84-85 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd gen pickups and 1st gen 4Runners with solid front axles

My truck: 1984 Pickup chevy lift

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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 07:10 AM
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CarbedNotch's Avatar
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My truck: 1984 Pickup chevy lift

I live in North Florida where the mud and water flow like cheap booz and loose women. never mind that last part but the water does flow

The ol' pickup was in need of a suspension re-build cuz all the bushings were blown and brakets bent shackles all junked. Here is how it was:
33inch tires with beat suspension.

This shot the rear chevy springs are installed ... got the 35's and now its time to fix and hook up the front:


This picture is after I welded a top gusset and axle end gussets all clean. Now its ready to be put back together.


Here we go the new suspension is all in and it looks sharp.

hi-steer and 35's do the trick

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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 07:17 AM
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Now its time to test it out around the howse


Bogged down leaving the house. Friends been digging it out for me.



It rained and the water was flowing from everywhere!


The river is full:

I hate this river because i got stuck in it the day before. Its really deeeeep!
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 07:28 AM
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From: So Cal
What springs did you use for the front? Did you relocate the rear shackle on the front springs or direct bolt on? Looks real nice. Perfect stance.
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 07:30 AM
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From: Lake Tapps, Washington
very clean and straight to the point, when you did the rear springs how far forward did you have to move the rear spring hangers?
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 07:59 AM
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From: Mooresville NC
yea what springs did you use in the front and what size shackle and did you do a front spring hanger or stock
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 08:15 AM
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From: So Cal
Originally Posted by CarbedNotch


Love the jack by the way! Classic.
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 09:45 AM
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Originally Posted by stagger_lee
What springs did you use for the front? Did you relocate the rear shackle on the front springs or direct bolt on? Looks real nice. Perfect stance.
I used the factory rear springs on the front. I replaced all 4 sets of shackles and the 8 frame mounting braket on the truck. Soon im going to upgrade to a 51" leaf spring for the front to replace the factory 48"s hope this helps
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 09:51 AM
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Originally Posted by yodercrawler55
very clean and straight to the point, when you did the rear springs how far forward did you have to move the rear spring hangers?
I moved the front one 11"s and the back one 4". I originally did the double shackle setup but it looked so ghetto I had to change it....
I cut the rear mount off then welded it to the back of the frame some 4" ...ditched the double ghetto shackle and used my own 6" shackles that I cut from 3/8 plate steel w/plasma cutter n drilled the holes on the drillpresss.
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 11:25 AM
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From: So Cal
Did you do an AAL to the rear springs before putting them on up front? I was reading about sag due to engine weight. Are you happy with the performance/ride/flex of rears up front?
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 12:16 PM
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Originally Posted by stagger_lee
Did you do an AAL to the rear springs before putting them on up front? I was reading about sag due to engine weight. Are you happy with the performance/ride/flex of rears up front?
I did nothing to my springs. .....Now you ask my opinion of the whole notion: "rears up front".
Here is my opinion, and keep in mind it really depends on what your driving style is, but anyway my opinion is the rears up front are 10x better than the stock leaf springs. They dont sag and they do flex good. The spring is a bit hard when hitting holes or rutts but it does handle all bumps. Here is the kicker, I think the chevy rear springs are so perfectly soft and nice that it makes me want to put in upfront something that has some more length to it but same shape ill be able to have the perfect off-road suspension. I want to get a 51-53" long; 5-6" lift front spring from marlin crawler in the future.
But for now, I love my rears up front and they will have to last me at least a few years until I can afford the new fronts.
Hope this helps!

Last edited by CarbedNotch; Apr 3, 2009 at 12:49 PM.
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Old Apr 3, 2009 | 01:09 PM
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From: So Cal
Very much so. Thanks!
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Old Apr 12, 2009 | 05:28 PM
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From: Tampa
where is the trail in your pics?
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Old May 7, 2009 | 09:15 AM
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From: Cascade Mountains
nice truck. i need a bumper like that one
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Old May 7, 2009 | 09:39 AM
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From: Sierra Nevada's or the Deserts of Las Vegas
Those shackle angles look pretty steep how does it ride?
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Old May 7, 2009 | 10:56 AM
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From: colorado
how did you mount your front springs?
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