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#1 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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63" Chevy spring swap
Well I have just completed stage 1 of the swap.
I have had these springs sitting in my garage for over a month. Recently my rear passenger pack decided to crease for no apearent reason. The truck was riding on the pass bumpstop and I was worried about the pack breaking sending my axle flying! Look at this crap. ![]() So I got to work fabricating the hangers and shackles. Garrett came over several times to help get this whole thing together and I can't thank him enough!!! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Look at those springs. ![]() ![]() Chevies are LONG! ![]() ![]() ![]() I just realized that I have no pics of the finished product sitting flat. Only flexed. This loading dock really maxed out my stock junk. ![]() Now I need something bigger. ![]() That is more like it. ![]() Urban wheeling at it's finest. ![]() ![]() Jeeze! ![]() As you can see I have stock springs up front and they aren't budging! ![]() Once the front gets some tlc I will be flexin all over the place! ![]() When I bought the truck the bumpstops in the rear where only one inch from touching. Now with the chevies on there the bump stops sit 6.75" away from the frame! I am willing to say that I got 5.5" of lift from the chevies over my saggy stock springs. WOW. Future work includes: -shocks new crossmember weld on tabs to axle -ubolt flip -uhmw polyethylene in between each leaf -spring clamps -shims (vibrations) I am so happy with the springs so far. The flex blows my mind. Not bad for a 50 dollor set of springs!
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. |
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#3 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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You know, I feel like this is the first REAL mod I have done. It is just the first I have ever done to the suspension. Can't wait to finish the rear and get started on the front!!!!
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. |
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#4 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
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i have the chevy spring swap too though don't know enough about how they perform. i wish i knew how to weld and cut like that, beautiful work!
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-David 2000 Taco TRD Access Cab v6 | 5spd | 33" BFG A/Ts | 33" PC Mud Terrains | OME 882's | Bilstein HD struts front | Rancho shocks rear | Chevy 63" leaf spring swap | Custom sliders | Custom front bumper |3" BL | U-Bolt flip | Flowmaster exhaust | Kenwood Speakers | Grey Wire Mod | Aux. Reverse Lights | Deckplate Mod | Lots of lights Pictures |
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#5 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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For cutting I used about 10 cut off wheels for my harbor frieght angle grinder. Everything was from plate.
If I had to do it again I would have used square tube for the hanger. Also I would have been more careful as to what kind of metal I was getting out of the scrap bin. See drilling metal for explanation.
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. Last edited by getitdone : 06-18-2006 at 06:05 PM. |
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#6 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
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how would you have used square tube for the hanger?
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-David 2000 Taco TRD Access Cab v6 | 5spd | 33" BFG A/Ts | 33" PC Mud Terrains | OME 882's | Bilstein HD struts front | Rancho shocks rear | Chevy 63" leaf spring swap | Custom sliders | Custom front bumper |3" BL | U-Bolt flip | Flowmaster exhaust | Kenwood Speakers | Grey Wire Mod | Aux. Reverse Lights | Deckplate Mod | Lots of lights Pictures |
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#7 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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Like this.
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. |
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#8 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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What the hell?
10 Man points to who ever can specifically say what these little pacman things are.
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__________________
Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. Last edited by getitdone : 06-17-2006 at 08:06 PM. |
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#9 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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What, no body has any man juice tonight? Fine I won't update untill someone gets it.
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. |
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#11 (permalink) |
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Registered User
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another thing to note: wtf happened to the overload leafs from your stock pack? running without them is no doubt the reason for the failure.
using 3.5"^2 X .25" wall tubing for the hangers is definitely the way to go. also, if you need new busings for your chevy springs, napa has them. |
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#12 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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10 MAN POINTS FOR PETER!
That is exactly what they are. Yep the overload has been out for a while and no doubt the cause of the bent pack. I got new poly bushings from energy suspensions. The part # is in the pirate faq. Pics after work.
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. |
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#13 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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Ok, update.
Let me just say something about UHMW-PE(Ultra High Molecular Weight - PolyEthylene) It is used in my pack just like the little teflon pads in normal packs. The UHMW is 30 times slicker and I think its stronger too. I heard about it from an article(posted below) and decided to give it a try. It is pretty cool tech if you ask me. READ THE ARTICLE ABOUT IT LINK![]() This stuff is about 40 bucks for a 50ft roll that I can do BOTH axles with. Ok. Back to my truck. Bam, everything is gone. ![]() ![]() A king on his throne. ![]() Got the springs painted, made some antiwrap leafs out of some yj leafs(far left) and replaced the bottom leaf with another from the chevy pack with clamps. ![]() Shot of the clamp and how I beveled each end of the leafs so they would rub smoothly on the uhmw-pe. ![]() Beveled. ![]() These are the brackets for the shocks. The two pacman ones are for the ubolt flip plate and the triangles fit on my crossmember I made. ![]() Welded, cleaned, just painted. ![]() All 1/4" thick. Beef. ![]() Made this with my left over slider material. The triangles are also 1/4" beef. ![]() It sits directly above the axle, welds on top of the frame. My shocks will never break the mounts. ![]() I am waiting on the paint to dry up more before I move on. Soon, I will weld on the crossmember and swap out the plates for the ones on the truck now. Pics when it's done.
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. |
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#14 (permalink) |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Plano/Dallas TX
Posts: 55
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Is that a pro mig 135 you're using for the welds?
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#15 (permalink) |
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Registered User
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just warning you, you will probably hate the shocks angled in that far. their effective dampening will be cut in half. taking a corner at speed and nailing a pothole or a rough spot will be some scary S H I T my friend.
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#16 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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Those welds are made with my lincoln 175pro. Quite a bad ass machine if you ask me.
I am actually impressed with how much these things stiffened up the ride. I have been going to work and back(little more than a block) with no shocks now for like 4 days. With the shocks in there I am not bouncing all over the road! But it really seemed to make bumps a bit rougher than the cushy chevies alone. Also it seemed like it limited my flex just a schmidgen. Maybe not, I didn't measure. Pics! These are rancho 5012's by the way. ![]() ![]() Need to play with the ebrake cable to get it farther away from the shock. ![]() You can see the uhmw-pe sandwitched inbetween the leafs here. ![]() Still have plenty of flex left in the shocks. Especially drooping. ![]() Have at least an inch of shock left to stuff, which is probably like 2 inches of wheel travel. ![]() The ride is really good. It handles alot like any truck would. Very predictable. I went down really bumpy roads, over train tracks, down the highway at 75+, and flexed it out. I am very pleased with the work/money put in vs the results. Just love em!
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. |
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#17 (permalink) |
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Registered User
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your shocks are upside down, ranchos are supposed to be mounted can down
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#18 (permalink) |
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Contributing Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ft. Collins, Co
Posts: 1,016
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Does it really matter? I just wanted less unsprung weight.
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Chris Fischer 3D 85 4Runner SR5 | 33" BFG M/T on flat black rims | Chevy springs | Custom Grab cage with overhead cb mount | Custom fabbed center console | Freshly rebuilt axle with IFS hub/caliper swap | Rock Sliders | Lots more... In Colorado, Dig. Last edited by getitdone : 07-24-2006 at 09:28 PM. |
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