yeah, definetely longer front springs...and is that a piece of re-bar welded to the front spring hanger? what the hell is that? Bubba dun took that thing to the walmart! Start cuttin, weld all that stuff together and drop it off to the PO as *Bubba Of The Year* award. He earned it fair and square. My '83 has some aftermarket stock replacement springs and a big heavy winch bumper and 10,000 lb. worm gear industrial winch and my front shackles are on less rearward angle! And that draglink, what a masterpile! If I could make a suggestion about springs and shackles, mock it all up before tacking the spring hanger in place so you can tune your shackle angle. Depending on what springs you go with, a stock draglink could suffice with a few inches lift and moderate flex.

 

So is that where the front shackles are supposes to hang? Between that mount? Thanks

 

I'm in SoCal, so it's pretty far from where your at. Not sure what to do with the bed. It's a longbed so I might just take it off and do a flatbed.

 

u might wanna remove your sway bar, that thing dangling above your axle. lol

check out some boomerang shackles from sky off road
http://www.sky-manufacturing.com/new...uct.php?id=132

and cut the shock extensions off and get some shocks that fit, if you need long travel, buy some hoops or Ford shock mounts

i love the rebar by the way, lol

no front driveshaft?? you can fab a square tube, cheaper than buying a longer one (well, if you have an old one laying around to use the joints)
http://www.rocketcityrockcrawlers.co...%20Project.pdf

 

Definitely going with the square driveshaft. I think this thread is going to turn into a buildup thread as I start to get this truck back into shape.

 

The front shackles do mount inside the body mount, but should be about vertical at ride height to get the most up and down travel out of your suspension. boomerang shackles will still allow swing without contacting the body mount.

 

Hey guys, are there any aftermarket rear leaf springs that don't require hanger relocation? I ordered new shackles all the way around, now looking for some springs for the rear, but checking my options before I decide on the 63" Chevys. Thanks

 

yes, there are bolt on lift springs for your application. procomp, rough country probably the cheapest, or there are rancho, skyjacker, superlift systems or the old man emu setup. plenty of options according to budget just search online and the forum for reviews.

bowtie 63s and RUFs are only cheap if you can weld, or know someone that can. in reality, anything is going to be better than what is currently under what you got. cant wait to see the pics when its setup, lets see a build thread!

 

So I've been collecting parts to fix my suspension and steering, so far I have the front spring hanger, new front and rear shackles, pro comp 4" lift springs for the front, and a trail gear high steer kit. Waiting on a IFS steering box, rear springs, and U-Bolt flip kits for the front and back. I'm trying to get all the stuff in before I start so I won't have to take the truck apart as much.

Since I will be using the pro comp 4" springs up front, will I still need to mount the front spring hangar forward, or will the stock location work? Thanks

 

i believe the pro comp springs are designed to use the stock mounts...not sure what they measure eye to eye...Your best bet is to contact the supplier.

 

the bold part is not correct.

the shackles should ALWAYS point rearward for best ride comfort as well as maximum articulation, but as suggested before, get some boomerang shackles to cure the problem.

if the shackles are vertical it puts more stress on the mount as the spring lengthens during normal compression over bumps because it is not in a natural position to move rearward. you'll feel it in your back. it will also limit your droop as well because the shackle will need to move a great deal forward as the spring arches and the eye-to-eye distance becomes smaller. a vertical setup will bind up at the shackle before the spring can fully droop, or worse yet, it can invert as pressure is re-applied, flipping forward and causing your spring to bind up, a ride like a bread truck, and leading to a broken main spring.

Al

 

good to see a first gen coming back to life. I did the 63" chevy springs on my 82 and they are nice both in flex and ride. If i had to redo it id probably go for the 57" ford springs tho as the chevys are extremely long and take up the whole back of my truck( the front hanger is right in front of the rear of the cab and the back shackle hanger is about 4" from the end of the frame)Short wheel-base truck!. I used a 4" shackle to keep it somewhat level with the stock fronts. I have a set 4" tg lift springs and 5" shackles ready now to do the front. I plan on reusing the original hangers and a 7" shackle in the rear to level out the truck. If you have any questions on measurements for yours let me know ill try to help however i can. Nothing better then a solid first gen!!!!!