SLAYfriknBODIES

Hey guys, in the middle of SASing my 1993 4 banger pickup. Using the Trail Gear 4" kit.


Got the instructions out and did some reading. Furthermore, did some maths and got everything measured right- supposedly.


Had a friend come by with his welder and weld in the shackle tubes. Centered the jig in the body mount as directed, flushed the base of the mount with the frame and used a plasma cutter to blast through.


Welded the tubes in offset to the outside by a 1/4" as directed.


For the 4 and 5" spring kits, the instructions say to weld the hanger 3/4" forward of the crossmember. I did that as well. Got the springs bolted in and hooked the axle to them. bolted the wheels on for show and lowered the lift. Shackle angle didn't pass 90. Measured it at 75. Now I know it hasn't broken in yet, which will definitely flatten the spring out a bit and push that shackle back, but im sitting at 75 degrees at full hang with no wheels on and just under 90 with the wheels on and resting on the ground.


did I mess up somewhere or do the springs need a bit of beating up to break in properly and settle that shackle back a bit?

aztoyman

The instructions also say to check shackle angle BEFORE final welding. Not every truck is EXACTLY the same. That said...........they will settle a lot but, you may have a harsh ride.


It was suggested to me to not center the frame tube jig. To push it forward for a better shackle angle. I did this on my second SAS and it has a better shackle angle and a better more flexy ride. Some other manufacture's instructions say to do it this way.


Also went flush on the front hanger despite the instructions. The small difference made a noticeable change in ride.


Too late to change the tubes but, I would move the hanger flush if it's not fully welded yet.


I've only done two trucks so far but the shackle angle on both were slightly back the first time we put weight on the springs.

SLAYfriknBODIES

Thanks for the input. Im gonna road test it first and get everything tested. Ill move the hanger if need be.

DavidLovesToyotas

When i did mine i made my hanger flush with front crossmember and the shackle tubes forward in the body mount not centered. I let the springs hang till 90* with no weight attached to the springs, TACK WELDED it and then put the axle under, tires and dropped all the body weight on the springs. My shackle angle is like 65*. It rides very nice on the road, i do 85mph with 35s no steering stabilizer and no headshake. One thing to remember your shackle angle is going to affect how progressive your spring rate will be, the flatter the shackle angle(more pointed back) the slower the spring rate. If its pointed more down(closer to 90*) your springs will have a higher spring rate. In other words the up travel will be better on a more progressive angle, aka better for road. You'll get better droop if your shackle angle is pointed back more though. You can always change the shackle size as well to accommodate for certain springs. Also remember to look for your caster angle when doing your shock hoops! Point them back towards the firewall a little.

HappyCamper

i started with 3" springs, mounted the hanger flush, but the leaves didn't really settle so my shackle angle didn't change much (unlike the 4" lift rears, which settled as expected). Also, my steering box would have needed to be rotated and I found the ride stiff so I got some 4" springs since they are slightly longer and softer. My shackle angle is perfect now and I like the ride. Since the 3,4, and 5" lift springs are actually different lengths, swapping them is another way you can adjust your shackle angle. Cutting off the front hanger may be commonly regarded as the "right" way to do it, but it's not the only way. You can also redrill your spring perches (center pin hole) to move your axle forward/back an inch.