autozone shackle kit

[beanman1]

i want to lift my 1009 about 3 inches dont have a lot of cash cause i am unemployed i have 3 inch steel blocks for the rear but has anyone ever used the shackle kits that you can get from autozone on the rear part of the front springs we did my bros s10 like that and has not had a problem yet i know that the kit is probally to weak i was going to use as a template and use some thicker steel to make some out of dont have the money to buy a real lift kit i was just wondering if it could be done

 

[dstang97]

Don't do it. Save your money and do it right

 

[beanman1]

why dont do it if you look at the rear part of the front leaf springs you can see a spring shackle that looks almost similar to the one i was talking about

 

[scrambled]

To raise the truck 3 inches, you will need a shackle that is 6 inches longer than stock.

This will change the pinion angle of the truck. it will throw your pinion downward, making the driveline angle worse.

Your caster will also be off on the truck making it not want to return to center when turning.

this does not take into account the stresses put on the shackles or the tiny bushings in the frame.

If money is a concern, buy a body lift and get 3 inches that route.

Travis

 

[mrcucv]

I wouldnt buy a body lift personally cause i dont like them. I have put blocks underneath the leafs with longer u bolts though.

 

[1gunmutt]

Just a dumb question!! Why not take the factory shackle off of the rear of the front spring and relocate the new longer shackle to the front near the bumper? Baisically turn the spring around. Yea I know that I aint no mechanic.

 

[beanman1]

i have always heard that putting blocs on the front was a bad idea i have seen a bunch like that i just wanted to know what my cheap options were and really trying to stay away from a body lift i saw this guy at the gas station that put the autozone type shackles on his k5 he said he didnt have any problems with it i was just trying to see what all can be done

 

[KsM715]

Do NOT put blocks in the front. The latteral forces on the front suspension while turning will make it spit those blocks out and youll end up killing yourself or someone else.

Moving the shackle to the front will not raise the suspension. (and makes for a harsher ride)

Edit: 1gunmutt I miss read your post. A longer shackle will raise the suspension but to get 3" it would still have to be 6" longer and it still screws with the pinion angle and caster angle unless you use degree shims. By the time your done fabbing the new spring mount on the rear of the front spring youd be better off just saving for a proper lift kit.

If your going to lift it 3" with shackles and blocks in the rear then you need new longer shocks and longer or modified brake lines as well.

 

[beanman1]

ok what i amtryig to do is i want to put 33 inch tires on the 1009 and i dont want to rub with a little offroading i dont like theway it looks at stock hieghth wth the 33s a little lift would do thats why i was asking aout the shakles

 

[T_F_E]

Trim some fender, save some dough!

 

[1gunmutt]

Do NOT put blocks in the front. The latteral forces on the front suspension while turning will make it spit those blocks out and youll end up killing yourself or someone else.


OK, I understand the lateral forces, but what about the 2 inch zero rate blocks that are used on the front suspension to gain a little there? Are they dangerous as well? Will the 2 inch zero rate blocks give 2 inches of lift?

 

[T_F_E]

the zero rates are added to your leaf pack and are safe.

 

[wkbrdngsnw]

I would use 1.75" add a leafs and 2.5" longer shackles made out of plate with a cross brace for the front.

This will change the pinion angle of the truck. it will throw your pinion downward, making the driveline angle worse.

Your caster will also be off on the truck making it not want to return to center when turning.

The shackle increases the caster angle, your thinking of a vehicle with shackles on the front like a jeep which makes it negative. Positive actually makes it more stable and harder to turn the wheel and centering is improved with added camber gain while turning. The down side is the pinion angle and with too much can ruin tires.

 

[1gunmutt]

That makes a huge difference!! What is the largest zero rate that can be used and not have to worry about pinion angle or caster

 

[kassim503]

Just trim the fenders, unless your interested in doing a 52 inch leaf swap, there is no safe way you can lift the front without spending the big bucks

 

[4bogginchevys]

if you dont mind combining 2.5 and 3" springs you can get rid of the bottom leaf (if you have 3 like normal)and get a couple leafs from the rear of an 80's dodge 3/4 ton 4x4, they have a ton of arch and will give about 2.5 inches overall lift. You have to add a couple of those thingy's that keep the springs strait and together and bend them to fit the new thickness of leafs, and straiten the ones already there and bend them to fit too....OR....I think 90's dodge trucks use 3" leafs in the rear...repeat above steps...the 90's leafs are alot flatter and will probably be more like returning to stock height, especially if only 1 is used. I will be using 2 springs from a 90's dodge, and the 2 top springs already there, with my plow on it I would like it to end up about an inch higher than stock. The hard part is finding the 90's springs, the 80's ones are everywhere. Chevy rears would work too, just not as much arch. Good luck

 

[Cucvnut]

Trim some fender, save some dough!

 

[4bogginchevys]

To raise the truck 3 inches, you will need a shackle that is 6 inches longer than stock.

This will change the pinion angle of the truck. it will throw your pinion downward, making the driveline angle worse.

Your caster will also be off on the truck making it not want to return to center when turning.

Just a dumb question!! Why not take the factory shackle off of the rear of the front spring and relocate the new longer shackle to the front near the bumper? Baisically turn the spring around. Yea I know that I aint no mechanic.

Do NOT put blocks in the front. The latteral forces on the front suspension while turning will make it spit those blocks out and youll end up killing yourself or someone else.

Moving the shackle to the front will not raise the suspension. (and makes for a harsher ride)

Edit: 1gunmutt I miss read your post. A longer shackle will raise the suspension but to get 3" it would still have to be 6" longer and it still screws with the pinion angle and caster angle unless you use degree shims. By the time your done fabbing the new spring mount on the rear of the front spring youd be better off just saving for a proper lift kit.

If your going to lift it 3" with shackles and blocks in the rear then you need new longer shocks and longer or modified brake lines as well.

Increasing castor would make the truck hard to turn, very easy to keep in a strait line.

If the shackle is in front of the axle it will cause major bump steer.

Sorry about previous post, didn't read till now it's a 1009....about the leaf spring thing, it will work...you just dont have to toss the bottom spring.

About the shackles, you can use a peice of 5/16" thick, 4"x4"x length boxed steel cut in half for heavy duty shackles,both sides for 1 truck. (length determines lift - 50%). Notch the steel for the frame. I'm doing it on a different truck this weekend, can post pictures. between the springs and shackels mentioned you could get 3" pretty easily at a cost of.....10.00 for steel, 3.00 each spring at a junk yard, 40.00 for new u-bolts, and 15.00 for pinion correction shims, 4 degree probably. under 125.00 gets the front and rear up SAFELY, and brake lines aren't usually an issue until 4"+. Get the rear blocks from a late 70's-early 80's ramcharger or other truck (dodge uses blocks in lots of applications).....

 

[beanman1]

ok guys i dont have a camera to take a pic right now what i am talking about so i pulled a pic off the net on the front leafsprings about where the doors meet the fenders there is this shackle that looks like the thing in the pic can i get longer ones to lift the truck

 

[beanman1]

ok i guess no one really noticed these before or is mine the only 1009 that has them