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My original shackle buckets where questionable for something that will be abused, so complete replacement was in order. They where also limiting my droop as the shackle would bottom out on the front lip of the bucket before the spring stopped droping.
However there are two things I dont care for with the "normal" SF.
1- I only needed ~1.5-2" out of it.
2- I never cared for the shackles hanging way down below the frame out back, call me pickey.
After looking around and not finding what I wanted, I decided to do my own version of a shackle flip.
So a trip to the parts store for a set of 1998 Ford ranger rear spring hangers (see post 22 for part #), and $40 later I had the only parts I didnt have laying around. These buckets are about one thick washer wider where the shackle goes, so you will need to find a large thick washer to take up the gap if you keep the stock shackles. Mine seemed to line up best with them on the inside.
On to labor, get the grinder out (dont have a plasma yet) with a cut off wheel. Drill and a few sizes of bits leading up to 3/8. BFH pry bar and a few wrenches.
Take the spring and shackle out of the old bucket, good luck by the way. This was the most "work" involved in doing mine. Finally gave up that set of shackles as they are a permenent part of the buckets now. Luckily I had a spare set.
Cut hammer pry cut bang curse bleed whatever you got to do, but git rid of those stock bucket and clean the area up. Now would also be a good time to inspect the frame. I found mine a bit weak on the bottom of both sides, and will patch them later.
Next was VERY CAREFULLY lay out where the new bucket needs to go. I am not going to give measurements because my setup is a little different and my measurements probably wouldnt work for stock springs. I moved mine forward some, and almost got them to far. I knew I wanted the shackles pointing back at the bottom a bit more than most would consider right. I dont have a whole lot of stuff, and the springs also are not really high arched, so there is not near as much movement that way on mine. With stock springs or different tire/axle combos that may be different. I did however need a lot more room for the shackle to come forward at the bottom for droop. That is why I decided on the shackle angle I went with, though it went back a few degrees more than I planned under its own weight.
I did compress the suspension and it will hit the bump stop well before it runs out of room for the shackle to swing.
After you are sure about your marks, drill, bolt with the supplied bolts, and put the shackle and spring back together in the "new" position and you have it.
The stock shackle is ~3" eye to eye. My SF puts the eyes basicaly opposite where they are stock instead of flipping it around the "frame" eye. We all know a shackle lift gets you half the overall movement of the spring eye so 1.5" give or take, as you can mount the buckets up or down on the frame 1/2" or better.
So a crusty before
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...ostest0005.jpg
and after
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...ostest0001.jpg
Jim
However there are two things I dont care for with the "normal" SF.
1- I only needed ~1.5-2" out of it.
2- I never cared for the shackles hanging way down below the frame out back, call me pickey.
After looking around and not finding what I wanted, I decided to do my own version of a shackle flip.
So a trip to the parts store for a set of 1998 Ford ranger rear spring hangers (see post 22 for part #), and $40 later I had the only parts I didnt have laying around. These buckets are about one thick washer wider where the shackle goes, so you will need to find a large thick washer to take up the gap if you keep the stock shackles. Mine seemed to line up best with them on the inside.
On to labor, get the grinder out (dont have a plasma yet) with a cut off wheel. Drill and a few sizes of bits leading up to 3/8. BFH pry bar and a few wrenches.
Take the spring and shackle out of the old bucket, good luck by the way. This was the most "work" involved in doing mine. Finally gave up that set of shackles as they are a permenent part of the buckets now. Luckily I had a spare set.
Cut hammer pry cut bang curse bleed whatever you got to do, but git rid of those stock bucket and clean the area up. Now would also be a good time to inspect the frame. I found mine a bit weak on the bottom of both sides, and will patch them later.
Next was VERY CAREFULLY lay out where the new bucket needs to go. I am not going to give measurements because my setup is a little different and my measurements probably wouldnt work for stock springs. I moved mine forward some, and almost got them to far. I knew I wanted the shackles pointing back at the bottom a bit more than most would consider right. I dont have a whole lot of stuff, and the springs also are not really high arched, so there is not near as much movement that way on mine. With stock springs or different tire/axle combos that may be different. I did however need a lot more room for the shackle to come forward at the bottom for droop. That is why I decided on the shackle angle I went with, though it went back a few degrees more than I planned under its own weight.
I did compress the suspension and it will hit the bump stop well before it runs out of room for the shackle to swing.
After you are sure about your marks, drill, bolt with the supplied bolts, and put the shackle and spring back together in the "new" position and you have it.
The stock shackle is ~3" eye to eye. My SF puts the eyes basicaly opposite where they are stock instead of flipping it around the "frame" eye. We all know a shackle lift gets you half the overall movement of the spring eye so 1.5" give or take, as you can mount the buckets up or down on the frame 1/2" or better.
So a crusty before
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...ostest0005.jpg
and after
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...ostest0001.jpg
Jim
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