rear flip question - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

corn · 12-24-2003, 03:16 AM

Here's another stupid question from the new guy.

Has anyone ever made their own flip kit by cutting the old spring perches off of the housing & rewelding them on the other side & still using the origional u bolts?

Sorry, I'm a cheap a$$...corn

bagged78 · 12-24-2003, 04:23 AM

My brother and I did this, but it was on a 72 with the leafs in the rear.. Don't try this unless you have the proper equipment though, you can't just weld the mounts back on and expect it to work, and line/track properly...
You also need to drill a new hole in the pad to re-center the axle with the wheel well and such... You can by a flip for as little as 75, that would be alot cheaper, unless you have the proper equipment for the job, and don't drive the truck every day.
If any one had offered a kit for the 72 we would have went that way, we had a friend take a spare axle, and do all the work for 50 dollars, and used a stock pad with new u-bolts. Even though the guy had all the gauges to align the axle pads correctly, we still had to change stuff arround to make it fit properly..
Hope this help in your choice..

*1FaastC10* · 12-24-2003, 05:52 AM

or just make me an offer. you're the only one interested in it right now, so i'm not seeing it go anywhere in the near future.

corn · 12-24-2003, 10:21 AM

setting the pinion angle doesnt spook me too bad & welding is fun stuff. I just wanted to make sure there wasnt anything crazy about the design of a truck to look out for. I guess I should get off the computer & get under the truck & get to work huh? Ha

I built this car from a rusted junker & did all the work myself from narrowing to paint. Thanks for the response...corn

corn · 12-24-2003, 10:23 AM

another

corn · 12-24-2003, 10:25 AM

painted

44th Miss Inf · 12-24-2003, 11:41 AM

Cornfed,
I made my flip kit from 2" flat bar. Wasn't hard at all. I drilled my holes aliitle off center to move the rear end back to recenter it in the wheel well. Also, the hardest part was, I made the back a little long, and machine it down to get my pinion angle correct. Wasn't really hard, just alot of assembly/disassembly. Used all my stock ubolts etc. (I did remove the overload leaf)

I did the front different too. I lowered mine in the mid 80s before dropped spindles. I used 4" lowered spring (had a company make them for me) I cut and moved my lower ball joints in 5/8" Then all I had to do was correct my toe in.

HTH
Virgil

Grim Reaper · 12-24-2003, 12:26 PM

Peice of cake but don't waste your time trying to reuse the old parts. Summit and Jegs sell new ones for $14 and shipping. Unless your going to some real clean put mirrors under the truck job I'm not sure I would even bother removing the old ones. To tell you the truth uleaving the old mount is going to make it pretty well impossible to screw up the centering of the axle.

The idea with pinion angle is that the u-joints be withing about 1 degree of each other. It's easy to set. Truck on level ground. Axle bolted just tight enough to the spings to keep it in place. Weight on the springs so your at ride hight. Jack under the pinion.

If you have a 2 peice shaft take a cheap (like $3) angle finder and put it agianst the tube. Find the degrees off perfectly level (it will be about 3 degrees). On a 1 peice shaft with slip yoke put it against the rear seal. that should be 90 to the centerline of the output shaft.
Put the angle finder against the flat part of the yoke on the rear. Turn the yoke up till your 1 degree shy of what the down angle was. You do this because under load the pinion comes up on a leaf spring set up. So that degree down at rest will be gone under load will even out. If your going to put a traction arm on then make it the same angle.

Tack the spring purches to keep the angle so you can dissassemble and weld.
. Be carefull when you weld the purches on. You can warp the axle. Weld a couple inches and go work onthe other one and let the first cool a little.

As for offsetting the axle. www.offroaddesign.com and http://www.azkickin.com/ both sell offset blocks. Az Kickin is a machine shop and can custom spaes them as well as put angle in the block to correct pinion issues. I don't think they can make them any thinner then 1/2 inch. Standard block will let uon **** 1 or 1.5 inches.

12-24-2003, 03:16 AM	#1
corn Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: here Posts: 5,789	rear flip question Here's another stupid question from the new guy. Has anyone ever made their own flip kit by cutting the old spring perches off of the housing & rewelding them on the other side & still using the origional u bolts? Sorry, I'm a cheap a$$...corn

12-24-2003, 04:23 AM	#2
bagged78 world class smart ass! Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Clinton Utah Posts: 335	My brother and I did this, but it was on a 72 with the leafs in the rear.. Don't try this unless you have the proper equipment though, you can't just weld the mounts back on and expect it to work, and line/track properly... You also need to drill a new hole in the pad to re-center the axle with the wheel well and such... You can by a flip for as little as 75, that would be alot cheaper, unless you have the proper equipment for the job, and don't drive the truck every day. If any one had offered a kit for the 72 we would have went that way, we had a friend take a spare axle, and do all the work for 50 dollars, and used a stock pad with new u-bolts. Even though the guy had all the gauges to align the axle pads correctly, we still had to change stuff arround to make it fit properly.. Hope this help in your choice.. __________________ Aric 75 2WD BLAZER (never ending project) -some day maybe- 02 2500HD CREW CAB 4X (daily drive) -8" lift 37s and 22s- ____ ____________________________

12-24-2003, 10:21 AM	#4
corn Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: here Posts: 5,789	setting the pinion angle doesnt spook me too bad & welding is fun stuff. I just wanted to make sure there wasnt anything crazy about the design of a truck to look out for. I guess I should get off the computer & get under the truck & get to work huh? Ha I built this car from a rusted junker & did all the work myself from narrowing to paint. Thanks for the response...corn Last edited by corn; 09-16-2007 at 06:24 PM.

12-24-2003, 10:23 AM	#5
corn Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: here Posts: 5,789	another Last edited by corn; 09-16-2007 at 06:24 PM.

12-24-2003, 10:25 AM	#6
corn Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: here Posts: 5,789	painted Last edited by corn; 09-16-2007 at 06:24 PM.

12-24-2003, 05:52 AM	#3
1FaastC10 Account Suspended Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Elkhart, IN Posts: 6,400	or just make me an offer. you're the only one interested in it right now, so i'm not seeing it go anywhere in the near future.

12-24-2003, 11:41 AM	#7
44th Miss Inf Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Liberty, Mississippi Posts: 671	Cornfed, I made my flip kit from 2" flat bar. Wasn't hard at all. I drilled my holes aliitle off center to move the rear end back to recenter it in the wheel well. Also, the hardest part was, I made the back a little long, and machine it down to get my pinion angle correct. Wasn't really hard, just alot of assembly/disassembly. Used all my stock ubolts etc. (I did remove the overload leaf) I did the front different too. I lowered mine in the mid 80s before dropped spindles. I used 4" lowered spring (had a company make them for me) I cut and moved my lower ball joints in 5/8" Then all I had to do was correct my toe in. HTH Virgil

12-24-2003, 12:26 PM	#8
Grim Reaper Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,704	Peice of cake but don't waste your time trying to reuse the old parts. Summit and Jegs sell new ones for $14 and shipping. Unless your going to some real clean put mirrors under the truck job I'm not sure I would even bother removing the old ones. To tell you the truth uleaving the old mount is going to make it pretty well impossible to screw up the centering of the axle. The idea with pinion angle is that the u-joints be withing about 1 degree of each other. It's easy to set. Truck on level ground. Axle bolted just tight enough to the spings to keep it in place. Weight on the springs so your at ride hight. Jack under the pinion. If you have a 2 peice shaft take a cheap (like $3) angle finder and put it agianst the tube. Find the degrees off perfectly level (it will be about 3 degrees). On a 1 peice shaft with slip yoke put it against the rear seal. that should be 90 to the centerline of the output shaft. Put the angle finder against the flat part of the yoke on the rear. Turn the yoke up till your 1 degree shy of what the down angle was. You do this because under load the pinion comes up on a leaf spring set up. So that degree down at rest will be gone under load will even out. If your going to put a traction arm on then make it the same angle. Tack the spring purches to keep the angle so you can dissassemble and weld. . Be carefull when you weld the purches on. You can warp the axle. Weld a couple inches and go work onthe other one and let the first cool a little. As for offsetting the axle. www.offroaddesign.com and http://www.azkickin.com/ both sell offset blocks. Az Kickin is a machine shop and can custom spaes them as well as put angle in the block to correct pinion issues. I don't think they can make them any thinner then 1/2 inch. Standard block will let uon **** 1 or 1.5 inches. __________________ Grim-Reaper 70 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible, worlds longest resto in progress Looking for 71-72 2wd Blazer or Jimmy Project Last edited by Grim Reaper; 12-24-2003 at 12:34 PM.



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