6" Lift Impressions

[HerkPilot]

Any thoughts on lift companies out there that make a 6" for an '85 1/2 ton? Ride, kit completeness, etc.

Also, any comments on rear springs vs. shackle flip/block vs. add-a-leaf/block.

The truck will double as an everyday driver/weekend offroader with some towing duties hopefully later on.

[1969k10stepside]

A all spring route would be the best way to go..Shackle flip and add-a-leaf isnt my way since it moves the axle and tires forward..you also use the stock springs which if damaged means you need to get different stock ones..if getting a lift and need to replace springs why not get lift springs anyway? Add-a-leaf and block..I like that idea better than a shackle flip but axle wrap can occur..

[Zoomad75]

Dude, where are you coming up with a shackle flip moving the axle/tires forward? I've got one on mine, no movement execpt it rotated my pinion angle up where it needed to be.

Sure, if you got damaged stock springs you would need to replace them when you do a shackle flip. But, go out and price a stock replacement spring versus a lifted spring. Better yet, go to the boneyard and pull some decent stockers for pennies on the dollar versus lift springs.

I think you need to go back and look at what a shackle flip does, because it's obvious to me you haven't.

#1. Shackle flips use stock arched springs vs. high arched springs. This means more flex as they don't have to overcome the high static arch needed to get the lift amount. Meaning they ride a hell of a lot smoother on the rough stuff.

#2. By not using a block, you dont have the large amount of leverage on the front half of the springs under power that causes spring wrap. This spring wrap makes the leafs go into a sideways S shape allowing the wheels to hop. Yes, you can get spring wrap with a shackle flip, but it's not as much an issue. I've personally not had an issue with mine, but I don't do full throttle clutch dumps either.


Each choice has it's pro's and con's. All spring kits are extremely simple, but depending on what brand you buy they can ride really stiff, to really soft. But with the soft springs you might be loosing towing capacity. Kits with blocks are cheaper, but the spring wrap issue is hanging out there. Block kits use the stock springs too, so if you got a broken one, you still need a new one, but since the spring rate doesn't change from stock your capacity doesn't change. Flip kits take a little more to install, but again since you have stock springs it doesn't take away from capacity.

All versions can require some driveline modifications, be it pinion angle adjustment or a CV on the rear shaft. In my case, the flip allowed the pinion to rotate up and corrected a problem I had.

I would suggest a quick search as the question come up on what lift brands to use as there have been more than a few discussions on the subject in the last few months.

[Mudder]

I just removed a four inch with bocks from my truck. Has been on it since 1980. I put a new 6 inch BDS all spring lift on it with Pro Comp shocks. It is all all coming off this winter and I wil put the 4 inch fronts back on, buy some 4 inch springs for the rear and go back to my Rancho 9000's. In all the years having the blocks on the rear I never had any issues with wheel hop and the truck seen some pretty serious off roading. The 6 inch rides like crap compared to the old 4 inch I had on it.

[earl87gta]

I have a super lift on my 68 burb it rides nice great daily driver lift I had BDS springs on my blazer and they were good off road springs but I thought they were alittle soft and bouncy for a daily driver. tuff country I had a set before the BDS they road hard.
Shackle flip is a good way to keep your stock ride. and giv you more flex off road. there has been some debate on how well a shackle flip does while towing a heavy load but I have never heard of one failing.
The shackle flip on my blazer moved the axles forward its imposible to lower the rear mount of the spring and not move the axle forward if you dont belive us draw it out on paper you will see it for your self. its not much of a diffrenc on this pic but if you are talking about a 52 in spring and a 4in drop its going to move the axle forward some. if i remeber it was 3/4in on my blazer

[68K20 x Drill]

Which is why ORD makes the zero rate add a leaf, it lets you offset the spring pin back into place.

[Yukon Jack]

I've got to agree that the ORD shackle flip I put on my 69 K20 did shift my rear axle a bit forward.

I don't have any good before side pics but here is an after pic



It's my opinion that, at least with the 67-72's the rear axle wasn't centered perfectly in the wheel well to begin with so the shackle flip makes that condition more noticeable. Didn't matter to me since I knew I'd be switching to a flatbed anyway.

Oh and to respond to the initial post, I think a shackle flip with a 2" block is a great way to get you 6" of lift. I like the ride of my truck, I've hauled a few hay loaded trailers and loads of wood/sand and I find it handles no differently than before doing the flip.

[Zoomad75]

Originally Posted by earl87gta

I have a super lift on my 68 burb it rides nice great daily driver lift I had BDS springs on my blazer and they were good off road springs but I thought they were alittle soft and bouncy for a daily driver. tuff country I had a set before the BDS they road hard.
Shackle flip is a good way to keep your stock ride. and giv you more flex off road. there has been some debate on how well a shackle flip does while towing a heavy load but I have never heard of one failing.
The shackle flip on my blazer moved the axles forward its imposible to lower the rear mount of the spring and not move the axle forward if you dont belive us draw it out on paper you will see it for your self. its not much of a diffrenc on this pic but if you are talking about a 52 in spring and a 4in drop its going to move the axle forward some. if i remeber it was 3/4in on my blazer

I can see your point, but I think the amount is small enough I never noticed it on mine. ORD's website doesn't even mention it as an issue. Keep this in mind though. When the suspension compresses with the shackle flip, the shackle will move backwards taking the axle back with it. The opposite happens when the suspension droops, the shackle swings forward and the axle moves with it. Point being, a movement of less than an inch with the flip doesn't make much of a difference when the suspension is going to move it around as you drive it.

http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/shacklekit.htm

I'll look if I got side on shots of my K5 before and after the flip and I bet you can't see a difference unless you break out the tape measure.

[earl87gta]

If it was only an off road truck I would not have cared about the axle being moved forward but for my every day driving I want it to be centered in the wheel wells for looks.

[DirtyLarry]

I did not notice the axle moving forward on mine when I did the ORD 4” flip in either a static or dynamic state. That must be a 67-72 issue as I have read many of you complaining about it. My old 72 Blazer had a small lift block in the rear to make up some inches for weak rear springs (and a 40 gallon fuel tank) and that thing looked like the axle was too far forward. I am an anal retentive picky SOB about details and appearance too and that would have bothered me if I had that issue with my 78. Zoomad can vouch for that. Heck, I spend an afternoon removing one single spring from each side on the rear packs because the rear sat 1.5” too high after the 4" ORD flip kit.

On my 78, while doing the ORD flip I also added 6” front lift Superlift springs to replace the 4” Rough Country springs. The combination of the 6” Superlift springs, front ORD HD shackles and rear ORD flip the trucks rides better than my dad’s Cadillac Fleetwood. No joking either. It rides nice. Definitely, better than my stock 2001 Silverado HD with IFS (I hate IFS). Let the air pressure down to 12 psi with a bed full of gear on the trail and you really get a nice ride.

The messed up thing is I never had any tire to fender interference with the 4” lift but often hear a rub now with the 6” when hardly twisting or hitting obstacles. Guess these new 6” softy boingers flex a heck of a lot more or something hence the nicer ride.

[earl87gta]

I can see it being a 67-72 issue like yukon said they sit a little forward from the factory so that may be why its more noticable.
I got rid of my Rough Country springs becuse they felt like I was driving a dump truck.