2" rear drop on 01 Supercrew
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Member
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 52
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From: woodstock,ga USA
2" rear drop on 01 Supercrew
I'll be installing the Belltech 6400 shackles this Friday to achieve a 2 inch drop and level the truck. Is there anything in particular I need to pay close attention to during the process. I'll be using a floor jack and stands. Any advice would be appreciated.
Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 96
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From: Stallings, North Carolina
ATLscrewdriver,
I did mine over Thanksgiving and was done in a couple hours max. It is a very simple job just make sure you have a jack with plenty of stroke (i.e. big hydraulic floor jack) and a jack stand. I used a big floor jack and still had to lift the axle from the rear shock bracket to get a few extra inches of lift. Put the jack stand under the frame (near the front leaf spring connectiong) and set it all the way down. The two bolts are in opposite directions so one of them you can take the nut off first. Then pick back up on the axle slowly and try wiggling the bolt until it is loose. I would not recommend driving out the bolts unless you are real sure there is no load left in the springs. Just keeep playing with the jack and wiggling the bolt until it comes out. Then undo the other bolt, drop the new shackle in and tighten everything back up. If you find the torque specs for these bolts let me know, because mine came with a warning not to overtighten them. I just snugged them up about as tight as they were to take off and I haven't had any problems.
Enjoy the improved handling. There is one corner near work that is fun to take pretty fast and I noticed reduced tire squeal. Hopefully my new Pirelli Scorpion Zero 275/60R16's will be in tomorrow and that should help even more!
P.S. Remember that it will take an additional two inches of stroke with the jack to get the truck off the jack stand!!! I almost learned the hard way. Luckily I lifted from the axle to get the truck up on jack stands the first time and was able to use the shock bracket to gain the extra lift to get it down!!!
I did mine over Thanksgiving and was done in a couple hours max. It is a very simple job just make sure you have a jack with plenty of stroke (i.e. big hydraulic floor jack) and a jack stand. I used a big floor jack and still had to lift the axle from the rear shock bracket to get a few extra inches of lift. Put the jack stand under the frame (near the front leaf spring connectiong) and set it all the way down. The two bolts are in opposite directions so one of them you can take the nut off first. Then pick back up on the axle slowly and try wiggling the bolt until it is loose. I would not recommend driving out the bolts unless you are real sure there is no load left in the springs. Just keeep playing with the jack and wiggling the bolt until it comes out. Then undo the other bolt, drop the new shackle in and tighten everything back up. If you find the torque specs for these bolts let me know, because mine came with a warning not to overtighten them. I just snugged them up about as tight as they were to take off and I haven't had any problems.
Enjoy the improved handling. There is one corner near work that is fun to take pretty fast and I noticed reduced tire squeal. Hopefully my new Pirelli Scorpion Zero 275/60R16's will be in tomorrow and that should help even more!
P.S. Remember that it will take an additional two inches of stroke with the jack to get the truck off the jack stand!!! I almost learned the hard way. Luckily I lifted from the axle to get the truck up on jack stands the first time and was able to use the shock bracket to gain the extra lift to get it down!!!
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 106
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From: Orlando, Florida
If you have any mech ability at all you should be able to get this done in less than an hour. It is very simple it takes longer to get the truck jacked up than it does to change a shakle. I did this to a Previous 97 thant I had and it took me about 45 minutes if that with out air tools. best of luck to you
Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Stallings, North Carolina
Just got my Factory Service CD and it is great. Has just about everything you could ever want to know about repairing our trucks. Just so happens they have the torque specs listed for the shackle bolts. They should be torqued to 73-97 ft-lbs. Looks like I need to crawl under the truck this weekend and check them out. Hope this helps.
