The 60 I bought earlier this year came with a shackle reversal and my rear springs are about dead ... I need to make some changes and I'm wondering what to do.
I'm going to keep the SR for the foreseeable future so let's not have the conversation go straight to "just cut it off!". I have read a lot about the pros and cons and I'm going to run the SR for a while and see what I think. Truck facts: Usage is daily driving plus weekend camping trips; still sprung under and I'm not going SOA; 33" KO2s; front and rear bumpers plus sliders; Constant in-cab load (aside from driver) 100lbs; additional camping load 750-1500lbs depending on if it's just myself and the wife or if the kids come too.
To me the front springs look short from eye to eye, at least with the shackle reversal. The shackles stand straight up and down, I think simply because the springs aren't long enough to let them lay back with any angle. I feel like this adds unnecessary height and a stiffer ride. The SR does help to smooth out bumps to the front wheels but it would probably be even smoother if the shackle angle was a little more pre-loaded/aid back. I am wondering about putting longer springs up front - maybe even 60 series rear springs. I need to measure from the fixed eye to the center pin to make sure it wouldn't move the front axle off-center from the wheel well. Are there other options? Do folks typically just run them with the regular 60 front springs and let the shackles be straight up and down?
In the rear I have some aftermarket springs with a "Made in Canada" sticker on them and 8 leaves. The overload springs are pretty weak looking (not very thick and very short) and both leaf packs are almost flat. I have a couple options here... First I have a pair of OME rear AALs that are the same width as these springs and would likely fit in the packs and give them a little boost. Second, I have a pair of two year old OME Heavy leaf packs I can swipe from my other 60. With the AAL they would be Extra Heavy. I have 5.5" shackles for the rear to help height-match the front SR.
I've got to think the two year old OME X-Heavy packs with 5.5" shackles on the rear would do the trick. But what about the front? Do the longer rear packs fit up there with the SR? That would be ideal - some older flatter leaf packs that are longer would keep the front taller but also be softer and flex better, no?
*****
And that leads me to my other questions:
-What is does an ideal spring pre-load look and feel like?
-What kind of at-rest shackle angle does that generally translate to?
-I'm not simply after height, though the SR does add some. Flex and spring movement are higher priority. Will longer, flatter springs in the front help that?
-Is that kind of the concept of SOA?
I'm going to make the best of what I currently have. Next year if I hate it I can always reconfigure.
I'm going to keep the SR for the foreseeable future so let's not have the conversation go straight to "just cut it off!". I have read a lot about the pros and cons and I'm going to run the SR for a while and see what I think. Truck facts: Usage is daily driving plus weekend camping trips; still sprung under and I'm not going SOA; 33" KO2s; front and rear bumpers plus sliders; Constant in-cab load (aside from driver) 100lbs; additional camping load 750-1500lbs depending on if it's just myself and the wife or if the kids come too.
To me the front springs look short from eye to eye, at least with the shackle reversal. The shackles stand straight up and down, I think simply because the springs aren't long enough to let them lay back with any angle. I feel like this adds unnecessary height and a stiffer ride. The SR does help to smooth out bumps to the front wheels but it would probably be even smoother if the shackle angle was a little more pre-loaded/aid back. I am wondering about putting longer springs up front - maybe even 60 series rear springs. I need to measure from the fixed eye to the center pin to make sure it wouldn't move the front axle off-center from the wheel well. Are there other options? Do folks typically just run them with the regular 60 front springs and let the shackles be straight up and down?
In the rear I have some aftermarket springs with a "Made in Canada" sticker on them and 8 leaves. The overload springs are pretty weak looking (not very thick and very short) and both leaf packs are almost flat. I have a couple options here... First I have a pair of OME rear AALs that are the same width as these springs and would likely fit in the packs and give them a little boost. Second, I have a pair of two year old OME Heavy leaf packs I can swipe from my other 60. With the AAL they would be Extra Heavy. I have 5.5" shackles for the rear to help height-match the front SR.
I've got to think the two year old OME X-Heavy packs with 5.5" shackles on the rear would do the trick. But what about the front? Do the longer rear packs fit up there with the SR? That would be ideal - some older flatter leaf packs that are longer would keep the front taller but also be softer and flex better, no?
*****
And that leads me to my other questions:
-What is does an ideal spring pre-load look and feel like?
-What kind of at-rest shackle angle does that generally translate to?
-I'm not simply after height, though the SR does add some. Flex and spring movement are higher priority. Will longer, flatter springs in the front help that?
-Is that kind of the concept of SOA?
I'm going to make the best of what I currently have. Next year if I hate it I can always reconfigure.
