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Shackle flip front leaf setup, measurements?

2940 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Dukeofdiamonds
Finally, I have located a suitable parts truck for my Dana 60 front axle, which is a 94 F-350 turbodiesel. I plan on running a reverse shackle setup in the front using the stock F-350 springs, similar to the sky manufacturing bolt in piece. I will manufacture it out of 4" OD 1/4'' wall thickness square tubing to save time welding plates together.

http://www.sky-manufacturing.com/new/detaproduct.php?id=162

I plan on centering the front leaf spring bolt directly underneath where it would have been positioned on the front shackle originally, and drilling the hole 4 inches underneath the leaf spring bolt in my new support. In the rear I will bolt up a rear axle stock shackle in the existing bracket.

My question is, am I correct to assume that in order to raise the truck 4 inches I need to repostion the hole at the front of the frame exactly 4 inches below the original mounting postion?

Does anybody have a sky kit or ORU that can measure the drop down from the old mounting point?

I think I have it figured out I would just like to hear from anybody who has already done this to give me some alignment pointers, as I will be building the front leaf support this coming week.

Its an 83 F250 2wd that it will be going on. (I already have the rear leaf mounts to install)
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i have the sky kit on my 97 powerstroke. it is a 3.5" shackel reversal. it lowered the front spring eye mount about 3" and the rear about 4" averaging 3.5". it gave a little more caster also.
i have the sky kit,in my 94-f250. i think fasyberry is correct. the back being a bit longer. I will mesure it tonight for you. The sky kit is good and i know you can buy indivdual parts from them. When i got mine we cut templates from cardboard, and kept them incase i need to lift another ford. I will see if i can find them for you. There's is only 3/16 steel, but it is gusetted very well.
I just found sky's templates for cutting the rear spring mount, and I measured the factory shackles at 4.5''. Because the truck is currently 2wd and does not have the leaf spring mounts on it yet, I think I am going to attach them as far forward as possible to get a better shackle angle than the factory spring mount position will offer me. I have browsed some pictures of other guys lifts and it seems alot of them are doing this to improve ride.

I figure if I can move them forward a bit it will also change rear lift closer to 3.5 or 4'' than the 4.5" I would be getting from putting a shackle in the factory hole and mounting it at 90 degrees or so. If I need to get a little better angle I will cut the rear leaf mount and drill new holes just like the templates in the sky kit.

Thanks for checking for me guys, knowing ahead of time the measurements that these kits are using lets me know I won't have to do it twice.

Also, good thinking on cutting out the templates Littlefoot, when they sell these things for 300+ apiece it's nice to be able to replicate it with ease.
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