60 rear springs on a 40 shackle length question

[youmustbecrazy]

Hey all,

I will be swapping out my springs soon when I switch over to a spring over. I am planning on a shackle reversal with 60 springs reversed. Who has done this and what lenth shackle did you go with? Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[rusty_tlc]

Hey all,

I will be swapping out my springs soon when I switch over to a spring over. I am planning on a shackle reversal with 60 springs reversed. Who has done this and what lenth shackle did you go with? Thanks in advance for any advice

I haven't done it yet, I have a set of 60 springs waiting. I have been making my own shackles in custom lengths. It's takes about 20 min per pair and after buying the drill press and drill bit the cost is around $3 a pair. What I do is install the springs with the shackle end free, then jack the rig up and use wood spacers between the spring and hanger until the rig looks right with the weight of the cruiser on it. Measure the distance and go buy some flat stock. I go th a metal supplier and they cut the flat stock to length, but you can also find flat stock at home stores and use an angle grinder with a cut off wheel to cut them to length.

 

[EWheeler]

I just completed this swap (on the rear) using new front spring hangers & shackle hangers from Ruffstuff. The front spring hanger moves the spring mounting point back ~2", and the shackle hangers are installed flush with the rear crossmember. I am using a 6" eye to eye shackle which resulted in a 45 degree shackle angle.

 

[youmustbecrazy]

Right on, thanks to both of you, been waiting for quite a long time to do this, planning to give it a go within a few days!

 

[EWheeler]

Here are a couple of pictures of my setup. Let me know if you need any specific measurements. Note that if you are going to re-use the stock 40 spring hangers, unless your rig is one of the updated late model rigs, you will need to use bushing part# 289-40x from Spector. These bushings have the proper OD for the 60 springs and a skinny shoulder to fit the width of the 40 hangers.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Here are a couple of pictures of my setup. Let me know if you need any specific measurements. Note that if you are going to re-use the stock 40 spring hangers, unless your rig is one of the updated late model rigs, you will need to use bushing part# 289-40x from Spector. These bushings have the proper OD for the 60 springs and a skinny shoulder to fit the width of the 40 hangers.

Thanks, Ididn't know there were bushing available that allowed re-using the 40 hangers.

Did you leave the front hanger in it's factory location?

 

[youmustbecrazy]

thanks! The pictures are worth a thousand words! I was also just working on figuring out which bushings!

 

[Dieseler]

Ewheeler it looks like that moved your rear wheels back aprox 3-4 inches or is that a optical illusion,I need to move my axles back 4 inches so this swap would work.
Thx for the high jack

 

[EWheeler]

Thanks, Ididn't know there were bushing available that allowed re-using the 40 hangers.

Did you leave the front hanger in it's factory location?

Hanger is in "stock" location as I cut out the old hanger and just welded the new one back in the same location, but the ruffstuff hanger moves the mounting hole for the spring back an inch or two compared to the stock hanger.

thanks! The pictures are worth a thousand words! I was also just working on figuring out which bushings!

Yep. The 60 springs are nice because the bushings are much thicker. Note that the bolt for the 60 springs is an 18mm ( I used 3/4" grade 8 from ACE), so you cannot re-use the 15mm bolts from the 40 springs unless you use some type of metal sleeve.

Ewheeler it looks like that moved your rear wheels back aprox 3-4 inches or is that a optical illusion,I need to move my axles back 4 inches so this swap would work.
Thx for the high jack

Compared to stock my rear axle is probably moved 6-8" rearward. As it sits, my wheelbase is about 104". The 60 springs in the rear are flipped for extended wheelbase and as mentioned above, the Ruffstuff hanger pushes the axle back an inch or two.

 

[youmustbecrazy]

Great to know about the ruffstuff, that is the hanger and bushing set I will be using.

 

[EWheeler]

You dont need those skinny shoulder bushings from SOR if you use the Ruffstuff hanger. Call Dan and talk to him and he will set you up right. I got the hanger for 60 width bushings, bought new 60 spring bushings at Advanced Auto, and was good to go.

 

[youmustbecrazy]

old springs off, ready to start mounting the 60 springs. Any advice on taking the bands off of the springs? I read that it helps articulation, don't know if all bands should come off? Thanks

 

[cruisernerd]

do you have to get the drive shafts lengthened?
i am considering doing this and wonder how far i can move the axle before i have to get the drive shaft lengthened.

 

[youmustbecrazy]

you might be able to get away with it on the street, but off road from what I have read you will need it lengthened.

 

[EWheeler]

On the topic of driveshafts, I picked up a stock front driveshaft from an '85 toyota pickup to use on the rear with my 60 spring swap. For my '80 40, all I had to do was drill out the holes on the CV joint to 7/16" for the parking brake studs and it fit like a glove. Check out the tech section on Cruiseroutfitters site to check your t-case and pinion flange patterns to see if this will work on your rig.

Cruiser Outfitters

 

[youmustbecrazy]

Ewheeler, how did you attach the ruffstuff hanger. I know its welded, but it is offset like the original? Any chance for a few more pictures? I have just about cut off all the old crap, one more bracket to go, drilling out the rivets wasn't as bad as I had feared - not yet anyways.

 

[EWheeler]

Hangers are offset like stock. I believe the width was 38.5"? I just measured the width of the spring perches on my old SOA rear axle and kept everything the same. I supported the front spring hangers with a couple gussets but I don't have any pictures yet. Let me know if you want any more specific pics.

 

[youmustbecrazy]

Thanks, I am using a kit from ruff stuff that someone else bought and never used. The hangers I have are not offset, I'll call them tomorrow and order the offset, your pictures are really helpful. Good idea on the all thread!

 

[youmustbecrazy]

Ewheeler, what set up did you run in the front? I am planning on remaining with stock 40 springs, but flipping them around and also doing a shackle reversal. The only thing I am not sure of is if the height will be correct?

 

[EWheeler]

I used 60 rears in the front as well. Used the same spring hangers from Ruffstuff except I flipped them around. SOA and shackle reversed. Saginaw swap as well with 4x4 labs high steer. I used the ruffstuff spring perches with the three different spring pin options. Wheel base is around 104-105 with axles all the way forward/rearward on the perches.