i am planning on doing the 63' chevy spring swap i would like to know where i can find new shackles that will give me the most flex

 

You have probly seen this but if you haven't...

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...threadid=20665

 

yes i have thats where i got the idea but i couldnt find where he got his shackels from

 

oops sorry guys i found what i was looking for just didnt read far enough down

 

Ok the double shackle set-up works like this. You connect one Toyota style shackle from the factory rear hanger (let it lay flat against the frame)
to another shackle going straight down to the spring. Most people run the stock Chevy shackle as the second one that mounts to the spring. my question is if i am going to double shackle the new 63'springs would i put them in the rear or in the front or both

 

I wouldn't double shackle them ... once the first shackle unloads, you're not putting any force on that tire - kinda what the desert guys call "dirty hooker travel".

I think Sky has a kit with everything you need

 

i've been very happy with my double shackles on my 63's. i've havent had any negative experiences with them

 

......mispost

 

Wow...63 foot springs. Those are going to make for a hell of a turning radius, and probably make parking impossible.

Personally, I think 63" springs would be better than 63' springs.

 

i just did 63's on my truck and all i did was fabbed the front mounts and put them 11" forward and then cut off the old rear hanger as close as i could to the frame, re welded it to a piece of 2"x1/4" plate and then welded that to the frame just behind the stock location (literally touching the back of what was left of the old mount). I used a 7" shackle and it came out at a really good angle really close to 45. i used one extra leaf in the rear and netted 5" of lift!!

I would send you pics but the truck is a half hour drive away in a buddies shop, i will try and take some this weekend when i do the front.

Over all i did the whole rear swap in 10 hours with all parts already collected, and a plasma cutter which made quick work of it!!

 

I've been looking around at the 63" chevy spring swap and had some basic questions that I didn't see answered in the postings that I read or the pirate 4x4 site.
Could someone answer these questions for me, n00b that I am?
Thanks in advance.

1) Why *Chevy* springs? Why not, say, Ford or Dodge? One has to relocate hangers and shackles anyway so what is it about the Chevy springs?

2) What is it that people are trying to achieve with the Chevy springs over stock springs?

Thanks in advance!

Chip

 

Longer spring length means less arch is required meaning they will flex better. The Ford and Dodge springs are only like 57" long IIRC.

 

i have a buddy who did a dodge spring swap....was like 59 or 60 inches or something, but his truck has got some major flex w/ a 4 leaf pack on his runner! so yes, you could do that but like TC said, the chevy's are the best. i have a friend looking into some mid 90's ranger springs that are supposed to be super flexy. let yall know aabout it tho!

 

the other advantage to the chevies is the broad range (88-98) of use they can be found in so they are a dime a dosen, and like said before the chevies are the longes fullsize spring so less arch for lift= better flex.

I had to limit mine seriously on up travel because they flexed soooo much, but i am running 40's on 6" of lift.

 

Thanks for the information! So the down side of using springs with a large arch is that they are typically stiffer than flatter springs (such as the chevys), right?

It's also kind of unclear to me how much lift one can get with the chevy springs. I have a 4" lift from blocks in the rear and ideally I'd like to go with a "spring-based" lift of 4". It seems that a 2" lift block on the chevy springs would be the way to go. That and a traction bar to prevent wrap. Wait, just found this: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f88/...toyota-122425/ So it looks like no need for a 2" lift block even. (I love the edit feature of the forums! :-) )

Also something for me to consider is that it's a pickup and I'd like to preserve its load carrying capability more than have a large amount of articulation.

My current plan is to go with a traction bar setup similar to the one here:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ntiwrapbar.htm
I figure it will be an economical solution to spring wrap with the lift blocks until I can better understand all the issues and make the right decisions.

Ok, one more edit -- Anyone know of a good book that I can turn to? It's hard to bring my computer everywhere.

Thanks again for your help!

Chip

 

your load carryig ability should still be good, remember these springs came out of a 1/2 ton fulsize truck!

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I just finished this swap last week and I am wondering what length shock people are running. I am also wondering what valving people like for crawling.

 

<blush>That would be question #8 in the FAQ. doh!

So with the longer springs you get greater flex, but since they are from a 1/2 ton vehicle, they aren't all spongy. Is the main off-road advantage then that when you are in a situation where you may be on one rear wheel with less flexible springs the long chevy springs would flex more and perhaps allow you to keep both rear wheels on the ground? In a nutshell, you get the same (or greater) load carrying capacity with greater travel with the 63" springs, right?

 

On the FAQ here's what kind of shocks were recommended:
Will I need longer shocks?
Yes! You will definitely want longer shocks to take advantage of all that new travel you gained. Get Rancho 5012 or 9012's or Procomps. Bilstein 5100 series are also great shocks.

What do you estimate you put into the spring swap? (buckage and time wise)

 

its all relative! if you can weld yourself, just a few bucks for the hangers. if not, find out what someone wants to weld it for you.

Al