Rear axle flip on 56 TF

[one wing angel]

Hi Folks, well, after being a long time trucker wanna be,I have finally thinned the herd and pulled the trigger on a new truck. it's a 56 big window that is in incredibly good condition, but alas, is stock and original . I have lots of plans for this truck to make it more daily driver friendly and will have a lot of questions for you that have gone before me..... so if I may?

I will be installing a Camaro front clip and a Blazer rear axle,
My question is..
When flipping the axle , why is it necessary to remove the rear spring mount hangar and reinstall them upside down on the opposite sides. I do not want the truck cartoon low, just 4-5 inches lower than stock.
Thanks for your help in advance,
John

[ChuckDriver]

Nice looking truck!

Never heard you have to flip the mounts from side to side when all you're doing is moving the rearend to the top side of the springs. But you will probably need a C-notch.

[rapid49]

The reason for flipping the hangers is because the shackle will allow the spring to flex better . the weight of the truck works in favor of the shackle movement instead of against it . This results in a smoother leaf spring action.

[Joe Pass]

On my rear end ...I run 12 bolt car rear but it's the same idea....I placed it on top of the springs with new perches leaving the shackles alone....I have no C notch with 2" of clearance or 3"+ with about 50 lbs in the air shocks , I also cut down the bump stop rubbers...The center taps the bottom of the bed before the axles hit the frame....Here's some pictures to help visualize it....I drive it and have no issues but I don't haul heavy things in my hotrods...just saying..








Attachment 1739611

[Joe Pass]

Here's how it sits....mustang 2 in front no drop spindles

[one wing angel]

Hey gentlemen, thanks for the replies. You know, Joe, I hadn,t given any consideration to the possibility of the pumpkin hitting the bed floor, thanks for pointing that out. Just another thing to consider .
Apart from the slightly improved ride quality that Rapid49 stated, do you see that this will effect the overall clearance.
From what I have figured, I will end up pretty much like you did joe, with 2-3 inches clearance with an empty bed. I do plan a small c notch for axle clearance , but am now concerned more with bed floor interference Also will be removing at least one leaf to soften the ride
By the way, very nice truck, sits just the way I like".........

[Black_Sheep]

I used the Total Cost Involved 4" flip kit, other than welding the spring perches it's an easy bolt on upgrade. Installation was a weekend project, the worst part was grinding off the rivet heads and punching out the shanks. The box will have to be removed to get at all of the fasteners. Overall the handling and ride quality is good for a weekend cruiser.

https://totalcostinvolved.com/produc...af-spring-kit/

http://www.classicperform.com/Instru...Spring_Kit.pdf

[Joe Pass]

Originally Posted by one wing angel

Hey gentlemen, thanks for the replies. You know, Joe, I hadn,t given any consideration to the possibility of the pumpkin hitting the bed floor, thanks for pointing that out. Just another thing to consider .
Apart from the slightly improved ride quality that Rapid49 stated, do you see that this will effect the overall clearance.
From what I have figured, I will end up pretty much like you did joe, with 2-3 inches clearance with an empty bed. I do plan a small c notch for axle clearance , but am now concerned more with bed floor interference Also will be removing at least one leaf to soften the ride
By the way, very nice truck, sits just the way I like".........

I did remove one leaf but forgot to mention it......You could always do a C notch and deal with the bed later. I'm splitting hairs between clearance but my ride quality is great....the truck handles very well with the set up I have. I would have to raise the bed floor to go any lower, but I won't. I build my trucks as low as I can go without severe mods like air bags and raised floors...And the rear tires are 255/70/15 on an 8" rim..
Love to see what you decide to do
Joe

[Joe Pass]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

I used the Total Cost Involved 4" flip kit, other than welding the spring perches it's an easy bolt on upgrade. Installation was a weekend project, the worst part was grinding off the rivet heads and punching out the shanks. The box will have to be removed to get at all of the fasteners. Overall the handling and ride quality is good for a weekend cruiser.

https://totalcostinvolved.com/produc...af-spring-kit/

http://www.classicperform.com/Instru...Spring_Kit.pdf

This is a nice way to go....when I built my truck these kits were not available and I would consider this kit if I did it again.....

[one wing angel]

Hey Joe and Black sheep, thanks for the info. and the link.
I love the stance of both your trucks, looks about perfect in my eyes.
I will be running the same size rear tires and wheel combo. so that should work out o.k.
Joe , are you happy with the ride quality with the air shocks in the rear?

[Joe Pass]

Originally Posted by one wing angel

Hey Joe and Black sheep, thanks for the info. and the link.
I love the stance of both your trucks, looks about perfect in my eyes.
I will be running the same size rear tires and wheel combo. so that should work out o.k.
Joe , are you happy with the ride quality with the air shocks in the rear?

Yes I am.....air shocks are old school but work for me.....I keep minimal air in them and honestly I have a smooth ride...I can give them a shot of air when needed but I really just leave them low....Coil overs are the rage but the ride is stiffer at that same 3" height....Not broke don't fix it kind of thing..lol....You might achieve the same ride quality with a gas shock if you don't think you will have to raise the rear at a given time.
One thing also to think about is the exhaust exiting behind the rear end, I run mine under the rear end because not enough clearance over the top....
This is an older picture but you get the idea

[one wing angel]

Exhaust will be a bit of a challenge. Thanks again for the insight. It seems like one modification just leads to the next etc.
The proverbial,,,can of worms,,
I know I am up to the challenge, just waiting for the weather to co-operate a bit.
It's been terribly cold here and my enthusiasm to get out to the shop is really lacking.
Thanks for your help,
John

[Black_Sheep]

I was able to route my exhaust over the axle by moving the upper shock mounts out a couple inches, there was also a rear mount fuel tank to work around.

[_Ogre]

axle flip will drop the rearend 7'' using stock spring and shackles
no need to buy a kit: u-bolts, spring pads and spring plate all available from a trailer supply house
i used stock shock mounts top and bottom

i'd post some pics but currently loafing in florida not on my home pc
if you use chrome and add the photosuckit extension you can look at my thread

[one wing angel]

That exhaust looks good BlackSheep. I had a look under mine yesterday and it looks like I will have sufficient space to run 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 pipe. I like he idea of moving out the shock mounts too,
Ogre, I am with you on the kit part, I like to build things for myself, I am a pretty good fabricator, but mostly I am frugal (cheap)

[Black_Sheep]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

axle flip will drop the rearend 7'' using stock spring and shackles
no need to buy a kit: u-bolts, spring pads and spring plate all available from a trailer supply house
i used stock shock mounts top and bottom

i'd post some pics but currently loafing in florida not on my home pc
if you use chrome and add the photosuckit extension you can look at my thread

Won't a 7" drop require a c-notch? I tried doing the flip with the stock stuff originally and the axle was really close to the frame.

[_Ogre]

7" is math: half the tube diameter plus the spring depth and a little for the spring pad
yes a flipped axle on a tf truck on stock springs will need a c-notch
i did a 3'' notch that didn't require raising the bed and still hit the bump stops pretty hard occasionally
air shocks all but eliminated hitting the bump stops

lots of pics in my thread: since i used stock spring mounts i reinforced the top of the frame up to 1/4'' off the bed wood
i just barely hit the bed wood, had to recess one bolt right above the punkin
no damage in 35000 miles to the bed wood

like i said: lots of pics in my thread, just gotta do a little work to see them :S

[Black_Sheep]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

7" is math: half the tube diameter plus the spring depth and a little for the spring pad
yes a flipped axle on a tf truck on stock springs will need a c-notch
i did a 3'' notch that didn't require raising the bed and still hit the bump stops pretty hard occasionally
air shocks all but eliminated hitting the bump stops

lots of pics in my thread: since i used stock spring mounts i reinforced the top of the frame up to 1/4'' off the bed wood
i just barely hit the bed wood, had to recess one bolt right above the punkin
no damage in 35000 miles to the bed wood

like i said: lots of pics in my thread, just gotta do a little work to see them :S

I've looked through your thread a few times but I guess I was focused on other aspects of your build.

[one wing angel]

Boy , when my math starts adding up to someone else's, something must be wrong!
Seriously, I had it figured out to about a 3 inch notch too.
With the input from you guys, I think I,ve got a pretty good handle on how I will proceed. It will be a bit of a challenge to get this just right, I really don't want things interfering, so.......patience and research

That's the beauty of this site, lots of resources to review!

[one wing angel]

Hey Ogre, I tried to access your build thread through the link you provided ,but unfortunately, no pictures,
Photosuckit strikes again or am I on the wrong link?

://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=501998

[_Ogre]

first download chrome, i mean who uses ms explorer anymore???
then add the photosuckit extension i linked to and you'll be able to see photobucket pics on all the forums

[_Ogre]

i downloaded this pic of the rearend under construction
you can see the reinforcing over the c-notch, you need to do this due to half the weight being on the rear shackle
without the reinforcing the frame would fold over at the c-notch
a 5'' c-notch would be better than 3'' but would require raising the bed wood

link to my photosuckit account; you really gotta dig around
http://s306.photobucket.com/user/_og...?sort=3&page=1