? how much is this "kit" to put on f150 springs etc? im looking for the cheapest way to get a 5.5" lift

Originally posted by Rubicrawler


How'd you get Jim to give you new one's? Damn, I knew I shoulda bought mine from WH! I guess I'm fawked!

Oh well, F-150's are sittin on the side yard patiently waiting :)

:D:D:D
I kiss a lot of ass

Originally posted by teknalee
does bent and twisted have a website? how much is this "kit" to put on f150 springs etc? im looking for the cheapest way to get a 5.5" lift

Just call Mike at 530-342-3003. The website shold be up in a few weeks... www.bentandtwisted.com The "kit" is 250 I think, but not sure.

Dimitri

so this would be the cheapest way to get 5.5 inches of lift? all that's neccessary is the front coils, radius arms, driveshafts, lines, and shocks right? and bushings etc could wait? (im on that poor student budget so im trying to find the cheapest way to go)

Bent and Twisted :http://www2.mikek.com/~sam/bandt/contact.html

That is his OLLLLLLLLLLD website, he is getting a new one built now.

Dimitri

My computer is trashed so I can't pull some flex pic's, But what I am running in the rear that works great is the 11 leaf 3 1/2" springs and a set of custom built 2 1/8" lift piviots. I have 13 1/4" travel 9000's and they are laid down a bit and I still max on comp and extn. It gets rid of the spring twist/bind. Now all I need to do is build the same shock set up for the rear as I did for the front (long travel quad shock set up! It is posted on the ford site) and the rear should be to sick to belive!

Roc, are you running a 3rd link with that set-up, or do you not experience a lot of axle-wrap?

It has only been a few months but I have not yet had any prob with wrap. I am pushing 450hp and pretty low gears and I would think I would have noticed any prob by now. But the jury is still out!

Originally posted by Flatty


Just call Mike at 530-342-3003. The website shold be up in a few weeks... www.bentandtwisted.com The "kit" is 250 I think, but not sure.

Dimitri

LOL he has been saying that for a while.
Just call him, don't rely on his website

So what is wrong with the EB 11 leaf 3.5" springs and a set of pivots! All I need is to redo the rear shock w/ the new 15" (my 13 1/4 are maxed both ways) ranchos and it should be just right.

.

A picture is worth a thousand words... Pivots are a great idea, but it seems to me they would make side hilling a bit scary. Hell, it already is!

My only problem with Nationals is how long they don't hold up. I've heard way to many stories of them sagging after just a few years (kind of like this girl I used to know). And at $500 a pop, that's pricey. That's why I like the idea of the F150's. There is an initial customization, but they are OEM springs that will last forever and if they do wear out, Ford made millions of these trucks and you can get the springs cheap anywhere. And oh yeah, they flex like mad.

Do the F150's move your rear end back or can you do that when you do the hangers.

-Jack

You can set your wheelbase in the rear pretty much wherever you want it since you have to weld on the front and rear hangers. You also have to make your own shackles.

A question for those that have done the conversion. Mike keeps teling me the F150 springs should be 57" long. All I could find are closer to 54" long. Does this sound right????? However long they are they should be 3" wide.

Jack, here are a couple more pictures for you to look at and decide from.
http://photos.yahoo.com/jslater71
3 1/2" Nat. w/2" blocks don't need much more then this.

Jay, and all, how long have you had those springs? I've heard a lot of horror stories about they often sag quickly (within a couple of years). That's my only hesitation about going with them...

-Jack

Originally posted by IronBenderII
Jay, and all, how long have you had those springs? I've heard a lot of horror stories about they often sag quickly (within a couple of years). That's my only hesitation about going with them...

-Jack

I had 3.5 Nationals from WH (back when they sold them) for 5 years and didn't sag at all in that time. I now have 4.5 Nationals from BC. I only have a couple of runs on them including one trip to Moab. No probs yet, but the F150 conversion is interesting to me. I like the idea of easily changing wheelbase and the F150 springs are cheap. I'm building another EB and I may go the F150 route this time for grins.

I have a pair of F150's with Bent & Twisted hangers I'm going to have to sell :( They have been installed and removed from another EB but are in great condition. I had planned to install them in the fall but I'm strapped for cash. I'll sell the set for $200.00

Let me know if your interested. I will wait to post in For Sale until Friday :)

Mark, how long are the F150 leafs and what year did you get them from??

Originally posted by clc900
Mark, how long are the F150 leafs and what year did you get them from??

IIRC, they are 57" long and I think they came off a '79 :)

I'll confirm the length tonight.

Please do! And where are you measuring from? Center of eye to center of eye? Or??? Thanks!