flip kits

[saon]

Reading up on axle flip kits for a '72 leaf spring rear. Some say to c-notch n some do not. Does anyone who installed them know What the distance is between the axle housing and spring with a kit installed? And did you c-notch it or not?

[cadillacart]

I c-notched mine. not much travel otherwise.

Will try and find some pics tomorrow.

[kwmech]

If you go with a sprung under set-up, you will lower the truck about 5'' depending on the thickness of the leaf pack. You will need to notch the frame

[saon]

wondering if I put in a lowering block, how thick of one I can use. I understand my c-notch can be big or small for clearance. but I was hoping for a 4 inch c notch,so not to cut the bed, and to use a 3 or 4 inch lowering block for a total of 8-9 inches of static drop. should leave me with 3 1/2-4 inches of travel. not sure its enough travel, if it wasn't I can always swap out a smaller block. that's why I was looking for the axle to spring distance on a flip kit bracket. looks like they may be 2 inches in addition to the 5 of the axle for a 7 ish total.

[KY_GMC]

I put a flip kit on my truck when I was building it, and I did not c notch the frame.

It originally came with the HD spring package, which had 5 standard springs, and then 4 more on top.



I removed the 4 extra springs and left the standard ones. With the flip kit in, I had the standard bump stops on the axle and they nearly touched the frame while stationary. I had to cut around 2" off of them to get it to ride nicely. Kind of hard to see from this photo.



I haven't had anything in the back yet, so I don't know what it is going to be like with some weight on it.

I'm leery about cutting the frame and putting a c notch in. As a mechanical engineer, the analysis that I have seen state that there is no way to get the structural rigidity back unless you do the step notch. I wanted to keep the integrity of the frame so that I could still haul or tow.

In the end, it's totally your call.

[sanford66]

Axle flip and c-notch in my 72. I have used it to move twice and still haul stuff in it occasionally, if you have it loaded down good it will bottom out sometimes. As for the c-notch I used a bolt in notch. The bolt in notch is actually made of thicker gauge steel than the truck frame is. Make sure you use good quality grade 8 bolts when you install it. I feel the section of the frame with the notch is stronger than original, but that's just me. Joseph

[Mike C]

DJM flip on my HD spring equipped '69. Lowered it just over 7". I removed the bumpstop pads from the axle and put the DJM bumpers on the frame rail. About 2 1/2" clearance. It will hit if I hit sharp impacts at speed, but for the most part it does not hit hard at least.

[Low8lug]

Hey Sanford66 or cadillacart could you post a pic of you c notch with leaf springs I'm in the process of doing my flip kit on my 71 gmc c20 long bed. It looks like the frame is ganna sit on the axle.