1983 front and rear axles. I'm going to do high steer and a u-bolt flip. Which brackets can I torch off?
I already cut the e-brake brackets off the rear axle (going with t-case e-brake). The front axle has a gusset already on the bottom of the axle (driver side) do I remove that, or leave it and get another to weld on the top?
Thanks

 

Id take off the sway bar brackets, the torque arm bracket and the steering stabilizer bracket, all will be useless with hi-steer, careful when your doing it, the housings are paper thin and can warp from the heat.

 

Everything but the shock brackets, perch plates (leaf spring brackets) and the steering stops.

Or so it looks like this:


Oh how that brings back memories!

 

I hope the housings are not that thin. I have some rust on one side where the u-bolts were. I'll clean it up and have a look. I need to drag the axles to work to get the rims off (no air tools at my house).

 

Airtools? They are on there that tight? Yikes!

 

They're not on that tight, just rusted really bad. I broke one while doing it at my house. I got all the front nuts off at my house. The rears I had to fight with a 3ft breaker bar to get them to budge. My 1/2" impact made quick work of them, didn't break one.
Now I need to get my 4 jackstands back from the kid who borrowed them so I can start to clean these things up.

 

That's what I was thinking...dang I would try some penetrating oil and a piece of pipe. My high lift jack handle is my air tool...
have fun..

Which kit are you going with for the Transfer case e-brake?

 

I sprayed the lugnuts with PB Blaster the day the truck rolled into my yard (3 weeks ago) and been spraying them every so often.

I was looking at the e-brake from http://www.allprooffroad.com/

 

Any parts that are rusted...clean up and salvage if possible, otherwise throw them away as they will only cause problems later. Anything I can help you out with let me know.

 

Two questions:
1) Will your knuckle gusset kit interfere with the u-bolt flip? It looks like the shock mount might be too long.
2) Are the leaf springs (4" or 5") normal lenght? I do not want to relocate my hangers.

Thanks.

 

1. No, as I have it all on my 85.

2. You will not get the noted amount of lift without moving hangers out as the lift leaf springs are longer, so if you left them as is you would be much higher if it worked at all.

 

Are there any lift springs that are not longer than stock, just arched more?

 

A longer spring doesn't necessarily mean you need to move the spring hanger, the shackles compensate for the length, and the axle location should remain stock, email the manufacturer before buying if you are concerned. I know that Trail gear makes awesome springs.

Off the top of my head:

Procomp
Downey
Trailgear
Marlin
Tuff Country
Rough Country
Trail Master
North West Offroad
Superlift

All make Springs for the 79-85's. I have a Procomp 4" setup that I bought used, it included Shocks, Brake hose relocation brackets and a drop drag link they seem alright but I dont think they are going to handle the trails I plan on taking them on and the shocks are iffy, Never really liked Procomp but it was just an impulse buy, cheap setup, if it breaks it breaks no big loss for me.

 

Same here, i bought procomp springs cause they were at the store and i didnt want to wait for the mail to come with my trail gear stuff. I set it all up and now i am replacing with my trail gear stuff. my loss, i will be selling them soon.

 

LcEngineering sells n SAS too

 

Way to bring a thread back from the dead...