Chevy Shackles and Pinion Angle

[JoshT]

A couple weeks ago I cranked the torsion bars on my 99 Ranger to level it out in preparation for installing new (slightly larger) tires and getting an alignment. After leveling it I proceeded to tear apart and rebuild the front suspension, only wear items that weren't replaced were the tie rods cause they seemed to be fine. After reassembly and setting the T-bar bolts where they were before disassembly I found I gained another 1 to 1.5 inches, and now the truck sits nose high. I know that I could lower it back down real easily, but I kinda like the height and think it'll look good with the 32s I'm installing. Rather than lower the front I want to raise the back up an inch or two. I know from a lot of reading in the lowered sections of various Ranger forums that the Chevy Shackles (Belltech 6400s) are a commonly used item to get a small lift, and it's pretty much either them or taller blocks which I don't want. Just got a few questions before make the jump.

1) Will I need longer shocks? I think stock shocks have enough travel to be fine, but since I need to replace them anyway now would be the time. I'd rather stick with a stock replacement Bilstein HD like I put on the front.

2) Will it affect my pinion angle? I read in the tech library that it may affect pinion angle, but this is the only time I've seen that mentioned. My 99 is an extended cab 4x4 with one piece rear shaft. I realize that it may affect it some, but is it enough to cause a problem? How do I correct it?

3) Is a Chevy 2" drop shackle a Chevy 2" drop shackle regardless of brand? I know in the past I picked up some from advance auto, can't remember the brand. They were like 20 bucks cheaper than the Belltech shackles before shipping. I was installing them on my 86 Ranger to raise the rear back up a little after the axle flip cause I wanted 3" drop and Explorer axle gave me 5" with spring under. The only real issue I had with them is that the sleeve through the center of the bushing was too wide and had to be ground down a little to fit in the hangar. If that's the only problem I encounter the little bit of work to fix it is definitely worth saving 20-30 bucks.

I should already know the last two but since the 86 is lowered instead of lifted (and it's still in pieces), I don't have any experience to draw on yet. I think I had more questions but can't remember them right now, been up for almost 36 hours so my brain isn't working too well at the moment.

 

[legoms013]

A couple weeks ago I cranked the torsion bars on my 99 Ranger to level it out in preparation for installing new (slightly larger) tires and getting an alignment. After leveling it I proceeded to tear apart and rebuild the front suspension, only wear items that weren't replaced were the tie rods cause they seemed to be fine. After reassembly and setting the T-bar bolts where they were before disassembly I found I gained another 1 to 1.5 inches, and now the truck sits nose high. I know that I could lower it back down real easily, but I kinda like the height and think it'll look good with the 32s I'm installing. Rather than lower the front I want to raise the back up an inch or two. I know from a lot of reading in the lowered sections of various Ranger forums that the Chevy Shackles (Belltech 6400s) are a commonly used item to get a small lift, and it's pretty much either them or taller blocks which I don't want. Just got a few questions before make the jump.

1) Will I need longer shocks? I think stock shocks have enough travel to be fine, but since I need to replace them anyway now would be the time. I'd rather stick with a stock replacement Bilstein HD like I put on the front.

2) Will it affect my pinion angle? I read in the tech library that it may affect pinion angle, but this is the only time I've seen that mentioned. My 99 is an extended cab 4x4 with one piece rear shaft. I realize that it may affect it some, but is it enough to cause a problem? How do I correct it?

3) Is a Chevy 2" drop shackle a Chevy 2" drop shackle regardless of brand? I know in the past I picked up some from advance auto, can't remember the brand. They were like 20 bucks cheaper than the Belltech shackles before shipping. I was installing them on my 86 Ranger to raise the rear back up a little after the axle flip cause I wanted 3" drop and Explorer axle gave me 5" with spring under. The only real issue I had with them is that the sleeve through the center of the bushing was too wide and had to be ground down a little to fit in the hangar. If that's the only problem I encounter the little bit of work to fix it is definitely worth saving 20-30 bucks.

I should already know the last two but since the 86 is lowered instead of lifted (and it's still in pieces), I don't have any experience to draw on yet. I think I had more questions but can't remember them right now, been up for almost 36 hours so my brain isn't working too well at the moment.

1) You won't NEED longer shocks, the rear stock shocks are the same length as most manufacturers shocks that come with 3-4" of lift. Only get new ones if you need to.

2) Yes it will affect the pinion angle, but not enough to matter. Remember, the 1pc Ranger driveline is damn near 5 feet long, which is a good thing since the long length makes a wide range of pinion angles work, where-as in a short rig with a 1 ft driveline a 1 degree change would be a big deal. Leave as is, you won't notice any difference.

3) Yes they are all the same, any no name brand will work and net the same results.

Remember you will only gain 1.5"-1.75", since you are only lifting one side of the spring, and the Beltech is 3" longer than stock (7" total). 3 divided by 2 = 1.5" + the arc of the spring and swing effect of the axle. Might be 2" on a Chevy, but not quite on a Ranger.

 

[bilzy7]

Ya like im gonna get warrior shackles as im sitting almost 2 inches higher in the front.
BTW, hows your ride? Mine is ALOT harsher, but up travels so easily because of the stiffness after cranking. Im thinking about lowering it a half inch to lessen the stiffness.

 

[JoshT]

1) You won't NEED longer shocks, the rear stock shocks are the same length as most manufacturers shocks that come with 3-4" of lift. Only get new ones if you need to.

Well I did need front shocks, they were worn out. I installed Bilsteins up front, and would like to install matching in the rear. Not exactly sure what you mean by "most manufacturer's". Are you referring to shock manufacturers, lift manufacturers, or vehicle manufacturers? I'm going to assume the first, and that's why I was asking. I though there might be enough for the slight lift I'll get from the shackles. If not I was hoping that y'all would have steered me in the direction of a substitute that would work. As for the length of the stock shocks, wouldn't know. At 170K the stockers are long gone, not even sure if they were on there when I bought the truck at 90K. Thanks for verifying questions two and three for me.

Remember you will only gain 1.5"-1.75", since you are only lifting one side of the spring, and the Beltech is 3" longer than stock (7" total). 3 divided by 2 = 1.5" + the arc of the spring and swing effect of the axle. Might be 2" on a Chevy, but not quite on a Ranger.

I was simply referring to them as 2" shackles because that's what most people refer to them as (from what I've seen), and they'd be more likely to recognize what I was talking about than if I said 1.5" - 1.75" lifting shackle. I fully realize thet it won't get me a full one or two inches (dependent on the setting), but I don't mind rounding up. For reference purposes it's much easier to say I gained about 2", than to explain where I can up with a 1.5" lifting shackle. As mentioned above I used the on a lowered truck that that was given about a 5" drop. I only wanted about 3" of drop to match the dream beams on front, so I could keep the factory rake. By putting in these shackles it brought the back end back up to about a 3" drop, it may have only been 1.75" but it was close enough for me. At the moment that truck does not have an engine or transmission so I don't know how it could have affected pinion angle, and when it does get them it will be an Explorer 5.0L and transmission, so the adjustable length given by those shackles was welcome.

Ya like im gonna get warrior shackles as im sitting almost 2 inches higher in the front.
BTW, hows your ride? Mine is ALOT harsher, but up travels so easily because of the stiffness after cranking. Im thinking about lowering it a half inch to lessen the stiffness.

Not sure what you're getting at there, I thought in your thread you already have Belltech 6400s. What did you do crank the Torsion bars to max so that you now need about an additional 2" of lift in front? Maybe I'm wrong but shouldn't the stiffness from cranking the bars make the up travel harder, and the down travel easier? By cranking the bars you are applying more torque to them which forces the lower control arms down, and should make them more prone to resist up travel.

I'm only sitting about an inch higher in the front than the stock suspension in the back, so I'm really not cranked that much. Definitely not maxed, and wouldn't want it there. Not really sure I can compare the before cranking to the after cranking accurately. You see I've known the suspension and tire were getting rough for a while, there is a "shudder" in the rear end, and the transmission needs a little work. It has been all but parked for a while waiting on time to start the repairs. Prior to cranking I hadn't driven the truck much in a while and most of that had been on asphalt, but I remember it always being a little rough on a dirt road. At that time it still had the old suspension components and it was definitely a rough ride on a fairly decent dirt road by my house. I started cranking two weeks ago. Between every two turns I only drove it enough each time to settle it into the new height and once it was almost level I stopped. IIRC gained between 3 and 4 inches clearance above the tire for a total of 6 inches clearance, still about half an inch lower than the rear. It might have gotten a little rougher with the cranking I did but not much. Then I ordered parts and the truck sat for a week. Second weekend (and part of the week) I tore down the front end, replaced upper and lower controls arms, replaced sway bar end links (damaged one trying to remove it),and discovered I needed shocks on front. Shocks came in last Wednesday so I finished putting everything back together over the weekend. Sat T-bar adjusters back to prerebuild settings (can't remember the measurements now) and found I had gained another 1-1.5 inches in front. Thinking this was just because the truck hadn't been moved for the suspension to settle I drove it around the dirt roads for a while. Found that it was a firmer ride but not harsh, actually a nicer ride than I have had since I bought the truck. That said I don't know how much of that to attribute to the bar crank, the shocks, or to the new suspension components. Also noticed that the truck was much easier to control at higher speeds off the pavement. Sorry for the long answer but that's the most honest answer I can give.

 

[JoshT]

Ok, so got the new tires on today. Front end looks great at current height with the 32s, and I don't think it'll be going back down. The 32s also look a lot better on the truck than the 31s ever did, I'm amazed that 1 inch in height and width will make such a difference.

For the rear end. It's gotta go up, but I think I found out why it's low to begin with. The tire shop had a jack under each side of the rear axle, level side to side. ** Off Topic ** I don't agree with working with a truck only supported by jacks, but if they break it they bought it. Best case scenario the manage to damage the axle and buy me an Ex 8.8 LS to put in. **On Topic** Walked around either side of the truck with the tires off and got a big shock. The springs were completely flat, they almost looked like the arch had started to invert. First step in leveling out the rear, replace the springs. After a little research I've decided to replace them with Explorer 4-Door springs and remove the lift blocks, this should put me at stock height in the rear. The I'll use the Chevy shackles to level it out if needed. One of the local auto recyclers has a pair listed on their online inventory, $35 each for 2001 Explorer F-code leaf springs. I already have the shackles that I attempted to install the other day (note to self: allow more than two hours to replace shackles in case bolt seizes). Also have full set of poly bushings I picked up for my 86 that I don't need yet, and should be able to get access to a bench press in the auto hobby shop at work.

While I do need shocks in the rear, those will have to wait for the next paycheck. Will be picking up the Bilstein HDs for that as well. The Monroe shocks that are on there are worn out, but had plenty of down travel to account for the lift I'll be getting.

 

[JoshT]

Just a lil update. I installed the Explorer F-code springs a few weeks ago. Currently it sits with the explorer springs, ~1.75” (as I’ve been repeatedly corrected) shackle lift, and the factory lift block removed. It might need to go up a hair more in back. Sometime it looks perfect, others it looks a little low, but overall I’m happy with the stance. Now that the suspension and tires are much more roadworthy I’ve been driving it a bit more, and a few other problems have popped up. Suspension wise the Explorer springs are much softer than the Ranger springs, but I didn’t realize how much until I got it on the road. I picked up a new pair of Monroe Gas-Matics for $26 (on sale) at Advance to see if it was just warn out shocks. They helped a lot, but not enough. I know they are cheap and you get what you pay for, but they are new and only need to last until I pick up the Bilsteins for the rear. I can handle the slightly softer ride over bumps and stuff no problem, but it’s affecting the handling way too much. The back end is way too loose in curves, turns and lane changes, and I just don’t like the feel.

After a bit more research I think I’ve identified the problem. My ranger came stock with 1225lb springs, the Explorer’s Springs are 1100 lb springs that are ~2” taller, resulting in a fair bit lower spring rate. As a result I have a softer ride and a lot more body roll. I know of three ways to handle this problem. First is add-a-leaf, I know this is probably the cheapest option and might get me back up to factory load rating, but everything I’ve read suggests that it’ll increase the spring rate too much and be a rough ride. Second is upgrading the sway bar. This may fix the body roll but it won’t regain the lost load capacity, and will decrease flex when off road. Last, and I think best, option is to upgrade springs. This time they will be new, but I have a few options and can’t decide which will be best. Below I’m listing the springs specs best as I can, also matching stock and Explorer springs to closest aftermarket replacement.

Current Explorer Spring:
Leafs: 3+1 (three regular + one overload)
Load Capacity: 1100 lb.
Free Arch: 6 1/2”
Thickness: 1 3/4”

1250 lb spring: (closest to stock)
Leafs: 3+1
Load Capacity: 1250 lb.
Free Arch: 4 13/16”
Thickness: 1 7/8”

Tall 1250 lb spring:
Leafs: 3+1
Load Capacity: 1100 lb.
Free Arch: 6”
Thickness: 1 1/2”

1750 lb spring:
Leafs: 4+1
Load Capacity: 1750 lb.
Free Arch: 5 1/2”
Thickness: 1 13/16”

Not sure which will best. I want to keep my current height and increase the load capacity/spring rate, but would like to do it without putting the blocks back in. Obviously the Explorer springs are out; I just posted them for reference. The stock replacement would put me back at a factory ride and carry capacity, but I’d have to put the bocks back. The taller 1250 spring would keep the lift and put the load capacity back to stock, but the added height lowers the spring rate. It would still be higher spring rate than the Explorer spring, but less than stock thanks to the added height. I’m just worried that it would still be too soft. I’m kind leaning toward the 1750 spring. It would increase my load capacity over stock, and it is taller than the stock replacement spring. They are a little shorter than the Explorer or Tall 1250 springs but I think the increased spring rate would make up for it with less sag under body weight. Only think I’m worried about with this pack is it might be too stiff. I know that the overall spring rate of the pack is higher than the 1250 pack but thanks to the added height I don’t think it would be too bad. It’s also got an additional leaf with the pack thickness staying about the same to that means the 1750 has thinner leafs (better for flex) and a lower spring rate per leaf. With that in mind and knowing that leaf springs are progressive rate (meaning spring rate increases as load increases) I don’t think the ride would be too harsh. Any thoughts, suggestions, or general input? I’m open to almost any ideas, but I’m not interested or willing to build and install a bastard spring pack so please don’t bother going there.

The other thing I’ve found wrong since putting the truck back on the road is the transmission. I knew it was getting bad, turns out it was a lot worse than I remembered. Turns out I’m going to have to have a transmission rebuild. Dropped off the truck yesterday to have the work done and should get it back in about $1670 (aka around next Thursday). Since the transmission will be out I asked them to check the rear main seal that I’ve suspected of leaking for months now. I’m almost glad I’m starting into 12 hour shifts next week at work that 20 hours of overtime for the next three weeks will go a long way towards this work. FYI I make time and a half on overtime which comes out to be just over $37 an hour. I hate spending that much time at work, but this almost makes it worth it.

EDIT: Ok, so it wasn't such a lil update after all. Sorry!

 

[chudykGT]

So what have you decided for leaf packs? I need to lift the rear of my truck around 1.5-2" and I already have the longer shackles. I have a 1.5" block, and I dont really want to go taller blocks. Im kinda wondering what you have went with.