Lowering the rear

[81 rustruck]

Just wondering how many have made there own flip kits,and how many bought theres?

I am about to do the spring under axle swap on my truck.

[81 rustruck]

Any pics would be cool.

[N2TRUX]

What part of the flip kit are you considering making yourself? I can't see any way to save much by building any part of the kit. I'm not very good at making U-bolts though...

[Wild83C10]

I would just take the old perches off and weld on new ones. That is the best way to flip the rear. You can also change the pinion angle if need be, when you weld on the new perches.

[piecesparts]

Unless you build automobile items professionally. ( I am guessing that you don't), let the guys that do it for a living build your stuff and then put it together in your shop. The experience and knowledge is designed into the parts you purchase. In the long run, you most undoubtedly will spend as much money if you do it yourself, as buying the parts.

[SanitysBane]

Im very cheap, so cut the old perches off and then reweld them on the bottom, or you can go the expensive way and order new leaf spring perches and weld them to the bottom.

[moneyeater]

I think it´s safer to buy a quality part that´s engeneered and easy to install without any welding or cutting!
I have the Bell Tech Kit in my truck and it fitted perfect and easy at an accaptable price!

[piecesparts]

This ALL depends on what you have for tools and a shop as well as your experience in this matter. We all have opinions and much more if you ask.

[1974gmc]

i got the flip kit off ebay for around $50, then got new ubolts made and repplaced the bushings while I had everything out.

heres the brackets i got, there at $40
http://cgi.ebay.ca/73-87-CHEVY-GMC-T...QQcmdZViewItem

[C10-Driver]

I did the flip myself. It is not a job for the faint of heart... I had some very experienced people help me get the pinion angles correct and a ticketed welder made sure the perches would stay put.

If I would have known there was a kit available, I would have gone that direction in a heartbeat. Mine turned out good but it is always a lot more work to build a custom solution.

Could someone tell me why the centering holes are moved forward on the drop kits. Is this something to do with the pinion angle or is it intended to move the axle position back?

One thing I noticed after lowering my truck is that the wheels seem to fit forward in the wheel well. If the different hole position is intended to compensate for this, could I drill a hole myself in the perch and accomplish the same thing? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[boxrodz]

Originally Posted by C10-Driver

I did the flip myself.
...
Could someone tell me why the centering holes are moved forward on the drop kits. Is this something to do with the pinion angle or is it intended to move the axle position back?

One thing I noticed after lowering my truck is that the wheels seem to fit forward in the wheel well. If the different hole position is intended to compensate for this, could I drill a hole myself in the perch and accomplish the same thing? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I suspect the centering holes are offset to retain the proper drive shaft spacing and consequently wheel centering after the drop.

I would think that you could drill a hole in your perches to reposition the axle so long as your pinion angle doesn't drastically change on you.

[boxrodz]

Originally Posted by 81 rustruck

Just wondering how many have made there own flip kits,and how many bought theres?

I am about to do the spring under axle swap on my truck.

More popular (and feasible) choice is to purchase a flip kit. But, with caution it is possible to build one. Just take some precaution with the measurements and calculations to maintain the proper pinion angle and driveshaft spacing.

[piecesparts]

The axle will move closer to the tranny as it moves up into the wheel well. So the different holes are to space the axle back to the proper driveline length. The pinion angle can be controlled by using shims (easy to get at axle and frame shops). The use of the shim is governed by the amount of drop.

[C10-Driver]

Thanks a lot for your input regarding the centering holes... Looks like I will be performing a bit more customization on my rear suspension setup. As moneyeater mentioned earlier in this post, the flip kits already have the axle position engineered into their design. Had I purchased a kit, I wouldn't be looking at modifying my custom setup even further.

Thanks again for everybody's input.

[Wild83C10]

I had purcahsed a standard flip kit from belltech or whoever and I actually ripped the original perches off axle tubes when I was at the track and I am sure it can happen again if enough torque is applied. No my truck isn't a track only truck, 350hp to the wheels at the time. Just something to think about. If you are going to do it might as well do it right the first time.

[69face]

I'll post pics. I am modifying the original shackles and depending on how it looks when i finish I will go with them. Oh and i already purchased the belltech kit just in case i dont agree with this innovative brainstorming that i go through at 2am pst.

[81 rustruck]

Originally Posted by Wild83C10

I would just take the old perches off and weld on new ones. That is the best way to flip the rear. You can also change the pinion angle if need be, when you weld on the new perches.

That is kinda what I was gonna do.I really like your dash mod.

I am also planning a 9 inch swap at the same time.

[C10-Driver]

Could someone who has purchased or installed the BellTech kit measure the centering hole and let me know how far off-center it is. I am going to re-drill the centering holes on the original perches that I flipped and wanted to know how far the axle is moved on the "engineered" kits.

Thanks.

[81 rustruck]

Why would you not reuse the ones you took off .Just use the right side for the left.Upside down.

[69face]

here are the pics i promised