- Joined
- February 16, 2001
- Messages
- 5,418
- Reaction score
- 25
- City, State
- 43°48′48″N 91°13′59″W
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 91 4 do'
I am looking for everyone's successes on Spring over axle conversions. I have heard Superlift makes there own kit but it is like $130 and you could do your own for like $12(Dannyboy likes this price) plus some welding. I have also heard that you can mount the springs on top or at the bottom of the axle. One way you can use the stock length. Does the other help travel?
Also you dont need to extend brake lines? even with a lot of flex?
Thanks
Dan
This is the new update, it has its own post also but I figure I will put it at the top as a labor reference.
OK well since I named this post spring over conversions 101 I wanted to have a thread that would walk someone thru doing this. I finished mine a few hours ago and let me say this is the sweetest way to gain 5" wether your ex is new school or old school. Look to me or Stadx2's rig to see how well it worked with the 4" front kit.
Here is a SOA conversion walk through. Like I said before. I only bought spring perches, shocks(Rancho 2.5" lift) and square Ubolts and it worked like a charm.
Here's what we did (and I say we cause I dont know poop and wanted to learn so I took an experienced lift guy and we figured it out on our own) It was easy given the right tools.
First I took off the shocks
Next I took off the sway bar and junked it
Thirdly We jacked the truck up and blocked it from the frame.
I then Worked the leaves out of each of the four positions. The rears came easy and each front developed a task so they both had to be cut at some point and punched out ( this could be because my truck saw 8 Wisconsin winters) Then I grinded off the old ubolts. Way easier and didnt need them. Through this whole step I put a floor jack under the diffy to hold it.
I grinded the new perches to fit snug, and lined them up exactly over the perches to "guess" the axle angle with some intelligence.
Refastend the leafs above the axle.
Put the existing shock mounts at the bottom of this stack like stock and assembled. The only difference is that the ubolts go side to side instead of front to back. Tighten this down making sure that all is lined up (drive shaft angle, axles evenly under springs)
TIghten this all up and then go to the brakes
I chose to remove driver's side bump stop which had brake line attached on the top, this bracket was bent to accomodate.
Also the emergency brake cable was ground out of the furthest back point and also rerouted to below the second to last point.
This all took very little time and the only thing I could not have handled being a novice was to get the stinking bolts out of the front of the leafs, the bushings more or less threaded the bolts, them mechanical stuff is all elementary. The other stuff took patience and muscle. Dont be afraid to pry apart the front mounts, they will clench back together.
Hey use this for a reference, if anything.
Also you dont need to extend brake lines? even with a lot of flex?
Thanks
Dan
This is the new update, it has its own post also but I figure I will put it at the top as a labor reference.
OK well since I named this post spring over conversions 101 I wanted to have a thread that would walk someone thru doing this. I finished mine a few hours ago and let me say this is the sweetest way to gain 5" wether your ex is new school or old school. Look to me or Stadx2's rig to see how well it worked with the 4" front kit.
Here is a SOA conversion walk through. Like I said before. I only bought spring perches, shocks(Rancho 2.5" lift) and square Ubolts and it worked like a charm.
Here's what we did (and I say we cause I dont know poop and wanted to learn so I took an experienced lift guy and we figured it out on our own) It was easy given the right tools.
First I took off the shocks
Next I took off the sway bar and junked it
Thirdly We jacked the truck up and blocked it from the frame.
I then Worked the leaves out of each of the four positions. The rears came easy and each front developed a task so they both had to be cut at some point and punched out ( this could be because my truck saw 8 Wisconsin winters) Then I grinded off the old ubolts. Way easier and didnt need them. Through this whole step I put a floor jack under the diffy to hold it.
I grinded the new perches to fit snug, and lined them up exactly over the perches to "guess" the axle angle with some intelligence.
Refastend the leafs above the axle.
Put the existing shock mounts at the bottom of this stack like stock and assembled. The only difference is that the ubolts go side to side instead of front to back. Tighten this down making sure that all is lined up (drive shaft angle, axles evenly under springs)
TIghten this all up and then go to the brakes
I chose to remove driver's side bump stop which had brake line attached on the top, this bracket was bent to accomodate.
Also the emergency brake cable was ground out of the furthest back point and also rerouted to below the second to last point.
This all took very little time and the only thing I could not have handled being a novice was to get the stinking bolts out of the front of the leafs, the bushings more or less threaded the bolts, them mechanical stuff is all elementary. The other stuff took patience and muscle. Dont be afraid to pry apart the front mounts, they will clench back together.
Hey use this for a reference, if anything.