Ok, i will start out by telling ya what i got then i will start with my problems and then what i want accomplished

I have a 1997 f150 4x4 with the 4.6 v8. It has a 6" fabtech suspension with the torsion bars adjusted a little to allow room for the 38" tires. I believe it sits somewhere between 7.5 and 8 inches of lift. the rear has blocks...STACKED and a 2" add a leaf. horrible set up and is now causing me some problems (thats the way i bought the truck ) so now i have decided it has come time for me to change it because it is doing some wierd things. oh and i have the stock 8.8 axle with the stock 3.55 gears.

so here is the problem that has just started...it has a LOUD pop when starting from a complete stop. you can feel it through the whole truck...does anyone know what this would be? i was thinking either extreme axle wrap because of the blocks or maybe the gears going out? i put the truck in neutral and i am able to move the drive shaft a little (is that normal?). i watched the u joints and those appeared to be fine...it actually seemed like the "slipping" was coming from the differential...but it is hard to tell with the truck on the ground. what do yall think it is...and is there a quick fix til i can get the rest of this done? so that is the problem that has me worried but then of course there is the problem of the axle wrap and the stock gears that make the truck SLOW!! so i want to get all this fixed at once.

here is what i have been thinking and what i want accomplished...PLEASE anyone that has an idea as for me to do something different then what i have written here let me know...as i do not consider my self an expert by any means and all that i have learned is off of here (thanks guys!)
so here is what i want...i want a "full suspension" lift in the rear...no more blocks. what is the best way to do this? i really dont want to get 8" leaf spring cause those are EXPENSIVE!!!! so here is what i was thinking and i want to know if anyone else has done this before. i want to cut the back of the shackle mount off so the shackle can flip around and be on the bottom and then weld a bar accross the middle of the truck to the back of the other shackle to tie them together and that way it remains strong even though i cut out the back of the shackle...maybe even increasing the strength? but then i got to thinking...this would probably mess with the location of the axle maybe? and what about the pinion angle? or would that be about the same because of it just flipping around? has anyone done this before? i know you can buy kits for chevys and such to do this but i cant find anything anywhere to do this on fords. i figured that would get me around 5" of lift plus the 2" add aleaf that i have and the stock block should keep me about where im at (if not, then i can adjust the torsion bars to level it out...im plannin a body lift so tire rub shouldnt be an issue) so im thinking that will fix all my problems with the blocks and should make the rear end a lot more stable under the truck. (seems to be the most cost effective way of doing it). now to solve another problem while im under there, i would like to change the rear axle out also...i was originaly going to go all the way with the sterling axle but that is way to much work and new rims and such...so i have decided the 9.75 will suit me fine with the "level" of off roading i would do. so here is my next question...has anyone done this swap before? is it a direct drop in replace ment? i have heard that the drive shaft has to be shortened because the axle is bigger...is this true? and what about the bolt pattern? i want to keep the same bolt pattern so i dont have to buy new rims. and i assume shock mounts and spring mounts would be the same because they came on the same year truck just different engine. and what about the u joints...are they the same for the 9.75 and the 8.8?

and after that, i would like to upgrade my gearing to 4.88s but that would come a little after all this is done...does the 9.75s come with 3.55 gears in some of them? that isnt as crucial as i can just not use 4x4 until i get around to changing both front and back gears...but i know that can also get expensive so that will wait a little while.

anyways, im sorry for it being so long but i am afraid if i dont get some things changed real soon, i will have a broken axle or something worse. thanks for any help and any suggestions and any advice that yall can give me. please feel free to add anything i may have forgoten to think about. im hoping to do this in 3 weeks when spring break comes around so i have some time to do this. thanks for your help again


p.s. any idea as to where to get the axle? local junk yards i assume?

 

(bump)

anyone have any ideas on this? i know many guys on here have lifted trucks, so what did yall do?

Thanks

 

as far ideas goes, hopefully one of these posts will help you and save me alot of typing

http://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=63214

 

ok first on the shackle flip. I personally wouldnt do it. If you really want to gain clearance from the shackles, then custom make either a drop shackle or something 5" lower than the frame to mount the shackles on (if that makes sence).

Honestly id go with replacement leaf springs. You dont HAVE to get direct replacement lift springs for an f150. you can always just find some used lift springs that are 2.5" wide and close to the same eye to eye. I cant remeber what mine are.

the 9.75 will be direct swap as long as the rear brakes stay the same disc to disc or drum to drum. The rear d-shaft MIGHT need to be shortened do to the longer front of the 9.75. But since your truck is lifted the d-shaft is already stretched out alittle so you might be fine. Its not much to have it lengthend and rebalanced around $200.

If you get a rear with a different gear ratio id definitely suggest removing the 4x4 shifter or front d-shaft just in case you or someone esle shifts the truck into 4wd. It will solve you some problems later on.

If i was you id try to find a 9.75 with 4.88's already in it, you can find them if you look hard enough.

 

so by you saying making something 5" lower to mount on you mean making a bracket under the frame to mount it to? what would the purpouse of this be? just to keep the "geometry" of how the leaf springs work? i know that they are on vehicles both up and down so whats the difference? and would i have to move the front spring mount 5" down also? or would it be fine with just adjusting the back. and maybe it is just my "in-experienced" way of thinking but it seems to me that by flipping it, it would still move the same way...when the spring compresses, it would swing back...right? or are you suggesting this because of the chance of weakening the mounting of the leaf spring?

and the 9.75 has the same bolt pattern right?

thank you for your reply...and cant wait to see your truck when its done...gonna look sweet i think.

 

the reason im saying to do it that way instead of flipping the spring is because you keep the same geometry by doing this. Nothing will change except the location of the hangers.

another thing to think about is when you flip the rear shackle something has to be done with the front or the center pin of the springs will be off (however much they lift it)

When you are messing with leaf springs you want to always do the same amount of lift on both eyes of the springs. So lets say the shackle flip gives you 2" of lift, you need to get 2" somehow out of the front hangers. This is the way ive always been taught.

People do however do drop shackles on one side of the spring. But then they have the leaf springs re centered. so in fact they have 14" springs with a 3" drop hanger on the REAR eye only so really they have 17" of spring and the center is not the same it was with just the 14" springs. Now if you take those same springs and drop BOTH hangers down an equal amount the center of the spring will stay the same

 

ok that makes sense...i didnt think about having to recenter the springs...that would be a hassel.

hmmm....i am just trying to figure what the best way to move both front and back mounts down. do you have any suggestions? only thing i can think of would be getting some square tubing and welding that to the fram and then attaching the hangers. idk how "awkward" that would look to just have some metal coming off the frame. i guess i could cut the sides at an agle to make it look good. but in order to get my desired lift of 5", that would be a hell of piece of metal...and would stick out under the body i think.

maybe i will look for some used lift springs also. so do i just measure the distance between the eyes while the truck is sitting on the ground...or do i need to have it measured when no weight is on the springs?

and once again thank you for your great help!

 

i think your best bet is lift springs. honestly unless you get custom drop hangers.

All you need to do is measure the hangers from eye to eye and get something close to that (dont go shorter but can go alittle longer) and i believe your springs are the same as mine 2.5" wide.

just see what you can, and see what they came out of, if they were made for a lighter truck they might sag alittle under load. But if you dont plan on towing much then dont worry about it as much.

the coil springs im using for the front of my truck are actually gonna be jeep springs (they look better and give more flex and better ride)

 

yea i was affraid of getting lift springs...seem to cost a lot...new atleast. but i didnt think about trying to find them used because doesnt seem like there would be many out there. where would i find these at? something like craigslist?

also, if i were to drop the hanger my self by just adding metal to the bottom of the frame...would i need to worry with the pinion angle? or i guess it will end up in the same spot im at right now anyways right? thanks again.

 

if you made the dop hangers yourself as long as your really precise when you move them then your pinion angle will be fine. BUT make sure you can weld extremely good, and cross brace the hangers as much as possible.

id check craigslist, ebay, pirate 4x4, chuckstrucks.net and any other local stuff. like bargan trader.

 

alright i will check those out. thanks!

 

hey trim,

do you know how long your leaf springs were from eye to eye? i have been looking online and have found some used ones at good prices but when i get a measurement from them....they have all told me 44 1/2". and when i go to meausre mine i have like 56" or someting like that. so i was wondering if the spring would "compress" and get longer under load. or have i just not found the right leaf spring size yet? these springs were damn good price too....$100 for the pair of 6" of lift. i think those were from a chevy but they didnt know off what chevy. but i also found one from an older f150 that was also 44.5" so i didnt know if 97 they changed or something. Thanks for your help!

 

i cant rember off the top of my head but i think around 56" but not sure.

If you can get the shorter springs, you can always move the perches in.

but you need to keep the axle in the same place. both perches have to be move equally. it would be easier to get the right size springs or longer ones.

If you got a slightly longer spring you can forcefully make them fit, or have them slightly rearched. But this will also make the ride stiffer. not a bad thing IMO

 

alright i guess i will just keep looking then. i didnt know if they would have gotten longer under load like that being that everyone i talk to has them sitting on the work bench. lol

where would i get them rearched...can just suspension shops do it or is it specialty thing?

 

call Deaver or Atlas spring and see what they say. There might be a place pretty close that can do it.