What's up guys, so I recently bought a belltech 4 inch rear lowering kit with shackles and hangers. I also got u-bolts in this kit and all of that hardware that ties the axle to leaf springs together, is it necessary to replace the ubolts and all of that? Because my axle at the moment sits below the leaf springs with u-bolt ends facing up. IS it necessary to flip the axle above the leaf springs to use the new ubolts, isn't that considered a flip kit? I just thought that replacing the hangers and shackles with lowering ones alone would do the trick.

 

Forgot to mention my truck is a 1997 single cab f 150 2wd.

 

4" is typically hangers and shackles yes.

You might find that you need to shim the pinion angle. That's the only reason why I could see them including new u bolts.


Post a pic of what you've got and I'll make sure you've got the right stuff for your truck before you tear it all apart

 

Hey man thanks for replying.

So this is what the truck looks like now from that area.



And this is what I got in the kit.





You think it's necessary to change the u-bolts?

I was thinking of just doing the shackles and hangers and see how she sits and feels. But idk. Im not a drop expert. lol

 

my guess is you will need the pinion shims. Your u-bolts look long enough for the shims but the new u-bolts would look nice..lol the long black bolt/pins are centering pins for the leaf springs and the head is a little longer to make up for the shims.

 

I just lowered one side. lol sits great. not sure how itll ride. tommorow, i should finish up the other side and hopefully the front drop aswell.

 

Looks like you might be missing a leaf out of your leaf pack.

I believe these trucks were 3 or 4 leafs in the pack, plus the bottom overload spring

 

If you had an actual flip kit it would have included saddle and perches for the axle

 

Yeah, this truck was part of the first new body styles being produced so some parts are kind of different fromt 98+ . I think in 97, early in the year, they were still producing the square body ones. Then late 97, the round bodies.