i plan on doing a shackle flip on my 78 ranger this winter and i want to research it throughly. when i flip the rear shackle i know that i'll probably have to move it forward but do i have to lower the front hanger also. i'm doing the flip to only gain 3-4 inches

 

it will change your pinion angle some. But if it is a problem you can correct it with shims under the leaf pack.

 

You don't have to move the front hanger, just the rear mount. You can move teh front, if you want to correct the pinion angle that way, but the shims would be the easiest.

You'll need to move it so that you have about a 15 - 30 degree angle BACKWARDS on the shackle. This will give you a better ride and keep it from binding / inverting when the suspension droops.