shackle reversal questions (1 Viewer)

[hemiflight]

Hey everybody, just looking for advice on a kit for
a shackle reversal. Cant build my own yet and
what I have read and heard about the upgrade is encouraging. This is tricky changing the angles all
around and I'm still Looking to see if this is a wise idea.
Man-A-Fre has a kit that looks alright ,but awhile ago
I saw a kit where the front spring hangers were welded
together with a crossbar and it looked tough,cant remember the name of the company.My 55 is sitting on a brand new suspension,ring & pinions ,the pigs never been better.
Any help would be very appreciated.Thanks,matt
Oh yeah,CruiseOregon!

 

[Poser]

Welcome.

I have installed the MAF kit in many a 40 series, and could not see why the kit for the 55 would not be the same great quality..


Good luck!

-Steve

 

[Trogdor]

Be carefull with this kit. Make sure you have a welder handy. Installed one. None of the bolt holes lined up. Tech support was very unhelpfull. With their lift springs and this kit, could not get a correct set of bushings from them.

Don't know about the one with the crossbar in it.

 

[the shed guy]

When I did my 40, I machined up 2 bushes and cut 2 hole sin the chassis and welded them in, like a hilux, and used 81> front spring hanger brackets and attached them to the chassis where the shackle brackets went.

I used all later 40 suspension mounts, and 60 springs, as they have the larger bush, the front centrebolt is 1" further forward, and I redrilled the front diff plate to move it another inch, and the rear springs were 5' longer, and the centrebolt was 4" back, and we re drilled the diff to move it another inch, and swapped the shocks to the rear of the crossmember in the back, making for a 98" wheelbase 40, with improved departure/aproach, better ride, reversed shackles, and plenty of flex.

 

[Advent Horizon]

Could you get some more pics of what you did in the rear? I'm thinking about doing the same thing.

Did the 60 springs give you any lift? Were they stock height, or lift springs? Did you have to use the spring hangers off a '60?

 

[the shed guy]

I attached a pic to last post of rear but it didnt come out, I put the rear spring hangers on backward and back 4" and used 75 series shackles which are heavier, and longer.

Hope this one works,

 

[the shed guy]

This is what we did with the front to reverse the shackles.

 

[the shed guy]

side on rear shackles

 

[the shed guy]

This is how the 40 sits, no bodylift, just springs, and front fenders cut and lifted to bonnet line, rear fenders cut back for longer wheelbase, and cut up to roof side panel join and tubbed.

 

[Advent Horizon]

Are those stock height springs, or lift?

 

[the shed guy]

I did put that in one of the replies, but its not there now,

I used 3" lift lovells 60 springs, removed 2 leaves from each spring pack, and the bottom "packers" I left mainly the long leaves to keep the spring as close as posible to the same spring rate through its travel.

I used Bilstien shocks, so slow they worked well, and fast they worked well, as the Bilstiens are self adjusting on valving dependent on piston speed, the vehicle was a nice package to drive, with 4w discs [hilux fronts on rear 75 on front], 75 power steering, 60 t'case and gearbox, and 454.

It didnt really drive like a leaf sprung vehicle, or a shorty for that matter.