front shackle reverse

[digicam_obs]

hey all, i'm new here so i'm not sure if this has been covered before.
when i bought this truck it had a bent spring and torn shackles from the accident it was in. I put superduty lift springs in but the maxed out my replacement shackles. so i welded in some machine tube and used rubber jeep bushings with strap steel. This worked fine up until i put the intercooler in last month. there just isn't enough room, so i'm doing a shackle reverse using rear end shackle and building front hangers.

here it was wrecked


here was my "quick fix" for the longer sd springs, going strong for two years... lol


this are shackles from the rear end of donor truck, they'll fit around the rear of the front spring and fit right up inside the factory hanger already on the frame


built these today, new front weld on hangers. half inch steel milled .25" out of the bottom to accommodate the 3.5" wide spring and so it'll set flush on either side on the 3" wide frame rail.



Also fabing a crossmember to fit between the hangers to stiffen the frame and help protect the innercooler. more pics to come.

[superduty4x4]

I have the rear shackles from a Sky Mfg. 3" RSK kit I'd be willing to part with if you'd rather run those.
Nice fab work on the front hangers... do you plan to connect them with a cross bar?

[BrianH]

Not to hijack the thread, but how do these trucks handle heavy payload after a rear reverse shackle is done? Been debating doing that but I need to haul a heavy cabover camper.


Great fab work there! Looks a LOT better than the prior setup. When I did my sd springs I didn't take into account that when the shackle is in the rear when the spring is loaded center pin moves towards the rear of the truck. Wound up having to shim the axle forward a bit with some zero rates.

[BrianH]

Not to hijack the thread, but how do these trucks handle heavy payload after a rear reverse shackle is done? Been debating doing that but I need to haul a heavy cabover camper.


Great fab work there! Looks a LOT better than the prior setup. When I did my sd springs I didn't take into account that when the shackle is in the rear when the spring is loaded center pin moves towards the rear of the truck. Wound up having to shim the axle forward a bit with some zero rates.

[digicam_obs]

Originally Posted by superduty4x4

I have the rear shackles from a Sky Mfg. 3" RSK kit I'd be willing to part with if you'd rather run those.
Nice fab work on the front hangers... do you plan to connect them with a cross bar?

i was thinking about getting those from you, but i did the swap today and it already brought the truck up higher, so i'll pass on those. Thanks for the offer thought!

Originally Posted by BrianH

Not to hijack the thread, but how do these trucks handle heavy payload after a rear reverse shackle is done? Been debating doing that but I need to haul a heavy cabover camper.


Great fab work there! Looks a LOT better than the prior setup. When I did my sd springs I didn't take into account that when the shackle is in the rear when the spring is loaded center pin moves towards the rear of the truck. Wound up having to shim the axle forward a bit with some zero rates.

payload should be the same, should handle better too. Mine definatly drives nicer all the superdutys are rear shackle.

[digicam_obs]

well did the swap today, took 4 hours. raised the front end about 2". Still have a bar to weld between the brackets. And a buddy of mine just told me i need a 4*shim to correct the pinion angle, i'll do all that on monday.