i am sure that this has been asked time and time again, but does anyone think that i will need a longer drive shaft with a 4 inch ccot lift kit? is there anything else that i will need to pay attention to?
of course all cruisers are different but you shouldn't need new d-shafts for a 4" lift. My TPI lift came with 6 degree shims for the front (fat end forward!). I went ahead and replaced all the u-joints while I was at it but most don't need that either. longer brake lines or relocated hangers are needed and make sure you mark the driveshafts if your going to separate them, they get pretty rough if they are put together out of phase :
Why did you have to use the 6 degree shims if you bought a complete kit from TPI? Don't the springs provide the lift if you buy a kit like their Smoky Mountain Susp. Kit? The shackles that come with a kit are not supposed to be oversized shackles and should not cause axle housing rotation, therefore you should not need to use the 6 degree shims, if I am correct. Understand, I am NOT criticizing what you did. I just want to know what is correct and why the shims were necessary to correct the caster. Thanks for any help. Jim D.
My understanding of the TPI springs, Jim is that they are not built to include correct caster, and the 6 degree shims must be installed in order to attain correct caster. OME springs, for instance, are built to include correct caster, as are Skyjackers. However, most people find that while normal driving is fine with the Skyjackers, flat towing is greatly benefited by installing small (2 degree) caster shims with the lift.
Any lift I have installed uses shims to maintain caster. I figured it was cheaper to provide the shim than to manufacture it into the spring.
