How to: Chevy 63" Leaf Spring Swap

Make sure when setting the shackle angle you set all 4 wheels on the ground and weigh the truck down like you'd be driving it. I mistakenly set my angle by only supporting the rear axle while my front was still set on the frame. The center of gravity was shifted towards the front and after I welded it all in, realized the angle was way to shallow and had to shift my shackles to the rear more.

Take away. Only tack your mounts in until you have the truck completely on the ground and you're satisfied with the angles. Don't be a dummy like me.

 

I was thinking I’d get the front and shock hoops fully welded and then put the gas tank and bed back on before I fully weld the rear

 

That would work as well. I left my bed off and just added weight equivalent to the bed (i.e. my neighbor). Allowed easier access to other things. Shock hoops need to be welded while the bed is on the truck though so your clearances match the fender well. I tried to push mine up as high as I could in order to get maximum shock length and the only way to do that was with the bed on.

 

So 36hrs give or take at roughly $50hr, around 1,500-1,800 total?

 

Makes sense. Should I simulate loaded weight when setting shackle angle. I have 600ish lbs on the bed when I camp, but don’t ride around daily with that much weight

 

For labor, sure. Personally if you’re spending that much, I’d do a bolt on swap. Much less headache.

 

For optimal performance at 600lbs, yes. So you might ride a bit high unloaded.

 

That’ll be a fun task. Maybe just put husky @stronghammer back there on top of my tent and call it a day.

 

I can’t weld, and even if I could I wouldn’t trust my self to get things lined up properly.
Bolt-on.... 63?

 

Depends on what all you are doing at the time of the swap. Me personally I'd charge a flat rate based on what all I am getting into.

Lets see mine with a shock relocation and making and plating the frame took over 24 hrs. Myself and @Casper66 put in well over 30 hrs that weekend working on mine and his truck. Plus I had the help of 4 more people. 6 of us worked for 16 hrs straight in one day to get the majority of it done. Myself and Chris put in 9 hrs the day before just in prep. It's a job and not an easy one.

For you

 

Shackle angle was the hardest part you can easily center the axle just take a bunch of reference measurements.

 

And that’s really just trial and error at the end of the day. Cutting everything off will be slightly sickening, but I don’t think I have any reservations for doing the swap at this point

 

You just need some friends for simulated weight @pabstsmeared
Can't find the pic of them sitting on the frame. It's easier to just find some weights or something that is easily removed to put on and take off the frame than taking the bed on and off as well as the gas tank.

 

We just tacked mine in like 4-5 places about a medium tack nothing too hard. And yes it's a bunch of trial and error all depends on the springs really. There are roughly 30 different variations of the chevy 63 springs maybe even more so each set up will be slightly different.

 

I now charge by the pound for frame sitting.....

Skip you must've opened a honey bun or something right as you snapped this photo, you have my attention.

 

I’m talking about a set of Dakars, a shock relocation and set of hammer hangers. All that would probably be cheaper than paying for a 63 install.

 

I can see that being the biggest bitch.

Tack mounts, hang springs, lower truck, measure...shit it's not right; lift truck, unbolt springs, grind off tack welds...rinse and repeat a dozen times.

 

Did you see the shocks I bought today, in my build thread? I think I tagged you.

 

We got mine in 5 tries. If you take away one for trying the 6" shackles 4 We were pretty close with some maths then just fine tuned.

 

I'm not getting half the tags or alerts on any of the forums lately.