Adding rear blocks (anything i should know?)
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I took your advice this morning and decided to go with the shackle flip. I removed both springs and rear j-hangers. I then called Sky to order up the kit. I told him I needed 6 inches of overall lift, and he said he didnt know what i could do to make up the additional 1.5inches in the rear that i would need to get my rear level with the front. He also said i need to figure a way to get my pinion angle set, and i needed a block that would do that. Now I am really confused, nothing is ever a simple answer. I got a truck torn all apart and my j-hangers off. How do i get my pinion angle set?
Please anyone feel free to offer your suggestions!
Please anyone feel free to offer your suggestions!
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Alright Im feeling better. Great suggestions guys. I cant get rear bushings for 2 weeks! Oh well, I am going to sand the crap out of my frame now that i got all the room. I think I want the sky kit, my hangers are weak looking and theirs looks much stronger. You guys have any suggestions on popping out the studs left over from the rivets? They dont really want to move at all, maybe some heat? Sort of nervous to do that with the gas tank right there lol!
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I hear ya on the J-hangers looking weak thing, they have the habit of collecting water in that groove at the bottom and they eventually rust through - I have mine reinforced with 3/8" steel rebar, if I ever wanna replace the shackles or bushings I'll have to cut those bolts off with a grinder or an oxy-acetylene torch cause all is welded to them, but for now it gets the job done. So you gonna go with a the Sky parts, then ditch the 4" blocks for 2" ones? Make sure you get factory F250 lift blocks, they are far superior than the aftermarket stuff in that they have "ears" for the U-bolts to go through.
About them frozen rivets, you can try heating the framerails around them (from he outboard side of course), but honestly I'd just try beating them all out with a punch and a BFH, if that fails there's always the big drill with Tungsten-coated bits.
About them frozen rivets, you can try heating the framerails around them (from he outboard side of course), but honestly I'd just try beating them all out with a punch and a BFH, if that fails there's always the big drill with Tungsten-coated bits.
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I hear ya on the J-hangers looking weak thing, they have the habit of collecting water in that groove at the bottom and they eventually rust through - I have mine reinforced with 3/8" steel rebar, if I ever wanna replace the shackles or bushings I'll have to cut those bolts off with a grinder or an oxy-acetylene torch cause all is welded to them, but for now it gets the job done. So you gonna go with a the Sky parts, then ditch the 4" blocks for 2" ones? Make sure you get factory F250 lift blocks, they are far superior than the aftermarket stuff in that they have "ears" for the U-bolts to go through.
About them frozen rivets, you can try heating the framerails around them (from he outboard side of course), but honestly I'd just try beating them all out with a punch and a BFH, if that fails there's always the big drill with Tungsten-coated bits.
About them frozen rivets, you can try heating the framerails around them (from he outboard side of course), but honestly I'd just try beating them all out with a punch and a BFH, if that fails there's always the big drill with Tungsten-coated bits.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2008
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Okay I will keep wacking at them, I soaked them with penetrating oil last night in an attempt to try and loosen them some. Well I am still a bit confused, because an F250 2 inch block will give me 6.5inches of lift in the rear, and then my *** may whind up being too "**** high". Do you think I could worse case trim the block? OR will that decrease its integrity? I also wanted to know if anyone made any after market rear shackles? Mine look kind of weak even for an F350, but maybe there just fine. I guess the Sky kit is actually lowering the shackle 9 inches, because for every 1/2 inch of lift it needs to blower 1 inch to make up for not lifting the front of the spring. I wonder how that will look from the rear.
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I wouldn't worry about the 6.5" lift vs. 6", if anything tis better to be a bit on the high side cause then when you throw stuff in the bed the truck sits more level and handles better. Besides that 1/2" difference is so small compared to the overall length of the truck you won't even notice it. For what it's worth my truck rides like 2" higher in the rear than it did from the factory, but I can load her full with sand and gravel and she still don't squat like most trucks do. Aftermarket shackles are made by many companies, maybe even Sky has some, and I know Camburg makes them for sure. I just saw some pretty well made ones not too long ago, I'll try to find that site again for ya.
Awsum that be great if you found me that site, and maybe where i could some f250 blocks other than dealer.
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I also forget to mention, but the guy from sky said what a lot of the guys do to correct their pinion angle after installing the kit is by reversing the blocks. If i were to add the 2 inch F250 blocks, would you think I would need to turn the blocks around too? I'm not very sure how exactly a block creates a pinion angle? They look pretty flat to me..? BTW, thank you for your help, you have helped me very much, and have re motivated me to gut my entire rear suspension system like the front.
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From: Renton, WA
That's a good common sence idea.
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You know, I was sort of thinking...couldnt I have just replaced my rear springs with SkyJacker leaf springs? Like some 4 inch lift leaf springs with a F250 block? Should I consider this before the sky reversal kit gets sent out?? The springs already come with bushings in them. The bushings I ordered for my leaf springs are on 2 and half week back order, and I will still need to get them pressed.
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I also forget to mention, but the guy from sky said what a lot of the guys do to correct their pinion angle after installing the kit is by reversing the blocks. If i were to add the 2 inch F250 blocks, would you think I would need to turn the blocks around too? I'm not very sure how exactly a block creates a pinion angle? They look pretty flat to me..? BTW, thank you for your help, you have helped me very much, and have re motivated me to gut my entire rear suspension system like the front.
You know, I was sort of thinking...couldnt I have just replaced my rear springs with SkyJacker leaf springs? Like some 4 inch lift leaf springs with a F250 block? Should I consider this before the sky reversal kit gets sent out?? The springs already come with bushings in them. The bushings I ordered for my leaf springs are on 2 and half week back order, and I will still need to get them pressed.
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They do look pretty flat, but they ain't - it's just a few degrees difference there, not something easily seen, but pretty sure you can measure them and you may find that one side is slightly thinner than the other. As for how you turn them around - you put the left one on the right and the right one on the left side, they got the bump-stops cast into them so there's no way you can flip them upside down by mistake, just find out which one goes to which side of the axle and swap them, that will turn the wedges around and achieve the effect you're looking for.
Sure you can use Skyjacker lift springs, heck at this point may as well get the 6" lift ones and don't even bother with blocks. How much for the lift springs? And I can't find those lift shackles, but you can use F-Superduty (old F450) shackles cause they're made of much thicker steel.
Sure you can use Skyjacker lift springs, heck at this point may as well get the 6" lift ones and don't even bother with blocks. How much for the lift springs? And I can't find those lift shackles, but you can use F-Superduty (old F450) shackles cause they're made of much thicker steel.
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...061+4294906531
^^What does 4-6 inches of lift mean? Which is it?
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eBay Motors: Rear Leaf Spring Shackle for Ford F150 F250 F350 (item 350182918635 end time Apr-24-09 07:48:23 PDT)
What do you think of these? Are these gunna be for my truck?
What do you think of these? Are these gunna be for my truck?
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Dunno why the Skujacker springs are listed at 4" to 6" lift... I think you should just go with the Sky hangers and new shackles, at least this way you know what you're working with and what you gonna get in the end. The ebay shackles - they will fit your truck, but how much better than factory they are I don't know. Did you look into the F-Superduty shackles?
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Dunno why the Skujacker springs are listed at 4" to 6" lift... I think you should just go with the Sky hangers and new shackles, at least this way you know what you're working with and what you gonna get in the end. The ebay shackles - they will fit your truck, but how much better than factory they are I don't know. Did you look into the F-Superduty shackles?
Yeah I am going to forget about those Sky Crapper springs. I will stick with the Sky thing. I bought those shackles. I called my dealer on stock shackles and they were $70 bucks plus $40 for the shackle bolts. The kit on eBay shipped was $70 and it included new bolts, and there much more heavy duty. Now I am on a quest to find F250 blocks, the dealer doesn't carry them anymore and either do the salvage yards. Any ideas on blocks?
The guys from Bronco graveyard only carries stock F250 blocks without the ears on them. Im not a fan of that. He said they come with a 3-4degree taper to them. Worse case, would these blocks work ok? I may have a local salvage yard who will have them too.
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