I just got a set of Belltech 2" drop shackles. Anyone want to share there experiance installing them? How log did it take? How did you jack the truck? Did you get the result you were looking for?

It doesn't look like a big deal. I know your not supposed to jack from the dipperential (pumpkin). So I would like to hear how other people did it.

Thanks!

 

Should be several threads about this below I thought? I jacked it up by the pumpkin even though some people don't want to do that. I just had it up long enough to slide the stands under the frame. If I would have had a hitch, I would have jacked it up from there.

On average this shoudl be a 30 - 45min install. I was very happy with the results. Truck is nice and level now. I took pics after the install below, but the camera takes a really "rich" picture and it is too dark to really see. Sorry.


-Brian

 

I did the same as 02XLT using the pumpkin briefly to insert the floor jacks. It took about 45 minutes total. Be sure to take the pressure off of the springs or look for a dent in the bend of your truck.


Good Luck!

 

hehe... i gotta small dent in the bed of my truck


boing!!!!

 

As usual, I was worried about nothing. The install went without a hitch. I did jack from the differential, but only to get the jack stands in.
I really like the look. I could really feel the difference when I got in the truck. I had to readjust my seat for the new angle. I got what I was looking for!
It took under an hour, which was great because I had something to do after.
I will have to put a few more miles on before I can get a good impression of what the lower stance does for handling.
Ok. Now, anyone need to do pinion shims?

I would have done a search but I'm not all that familiar with this section. Thanks for responding even though the info is already here.

 

Floor jacked the rear up at the trailer hitch, jack stands on the frame, used a second smaller floor jack under the pumpkin just for support and for adjusting up/down to fit the last shackle bolt in. Also wore my "Anti-Flattening St. Christopher Medal" and made a sign-of-the-cross 3 times before sliding under. Those medals really work!

Fairly simple job...took my time...about an hour.

 

How do you get the jack to go high enough using the hitch as a lift point? To get the wheels off the ground, the jack must need about four feet of lift to go from the ground to the hitch, and then wheels up.
A hundred bricks maybe?

 

Linetest....


Keep this in mind when jacking the frame off the ground. You are looking at the tires, but remember the suspension will sag before the tires actually come of the ground. Chances are you are lifting it too high... You see what I am saying?

 

02XLT, sure I understand that by itself.
But, I got a 5cc injection of Stoopid juice the other day :-). So, if I jack her up, put jackstands under frame (Rear wheels almost off ground), then put the jack under the pumpkin and lift, isn't that the same effect as having done nothing???? Sorry, but that juice is really kicking in.

 

I really don't know how else to explain this man. Sorry. Why don't you save yourself the trouble and jack the truck up be the pumpkin to get the jack stands in place?


What I am trying to tell you is I ran into a problem where I kept jacking my truck up and I would place the jack stands under the frame. As soon as I let the jack out to rest the frame on the stands the tires would touch the ground. It boggled me for about 10 min and multiple tries at raising the jack stands. Finally my stupidity wore off and I realized that my tires wouldn't come off the ground untill I went back and jacked the pumpkin up slighty to make up for the "slack" in the leaf springs due to me jacking the frame up. Do you see what I am saying now?

 

hey, whats this about a dent in the bed?
how do i prevent it? Can you explain that better?

 

Jacking the pumpkin up takes the slack out of the leaf springs so you can remove the bolts easier and not have that leaf spring pop up and hit your bed. Nothing to it.

 

yeah i know what a dent in the bed looks like, but with the liner in i just took a big fin hammer to it and now its gone

 

I don't think you actually need the wheels off the ground. If you were to somehow lift the everything but the axle, you would take the tention off the springs.
What I did to avoid the dent was to losen the bolts and take off the tension, pulling on the spring and shackle to feel that it was free. I was able to get the bolts out without the spring moving at all.

 

If you don't lift the pumpkin up a bit, then you will have the weight of the axle and tires resting on it causing lots of flex. Anyway I am done trying to explain. Just get out there and knock it out. I guess Linetest gave up?