How to: Chevy 63" Leaf Spring Swap

If I had the means to make a custom hoop shock tower, I would 100% go that route instead of the ford mounts. That would open up the possibilities to better shocks down the road and not having to redo anything...Not doing AG towers either, fuck them and their high prices.

 

If you weren't in NC, I'd hook you up. I do have some Ford shock towers just laying around now though that I need to get rid of.

 

After chatting with Eddy and doing some more research there is some good reason to have the eylets perpendicular to each other. When I change shocks I'll be going with or making a set of lower mounts like this. The lower mount being this way helps with some geometry stuff especially for flexing, and for the lower especially to be oriented in this direction.
https://www.tmrcustoms.com/suspension/brackets-tabs/axle-mount-shock-brackets

 

Setup on the 4Runner not sure the angle as I setup with the axle at full drop and set from there

 

None of these fit my needs but here ya go. Also AG for what you get in reality is not that bad of priced. I've seen less charge more. I think the amount of time in R&D and work he puts into the product is worth the $$$ compared to some others out there.
https://www.tmrcustoms.com/suspension/shock-hoops-mounts

 

Interesting. Is the concept behind having them setup perpendicular to act as a U-joint of sorts? I've heard it causes binding in some applications. All I know is my shocks cycle fine and don't bind so I'm not screwin with it anymore. Lol.

 

act as a u-joint? For axle articulation and some stability stuff off camber and flexed. I'll try and dig up the stuff I found on it. But when Eddy started talking about it I listened. I had run across it once before he said anything. Not saying there is anything bad about the way we have them set up going PP to the frame just better to have the lower mount turned 90. It's really just getting that last little bit out of the suspension. For the guys out west dune jumping and shit the PP way is better. I think we are coming full circle again where every suspension set up has to be for the particular purpose it's built for. Recuring theme

 

I just meant like a u-joint. Where it has full articulation in its ability to twist in 2 separate directions.

But yeah, that all makes sense. Keeps you from having to get huge misalignment spacers to accommodate the movement of the shock when the axle is articulated God knows how. I feel like that's more of an issue with buggies though that use coilovers on all 4 corners than guys with leaf sprung trucks.

 

Yeah ok now I get what you're saying. Yeah kinda like that.

Yes and no. I seen it on leaf sprung YJs and other vehicles too. There is some stability part to it as well besides the binding. Perpendicular is not always the best but for shocks attached to the axle and crawling it is a better option if possible. PP will be just fine. Like I said before it's just getting that last bit of fine tuning. If I wasn't going to be having to hack my lower mounts off and put a longer shock on I wouldn't even bother either but since I will be there why not just go ahead and do it.

 

I have sdtrucksprings 3+1. Ran it without the overload and just yesterday the bottom leaf snapped right in front of the axle. The leaf pack on one side looks fine, but the side that snapped looks warped on each side of the axle. Didn’t want to take the chance driving it, so we trailered it back home.



63s are a huge difference over a normal setup though.

 

turd gen in it's natural habitat on a trailer or rollback.

sucks about the springs, time to hit the junk yard and find some good used ones.

 

Junkyard springs that aren’t made in China FTW.

 

Idk mine might be different or something but I haven't had a lick of trouble out of mine. Going to knock on some wood now. Ya'll don't jinx me.

 

Lol. All good Skip. You may just not wheel hard enough to break them. I couldn’t resist.

 

Yep sure don't

I just realized I've put close to 10,000 miles on them since they went on in march.

 

Me and eddy talked about it too, and it just reinforced my original theory that having the eyelets perpendicular was the way to go, which was the whole point of me buying the ford towers in the first place...they just happen to be super cheap.

I’m gonna have to slice and weld them them though, to be able to push them up against the wheel well for max clearance.

 

Have you considered going inboard with the shocks? I had the ford towers and there was no avoiding the tires rubbing the shocks when fully stuffed. I even had 3.5bs wheels. I was going to go inboard and run 12” shocks before I traded the truck in.

 

Thought about it, but not really wanting to do that right now.

I have 3.25” BS currently, and figure it will rub some at full stuff, but shouldn’t be too bad.

I may also stick with 33’s for the time being so those narrower tires should also help minimize rubbing on the shock, if I decide not to mount up my 35’s.

 

If anyone is interested in doing this. I have a set of springs and shackles.

 

PMd