rear springs

[cheaprides]

my friend has an early f150 (81 i think) it came with a suspention lift on the TTB he wants to get rid of the blocks in the back but cant find springs what springs can he use? do they make them for his truck are we just not looking hard enough?

i think he should use chevy springs or newer ford ones since thats what we found a lot of inthe books

[Ramboss429]

If it has a 4" lift in it he could do the shackle flip in the rear and eliminate the blocks. Skyjacker is sure to have the springs he needs though.

[Ak_F250]

Take them to a spring shop and get them re-arched. I did a shackel flip on my truck and ended up dropping the front hangers 6" to take stress off the ujoint. Or get an add-a-leaf and put the factory 2" block/bumpstop back on.

[DRKelly]

I recommend the shackle flip in the rear instead of buying 'lift' springs. I use to have the 5.5" skyjacker block on top of the factory block for a total of about 6.5" worth of blocks. I used a set of F250 front rear spring hangers, pulled the third leaf from the pack, and just ran a 3" block. It probably sat about 1" higher than before with this setup (7" lift), but it worked good. How much height you gain is also dependant on where you place the new rear spring hanger vertically on the frame. The reason I removed the leaf was I had taken the top off, the back seat out, and removed the tailgate, so I wanted to soften it back up with all that weight gone.

Danny

[DRKelly]

Originally Posted by Ramboss429

If it has a 4" lift in it he could do the shackle flip in the rear and eliminate the blocks. Skyjacker is sure to have the springs he needs though.

I have always wanted to try rearching a set of springs, but most people I have asked said they would sag over time and I would lose most or all of what I had gained. Have you had good luck with rearching springs?

Thanks,
DK

[78Buford]

Re-arching springs is a waste of money. The only way that would make sense is if you were trying to lift the truck for appearance reasons and sell it. Better sell it quick because those fawkers will be sagging soon.

He is wanting to get rid of the lift blocks.

Ford full-size 4x4 rear springs (3" wide) from 1973 to 1996 (at least) are the same, with the exception of the high-boy springs (2.5" wide). You can get new Skyjackers for over $500, or Pro-Comps for $145 each.....less than $300 total. I bought a set of the 6" Pro Comp’s in January of this year, because I wanted rid of the factory blocks. I didn’t want to do the shackle flip, and I had several broken rear stock leaf springs to boot. I’ll bump that thread, and you can read it.

Buford.

[plug ugly]

shackle flip works well for lots of people and the flatter springs will flex better. My skyjackers flex decent, but I would like more droop.
3" wide 57" long. Aside from having to move the hangers, you could go with the 63" chevy's and use larger washers or something to take up the .5" space in the hangers

[cheaprides]

im not sure exactly what you mean by shackle flip but i know his are very short. my dad still has his old k5 frame, the rears hang way down so that could work for me. but is it ok to level the spring? thinking about it it sounds better then it is now for ride and pinion angle

[Burl Swift]

Here is a link to the Sky Shackle flip stuff: http://www.sky-manufacturing.com/ford1.htm

[tsmall07]

does a shackle flip affect load carrying capability? i still want to be able to use my truck to haul stuff so thats important

[Burl Swift]

Originally Posted by tsmall07

does a shackle flip affect load carrying capability?

Not that I know of.

[saf-t scissors]

The shackle is a known weak point, and you're flipping it over and asking it to bear compression loads. You're also lowering the roll center.

So no, it doesn't exactly mean that you can't carry as much weight, but the truck will seem less stable when you do, and that shackle might fold over... tho most of them die hitting things on the trail.

[shadetree6969]

Originally Posted by 78Buford

Re-arching springs is a waste of money. The only way that would make sense is if you were trying to lift the truck for appearance reasons and sell it. Better sell it quick because those fawkers will be sagging soon.

He is wanting to get rid of the lift blocks.

Ford full-size 4x4 rear springs (3" wide) from 1973 to 1996 (at least) are the same, with the exception of the high-boy springs (2.5" wide). You can get new Skyjackers for over $500, or Pro-Comps for $145 each.....less than $300 total. I bought a set of the 6" Pro Comp’s in January of this year, because I wanted rid of the factory blocks. I didn’t want to do the shackle flip, and I had several broken rear stock leaf springs to boot. I’ll bump that thread, and you can read it.

Buford.

73-79 had 24 inches from the center of the front hanger to the axle center bolt 80-96 had 25 inches. I know that is how I move the rear end back an inch in my 79 Bronco. I used stock f250 rear springs And got rid of the blocks in the back. It had 4 inch front springs and the stock f250 rear springs and set level. Ya it was a little stiffer the when it had the blocks but they only cost me $30 at the local junk yard.