Builds The Warthog - 1977/73 combo (1 Viewer)

[wngrog]

SAE HS-788 Leaf Spring Design & Application Manual
Chapter 3-4-5-6 will help answer your question.

You can sign up for free and read it here if my link works.

The chance of me reading that is about as high as me buying a new main leaf spring JMack

 

[wngrog]

Aight, since I’m just a dumb ass drug rep I decided to do this the way I’ve always seen these things done. I measured 1.5” forward where the rear mounts used to be and cleaned up the hangers I cut off the front

I did not have any straight shackles here so I made some. That took as long as the rest of this crap. I guessed on a length based on a picture @Voodoocruisers sent me. I may need longer depending on my flex testing

All this is just tacked but I think it’s going to be correct. The truck is up 1.5” as advertised

Axle is 1.5” forward. Going to have to cut my axle shock mounts and flip them 180*

 

[RUSH55]

That looks really good, and a better way to go than the shackle provided in the kit.
Nice work man

 

[J Mack]

The chance of me reading that is about as high as me buying a new main leaf spring JMack

I literally gave you every “Rule of Thumb” to set your front springs up correctly before I posted the actual documents, you can’t blame for me for any of this. I’m just here to drink whisky and eat popcorn.

 

[wngrog]

I got nobody to blame but me for all this work

 

[bobm]

Well! Nuttin left but Whiskey and popcorn

 

[wngrog]

Well! Nuttin left but Whiskey and popcorn

And a lot of booger welds

 

[RUSH55]

Be sure to turn the gas on!

 

[wngrog]

Be sure to turn the gas on!

Fluid Film impregnated steel hates me.

 

[mmcinnis]

Well I'm late to this party but all my reversals, proffitts kits. I always cut a hole in the frame, welded a tube in between, tube id perfect fit for shackle bushing, Remove rear spring perch. Boom perfect match.
Mike

 

[RUSH55]

Fluid Film impregnated steel hates me.

Acetone

 

[wngrog]

Well I'm late to this party but all my reversals, proffitts kits. I always cut a hole in the frame, welded a tube in between, tube id perfect fit for shackle bushing, Remove rear spring perch. Boom perfect match.
Mike

Does he sell a kit? I know it seems like every truck they keep leafs gets a shackle reversal.

Also, how long is the shackle when you do it that way?

 

[71greenpig]

Nice work once again, @wngrog makes me not even want to drive my piggie to SCC. The man has some skills.

 

[mmcinnis]

Does he sell a kit? I know it seems like every truck they keep leafs gets a shackle reversal.

Also, how long is the shackle when you do it that way?

He doesn't sell parts or kits much anymore. Resto side keeps him busy. Run that man a fre tall shackle. Measure it all out but losing the rear hanger and mounting 1 inch or so in the frame. Should get a net loss in ride height of 2.5 inch or so??? Never done your lift but going off previous kit. Most of the time when you use that tall of a reversal just tun oem springs. May as well out board now with 60 axles. Oh the rabbit hole.
Love the truck.
Mike

 

[wngrog]

Funny. Oh the rabbit holes for sure.

If you look at that MAF kits they have a 40 and a 55/60 kit.

They need to offer the rear part of the 40 kit with the 60 front towers and you still retain the “bolt on” but strongly suggest “weld on” kit.

Yeah going up through the frame back there would have been stronger than my crap welds of the old plasma cut front hangers for sure

 

[J Mack]

Yeah going up through the frame back there would have been stronger than my crap welds of the old plasma cut front hangers for sure

Possibly letting you run a longer shackle as well.



What are your thoughts on lowering the front eye with that kit, do you think you’ll be able to get enough caster back with just shims or do you plan to cut and turn?

 

[wngrog]

It’s on my list to check the caster this afternoon. My Mark I eyeball said it looked pretty good with the 4* shims.

 

[bobm]

Think that's what's in Blue for shims

 

[RUSH55]

I like the shackles you made. They look like the ones offered by Ruff Stuff.
They’ll work just fine.

 

[wngrog]

OK. Update time. Lots of small stuff had to be done as well as lots of booger welds and bracing to back up the booger welds.

One thing I needed to do was move my stabilizer mount to the passenger side to allow the 60 series Dobinsons stabilizer room to maneuver.

The stock 55 stabilizer is the same as a 40 and it’s too short for the swing.

Jason at Ozark Overland sent me an 80 series bracket so I could get the gold plated stabilizer in place.

As for what McInnis suggested about adding the tube in the frame and reusing the MAF rear shackle, you tell me. I think it would be too short.

Finally I cut the shock mounts off and flipped them side to side and spaced them up since my shocks were too short with the new lift

Measured up my new caster angle and BOOM....money.