Okay I havent been on for a long time but the truck is getting a SAS.
I was mocking up the suspension and When i let weight down on the Front end i ran into this:
Driver's:

Passenger:


I am using My stock leafs up front.
Trail gear front hanger.
Axle is an 89 land cruiser 60 series axle.
I am planning to use the trail gear kit to put the swing shackles through the frame.

Is this normal? Or should I extend the hanger so the leafs sit under the frame in the back?
Everything is only mocked up so it will be easy to fix whatever is screwed up thank god. haha
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

Looks like you need shorter springs in the front, or extend the front hanger out. That prob will not work. Do you have a side shot of that? Why not get TG springs?

 

I do have side shots but my phone will not allow me to post them.
So I will post them from my computer after I get off work.

Well I was going to buy TG springs but I saw a thread on pirate about other guys using rears. and it gave said it would give me the lift I was looking for.
Since I put f-150 springs in the rear I figured I could use my stock rears.

I looked over the thread again and didn't find anything about this problem.

 

Yea that is way off. Are they stock rears? Looks like there just not gonna fit.

 

Yeah they are stock rears.
I might have to buy TG springs...

 

I used rear springs when I did my SAS, I think they were 2" lift springs. I moved my front spring hanger forward, (but I built my own so that might not be very helpful). To me in the first to pics you posted it looks like you let the weight of your truck down too much. Since you don't have any shackles to hold the leaf springs in place, the leaf springs hit the frame and flattened out past the body mount where you would be cutting out the holes for the shackles to mount.
I think you need to wait till you have the holes cut out and your frame tubes welded in so you can mount your shackles, then mock it up and determine where your front spring hanger needs to be...just my 2 cents





here's a couple pics of mine during and after mock up (just as a side note I added 3 additional rear leaves to my spring pack for the added weight of the 302 V8 I was swapping in, and also planned front bumper/winch. the shackle angle in the above pic is nearly straight upand down, but settled after the engine was installed

 

Good point, great info.

 

Thanks!
Good info!
How long are your springs?
Mine are the 51" 3rd gen rears.
Also I have no motor in the truck so they will prolly sag a little more with the motor in.

 

I can't remember for sure, I want to say that my springs were 47"or 49" eye to eye...? The rear lift springs I used I got from another Yotatech member (OneIwilly) and they measured the same eye to eye as the rear springs off my 85' parts truck, they just had more arch. I combined the 2 sets of springs to make up my leaf pack.

That could be the difference right there, if you are running 51" rear springs... It's been so long since I research RUF springs, I'm assuming people use the 3rd gens ones? They probably flex like crazy!... I'd still get your holes cut and frame tubes welded in and mock up your front axel and see where your front spring hanger needs to be, then if your springs end up being too long and not working you could always pick up some 2nd gen rear springs cheap off CL or upgrade to some of TG springs like Teuf mentioned.

P.S: since your doing a SAS on your truck, it's time to update your build thread, don't forget the pics!!!

 

Yeah I've been doing research on my breaks at work.
I have found guys that said they used the 3rd gens. But they haven't said anything about having this problem.

I will defiantly try your idea though.
I appreciate the input!


Haha yeah I have a huge update to work on.
I've been working 50 hours a week so all my extra time I have been working on it an the build thread went to the wayside.
Now that work has slowed down slightly I have some breathing room.
Lol

 

I have one more question for you.
When i drill my holes in the frame how should i measure for it?
I have heard that I should let weight down on the springs and then mark where the eye is, and drill there. But i have also hear that at full extension mark where the eye is and drill there so the shackle will be vertical at full extension.
How did you do it?

 

What did the RUF FAQ on pirate say?

 

I read the first two pages of it and they say that 51" are harder to fit but work awesome.
I did find out that they will only move my axle 1" forward instead of 2.

I had an idea though...
I remember looking into running full size axles.
And the swing shackle kit had one straight shackle and one that was bent.
So I think I can run a similar set up if nothing else works.

 

Also, Ed i finished the update to my build thread. Warning though, it may take quite some time to look through, but there are plenty of pictures for all you guys.

 

I started messing with my shackle kit and the front end again today. This is what I came up with. I think it will work once I get my frame tube welded in. I will have to buy longer bolts and maybe some more washers.

 

So I got the drivers side mounted.
And the frame tube was long enough that I just pushed it all the way to the inside.
This shoul work!

Firs photo is the how the shackle is set up.
Second is full drop
Third is ride height now.
I still have to pull the over load and add 2-3 leafs in.

 

Great job Jaron, necessity is the mother of invention.

 

Haha thank you.
I guess I just kinda freaked yesterday when I set the weight down and that happened.
And I was pressed for time so I didn't get to look at it much.
This morning I looked at it with a clear head and plenty of time.
So I just started going at it and it worked out.
Thank you for the input.
It helped me just go with it. Haha

 

Ha, ha, I was just messing with ya, lol! I'll have to go check it out, just from seeing your truck in it's SAS stages it looks like you've done a lot of work to it in the last year!

Glad you were able to move forward and get some progress done on your SAS, it looks good, wish I was as mechanically inclined as you when I was your age! -Ed

 

Yeah I figured as much. Haha
It's been a huge undertaking.
At the beginning I wa a little overwhelmed but I just got used to that feeling.

And thank you!
I get that a lot from people. Haha
I spent my entire high school wrenching on trucks until the wee hours of the morning so me an my friends could go to school the next day, that's where I picked up most of it...

I've still got a lot to learn but I'm also still young.
I just wish I was a better welder. Doing all this I've learned some but my 17 year old brother has been doing a lot of the major welding since he can do it better than me. Lol