I did the shackle flip on my highboy but when i set the truck down the hangers bottom out on the shackle. What bhave I done wrong?

 

You flipped the shackles.....There is a "Revolver" shackle that off-roaders sometimes use for extreme articulation. Best bet is to get another set of springs, or get those re-arched = that is more $$$. Put that ?? in the "Off-road/4x4" forum and you'll get a better response and a few suggestions/improvements. There may be a local spring shop that can make just what you want for not a lot of $$

 

I'd have to see a picture to be able to tell you . . . I'm not 100% clear on what you're saying here. Can you snap a pic and post it up?

 

I was able to start a gallery and put the picture in it. Check it out there if you would.I have never posted pics before today so I'm kinda learning as I go.

 

That's quite odd . . . I've never seen that happen before. It appears that you just flipped the bracket upside down and bolted it up using the same holes. Typically when this is done the shackle will sit straight up and down which doesn't really make for a great ride but will get the job done. Ideally you'll move that bracket forward about 1.5-2" and drill new holes for a 30-35 degree shackle angle which will improve the ride and flex.

Now it looks to me like your springs have excessive arch and are not letting that shackle settle back like it should. This isn't a huge issue but it will probably require you to move the bracket forward more than most people do.

Try unbolting the bracket and move it forward so that you can bolt up the back half on the forward holes (you'll be moving the bracket foreward about 4"). This will just be temporary to inspect the angle but you'll only have 2 bolts holding the bracket in place . . . strong enough to hold it there for pictures but don't go driving like that. Do it on both sides and see how the angle looks. Snap a new picture and post it up. I'd also like to see a picture of the truck from the side so I can check out the rear axle position in relation to the wheel well. See if you can get these in your gallery and then post up and we'll go from there.

Also, it appears to me that you're using grade 5 bolts. PLEASE replace this with grade 8 hardware once the final position of the bracket is determined. Grade 5 is really not up to the task of holding this kind of stress and they have been known to sheer on many a shackle flip. Just because I tend to overbuild, I recommed drilling the holes out just a tad to go to the next bolt size. It's been a while since I've done it but IIRC the rivet holes will fit a 7/16" bolt and I upgraded to 1/2" grade 8. It was either that or they come at half inch and I went to 9/16". The price difference is insignificant, better to have the extra beef than to lose your rear axle.

 

These springs are fairly new skyjacker 4" lift springs which would explain the arch. You are right about the bolts . They are grade 5 7/16 ". I am just trying to get my fitment up before I do my permanent mounting.This is a complete ground up restore with mods as i go such as power steering conv.,disc brakes in rear,and also adding a rear fuel tank as it has a cab going back on it without the in cab tank.There is no bed on it so you wont be able to tell the relation to the wheel wells.Now I've heard and read that this flip makes for better ride and less axle wrap which is why I am doing it.Also my understanding is that I can ditch the stock rear block.If I am not gonna gain any of the above then i could just simply drill my holes out to 1/2", flip the shackles back to stock and put grade 8 bolts in.What are your thoughts?
By the way, the rear blocks are out at this time.Thanks.

 

Are you trying to acheive lift beyond the 4" spring lift you have already?

 

No. I'm happy with the height I have now.I am just looking for a smoother ride and am under the assumption that i can remove the stock block with the shackle flip and still have the same height and loose some of the axle wrap. I have a set of superlift traction bars that hook to a replacement plate on top of the springs where the u-bolts go and then the other end is bolted to a plate just behind the front hanger. It has a slot in that end that is supposed to allow for articulation. Not to happy with em though. They allow a lot of hop still.I am experimenting here because I have alot of time to do it. I plan on doing this all the right way and as time and money will allow. If I'm barking up the wrong tree with this mod then it's no big deal. I'll just go back to what I had ,put a better set of traction bars on it and maybe try some different shocks.

 

Okay, if you are happy with the height of the truck your option are to either keep the shackle flip and no blocks or reinstall the blocks and go back to the stock shackle position. While it is true that the shackle flip will give you a better ride keep in mind that your carrying capacity is reduced. If you plan to haul much in the way of heavy loads with this truck I would keep the stock shackle position. If the truck won't see much weight then we'll work on getting you a correct angle on the shackle flip and smooth out the ride a bit. It will also make for better flex offroad.

Shackle flip in itself does not reduce axle wrap. What's reducing axle wrap is the elimination of the rear blocks as they're what give the axle leverage on the spring. You can still get some axle wrap without them but to a much lesser degree. The style traction bar you have, IMO, are a bunch of crap and are completely worthless. I would recommend getting a set of proper ladder bars, like L&L's, that attach to the axle tube itself. If you have a welder and decent fabrication skills you can build your own for pretty cheap too. If you have good traction bars the stock blocks (3"-4") won't be an issue at all.

 

Yeah, I agree about the bars and will probably get some rod end and schedule 80 for that.In your opinion will a good pair of shocks really help my ride at all here?I've tried several different brands and none seem to help.

 

I REALLY like the Rancho 9000 shocks as you can adjust them to get the best feel for your truck. They cost a little more money but are well worth it IMO. For a truck like ours with leaf springs all the way around I think you'll find quite a difference in ride quality if you have the 9000's up front. Skyjacker springs will also give a much better ride than the stock springs. Do you have Skyjacker's up front too?

You didn't say if you plan to use this truck for hauling. What's the verdict there?

 

I haved towed with it in the past but I do most of that with a 95 f350 crew cab 4x4 stroke.I do have skyjacker springs all way around but I've got rs5000's on the corners.I was thinking about moving one of my shockmounts on the rear to the back of the axle. I hear that helps with wrap also.

 

It'll help a bit but you really want to buy or build a proper set of traction/ladder bars. Once you have those on the axle wrap will completely disappear.

Well if you decide to keep the shackle flip let me know when you get new pictures up and we can check out the angles.

 

I'm putting another picture on my gallery right now . I moved the shackle fwd.
I still need to drill my other holes.

 

O.K. i got the other pic in my gallery. Is this flip gonna make the truck sit more level or is it gonna dip?Also i read something somewhere about doing something for the front as well. Do you know anything about that?