Rear Shackle Flip
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 490
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You'll gain about 2 inches if you flip using the stock hanger on the opposite side.
To get around 4'', go to the junk yard and buy a hanger for the front of the leaf springs and put it in back like this,
This was my old set up, got about 4 1/2 of lift.
To get around 4'', go to the junk yard and buy a hanger for the front of the leaf springs and put it in back like this,
This was my old set up, got about 4 1/2 of lift.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
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Depends on how you do the rear shackels & hangers. I think I dropped mine around 3 1/2"- 4". I made my shackels and hangers. The shackels are stock length at around 30*.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 522
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From: South Central PA
Ok so I just thought a half hour ago that I got done doing my flip (the same way and parts as in bender99's photo except I put my shackels facing the other way), but I was wrong. When I go to put the weight back down on the tires, the shackels pop around and hit the springs, causing the truck to drop. That ain't right by a long shot. 
So, what did I do wrong? Did I move the front hangers too far rearward? The tires are still 1/2" too far forwards in the wheel wells and I cant move the rear hangers any farther back because they are already touching the bumper brackets. Not trying to high jack the thread, but if I screwed it up best to let others know how not to do it in a thread about doing it. I can get pics of it tomaro night if need be when I get my camera back from my brother. Just hoping someone already knows what I mean.
So, what did I do wrong? Did I move the front hangers too far rearward? The tires are still 1/2" too far forwards in the wheel wells and I cant move the rear hangers any farther back because they are already touching the bumper brackets. Not trying to high jack the thread, but if I screwed it up best to let others know how not to do it in a thread about doing it. I can get pics of it tomaro night if need be when I get my camera back from my brother. Just hoping someone already knows what I mean.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 490
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So the shackle ended up in front of the hanger?
Sounds like you didnt bring the hanger far enough forward. I moved the pivot point on the hanger about 4 inches farther forward from the stock spot to get the angle that I have in the pic. You can see that I tacked mine in place before I drilled holes to make sure I got a decent angle on the shackle. In a compression style you need to have it angled rearwards about like mine, opposite If using a tension style shackle (like stock).
Sounds like you didnt bring the hanger far enough forward. I moved the pivot point on the hanger about 4 inches farther forward from the stock spot to get the angle that I have in the pic. You can see that I tacked mine in place before I drilled holes to make sure I got a decent angle on the shackle. In a compression style you need to have it angled rearwards about like mine, opposite If using a tension style shackle (like stock).
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,330
Likes: 17
From: Dryden, ON, Canada
I re-used the rear top bolthole for mine, with the front brackets off of a 90 or so F150. I may need to re-position it yet, but, I'm going to drop the front first to cure the pinion angle I ended up with, and see what happens, as it is, it moved the pivot location ahead about 2" just due to the difference in the bracket.
This is how it's sitting now:
This is how it's sitting now:
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,922
Likes: 153
Looking good. I started out around 20* on the shackels cause I bought a new set of 6" lift springs. I figured the angle would change some as the springs relaxed over time. They are around 30* now after a few years & seem to be staying there. Some people put them at 45* but I wanted some lead because I do haul stuff from time to time. I did loose some payload with the flip & I if I had it to do over I wouldn't have done it. I just don't beat on it anymore, so I don't need the flex I'd rather have the payload back.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,330
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From: Dryden, ON, Canada
No worries about payload with mine, as you can tell by the tire choice, it's days of hauling are over.
My springs are the factory 1986 units with 300K+ miles on them, there has been a supposed 3" add a leaf in there for a few years, but it just brought them back up to sitting at stock height I need to get the winch mounted and deck built so I can get the proper weight on it to see how things sit, but, whatever shackle angle I set it to will be pretty much where it's going to stay.
My front I'm really hoping doesn't settle, I put a set of used S/D springs in there and set up the shackle angle at around the 35* mark:
My springs are the factory 1986 units with 300K+ miles on them, there has been a supposed 3" add a leaf in there for a few years, but it just brought them back up to sitting at stock height I need to get the winch mounted and deck built so I can get the proper weight on it to see how things sit, but, whatever shackle angle I set it to will be pretty much where it's going to stay.
My front I'm really hoping doesn't settle, I put a set of used S/D springs in there and set up the shackle angle at around the 35* mark:
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,922
Likes: 153
I origionally was going to use the front rear hangers like you did, but they move the the shackels top bolt location way down, below the frame. Even after you drop the front hangers you might have to put a pair of degree wedges in backwards to get your pinion back up if you don't want to cut the perches off.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 522
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From: South Central PA
So when the susp is at full droop (no wieght on tires) what is the angle of the shackel, meaning, where do I know to set it at so it will be @ 30* when its on the ground? I cant tack weld it on back there for checking it, near my half full plastic gas tank. not to mention my ancient mig wont reach back there that far, tight garage.