light duty 250's and 1/2's use the same brackets (on 4x4's anyway), i might take a few inches off the skinny end of the shackle i made so i can drop the front end down to get the pinion angle right (after all i have to make the hangers as beefie as the shackles. I'm going to shoot for a 40*angle

Thanks

 

So use HD F250 hangers or F450

 

I say use 450's, naw, make some out of some 1/2" steel, then you'd be set . I'm going to make a set of hangers tomorrow (with a 3inch drop) for a better pinion angle.(if its not enough i will correct it when i widen the perches on the axle i'm using).

 

I was planning on either beefing up the standard shackle, or making new ones all together. Probably the first. But from what I've noticed from the first flip I did, is it seems to point the diff yoke towards the transfer case, and give me more of a direct line for the driveshaft.. which I would think is better.
Do you guys really think the bracket would need reinforcement? I don't plan on goin' too fast just yet.. LoL esp. not till after I've got everything fine tuned and workin' properly.

 

The shackles will fold up before the bracket.

 

Hmm, I was lookin' at this lifted samaurai I saw in a parking lot today.. and the shackles it used were really weird.. it had like 3 regular shackles all connected in a chain, so in the normal riding position it was making a Z 'cause there were 3 shackles.. so when it came time for the suspension to drop, the shackles could drop down 3x what it would have been able to do w/ just one of 'em.. anyone know what the disadvantage of using a system like that would be?

 

Sounds similae to a revolver shackle, though the revolvers have 2 sections, not 3. The idea is that you'll ride normal on the street but offroad the shackle will allow for super articulation. I always thought be about strong enough for a Sami and that's about it. I still can't see one of those working under the weight of a fullsize rig.

 

I don't care for "revolver" style shackles, either. Especially on a full size. More people that have used them disliked them rather than vice versa. They tend to "flop" open.

 

Hmm, that's something that I was curious about.. what if they dropped down so far, and then when it came time to compress again they folded the opposite way, is that what you are refering to when you said they "flop" open, or what? I think I'm just gonna stay with the standard shackle, maybe make alonger one if anything. Thanks for all the info guys.

 

You could use axle droop limiting straps to prevent that. That might be the chains that you were talking about, just on the shackle, not the axle.

 

there's a few guys in ECBR that uses that style...works incredibly well. the ones i have seen are custom fabbed from 1/2" bar stock cold rolled steel so it is very strong. they incorporated stops into the shackle design to prevent the shackle from buckling backwards. i dunno myself if i would run them on a big truck like mine but on the broncos (even the later models) with built 351's and 460's they have held up very well.

my .01 worth

-cutts-

 

I'm still sorta new to the whole shackle flip/mount scene so
please bare with me. But in that picture of the Sky Bracket
and BellTec lowering shackle above, won't the shackle just
move whenever any weight or tension is put on the leaf springs?
I mean yes of course you want articulation but if you were to load
that truck with wood would the shackle just go up with the leaf spring
and not actually use the spring as a load bearing object?
Sorry do bring up a dead post I'm just researching shackle flips for
my 78 F-250

 

I think this may be one reason for the shackle being in the position it comes from the factory. When running loaded, you have to be much more careful and check on them, unless they're buff like Pro's ^_^.

 

So would it not be safe to do a stock shackle flip on the rear mount
of the rear springs on my 78 250? Cause I use the truck for getting wood
engines and other various heavy items. I'm going to use a springs from a
kit to get the front up about 4" and then I figured I'd just flip the rear shackle
and pull my 2.5" block out. Is this correct?

 

in answer to your question yes a shackle flip is gonna reduce your load bearing capacity because the shackle was not intended to carry weight that way how much I don't know but it will reduce it some. I am not sure of what you were saying for the reasoning but the spring is still the load bearing part the problem is that with the shackle flip the shackle is bieng crushed instead of stretched and it can bend.