Shackle Reversal Kit
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Shackle Reversal Kit
Gentleman,
Has anyone had any experience with the Off Road Unlimited's shackle reversal kit for F-350 4 x 4's. I am interested in it for a ride improvement for a '97 F-350. Anyone that has driven a solid axle F-350 know that they are hard riding, and this product is supposed to help a lot? On paper it seems to make a lot of sense, but just curious as to some real-life experiences?
Has anyone had any experience with the Off Road Unlimited's shackle reversal kit for F-350 4 x 4's. I am interested in it for a ride improvement for a '97 F-350. Anyone that has driven a solid axle F-350 know that they are hard riding, and this product is supposed to help a lot? On paper it seems to make a lot of sense, but just curious as to some real-life experiences?
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From: Spokane, WA
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From: Auburn,Al
my girl friends step dad just bought a truck with an oru shackle reversal and 35's. with the rs 9000's turned all the way down...the susp is not much softer than my stock 97. its not near the difference you think it will be.
anyway..if you doit, go with the sky shackle reversal...its 100 bucks cehaper and comes with everything the oru kit does...
anyway..if you doit, go with the sky shackle reversal...its 100 bucks cehaper and comes with everything the oru kit does...
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Thank you,
Since I am an engineer I have had more experience than I care to admit with designs that look great on paper, but don't work that great in the real world. This just seemed to be one of those designs to me? I dunno? I agree with the theory that the springs compressing in the same direction will give you a softer ride, but I think that in the real world the front springs on a F-350 diesel are so damn stiff that no matter how they are oriented they will still ride rough?
Maybe a 2" soft-ride lift kit might work better? That is why I am asking to try and benefit from the wisdom and experience of others before I spend a lot of money!
Since I am an engineer I have had more experience than I care to admit with designs that look great on paper, but don't work that great in the real world. This just seemed to be one of those designs to me? I dunno? I agree with the theory that the springs compressing in the same direction will give you a softer ride, but I think that in the real world the front springs on a F-350 diesel are so damn stiff that no matter how they are oriented they will still ride rough?
Maybe a 2" soft-ride lift kit might work better? That is why I am asking to try and benefit from the wisdom and experience of others before I spend a lot of money!
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Chatsworth, CA
There was a post about this awhile back and one guy said it didn't ride much better just weird. once he bent it he replaced it with ORUs H style shackles to get rid of the A style stockers and rode much better. I'm gonna get these and put a 4" skyjacker suspension lift on mine and do a shackle flip in the rear from sky manufacturing to get rid of the 4" lift blocks.
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From: Chatsworth, CA
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From: Auburn,Al
one thing some peopl do is the reversal...and put in a set of 99 and up superduty springs. you jus thave to move the mount fowar da few inches becuse the springs are longer. this iwll givbe a much smoother ride. if you have ridden in a new f-250 or 350 you will agree. they ride much softer up front than the 97 and older trucks. i plan to do this myself since i have a set laying around....
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From: Senoia, GA
Originally Posted by Slow & Steady
but I think that in the real world the front springs on a F-350 diesel are so damn stiff that no matter how they are oriented they will still ride rough?
-cutts-
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From: Senoia, GA
Originally Posted by 85351ho
the rear sprigns only bolt up in the front of 73-79 leaf sprung trucks...they r too long on 80-97's
-cutts-
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From: Auburn,Al
sure you can do that....i was talking bolt on...if you just do a reversal all you have to do is drill a hole higher up in the rear mount to keep the stock caster from being screwed up...you dont have to move any mounts
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Thank you very much for your help. I think that you gentlemen are a little beyond me in the fabrication skills department, but I must say that there are some very creative and intelligent ideas.
I was just looking to improve the ride on the truck, but am not sure that reversing the shackles on a super-stiff spring (like is on the front of my F350 diesel) is going to really make much of a difference in ride quality at all? The kit and installation is a lot of money and if the ride improvement is only minor then maybe I might be best off just to leave the truck alone?
I was just looking to improve the ride on the truck, but am not sure that reversing the shackles on a super-stiff spring (like is on the front of my F350 diesel) is going to really make much of a difference in ride quality at all? The kit and installation is a lot of money and if the ride improvement is only minor then maybe I might be best off just to leave the truck alone?