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1-1/4" drop completed this afternoon, I measured before and after . Went well, pretty easy. The new blocks were 1-7/8" flat, the factory blocks were 3-1/8" on one side, 3-1/4" on the other. I am happy with the look, I still have over a 2" rake. I think this new block might be enough drop to satisfy me. The new block was the part number out of a 2016 F250 CCSB, and the CCLB was the same number too.
Thanks much for posting on this!!! If I do need a drop to keep my 5ver level, this will be all I need so I'll do the same. (I already bought a new 5th hitch that was 1.5" shorter than my old one...) Since the new blocks weren't tapered, I'm assuming that they were the same part number for both sides? I'm kicking myself. I tossed a set of these exact blocks when I moved a couple years back...
If anyone goes this route, I wanted to remind them to mark where your headlights hit your garage wall so that you have a re-alignment mark to go off of. I forgot to do this, so I will just lower them some.
We use the same u-bolts over and over all the time but he is right, Ford will not nor will any reputable shop for liability reasons and ASME standards. U-bolts do stretch upon initial torquing. Once this is done they do not stretch much if any after that. Can they be used again? Absolutely, but not to the same spec as intended. Will they still work? Yes in most cases. Fastenal did a study showing where any fastener that is used a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc., etc. time will require more torque each time to achieve the same clamping force due to thread manipulation upon tightening.
Fastenal states that "On a demonstration with a 1/2-13 zinc plated SAE J429 Grade 5 hex cap screw and zinc plated SAE J995 Grade 5 hex nut with an installation torque of 70 ft-lbs to obtain a clamp load of 9000 lbs (without any added lubrication). On the second installation, this torque had increased to 95 ft-lbs to obtain 9000 lbs. By the fourth installation, we required 145 ft-lbs to reach a clamp load of 9000 lbs."
Interesting to say the least..............took over twice the torque on the 4th use to achieve the same clamping force.
It also states "A Previously torqued U-bolt will suffer from distorted threads from engagement of the deep nut. Deep nuts should be tightened and re-torqued, never loosened and re-tightened." Dayton-parts also recommends in the product info sheet to lubricate the washers and U-bolts with oil or anti-seize compound to reduce friction when torquing the U-bolts nuts.
LH rods who supplies threaded U-bolt rod to Dayton-parts and others, comments on the issue of U-bolt reuse at the following link...
At the link above, part of what LH rod says is that "Suspension U-Bolts are manufactured with a smooth rolled thread, while the mating Hi-Nuts are manufactured with sharp cut threads. When a U-Bolt is tightened to its recommended torque level, the U-Bolt threads stretch as they mate with the Hi-Nuts. Although not always visible to the naked eye, this damages the threads. Removing the Hi-Nuts from the U-Bolt will cause a cross - threading that will not allow the U-bolt to be adequately retorqued."
That is very good info!
I did notice that all the concrete data referenced threads, not the u-bolt. I tried clicking your link, but it didn't open. From what I could read, the threads stretch in each of your scenarios. So, attaching the nut to a new unused section of thread on the u-bolt isn't addressed by anything I have read so far. I have a suspicion that using new nuts on a new (higher up the u-bolt, since the block is shorter) section of thread is much less of an issue than trying to retorque a used nut onto a section of used u-bolt thread.
I dont know about fords but i know a lot of GM hd guys are lowering the rears by installing drop shackles. I think you can get them from 1" all the way to 3". Bell tech seems to be the brand a lot of people use. It seems to be a simple install, similar to replacing a block. I mostly hear about GM guys doing this so, i dont even know if fords are set up to do this, but i thought id throw it out there.
1-1/4" drop completed this afternoon, I measured before and after . Went well, pretty easy. The new blocks were 1-7/8" flat, the factory blocks were 3-1/8" on one side, 3-1/4" on the other. I am happy with the look, I still have over a 2" rake. I think this new block might be enough drop to satisfy me. The new block was the part number out of a 2016 F250 CCSB, and the CCLB was the same number too.
After lowering your truck, how's the ride? Anything new to share? I need to to this for my 5th wheel.
All is perfect, no change in anything other than some bed height. It's still taller than I would want, but I will likely just stick where I'm at. The 2" rake I have now is tolerable for me. A 1" or 1.5" block would be great too if someone needed to gain more clearance.
I would have preferred to get the proper length u-bolts with those new 2" blocks but my dealer had to order them in from further away and I didn't want to wait. I ended up cutting mine which is fine, it would have been easy to have the shorter bolts on hand is all.
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