Axle Flip Results

[hullinger]

So on my '65 Utiline, I just recently completed the axle flip. With the flip I also removed the two smallest leaf springs as well. I've got the truck sitting really low in the rear now and she's looking good. The problem is the truck bottoms out pretty easily and I'm tail dragging a bit too. I'm gonna start experimenting with ways to get the rear up another inch or two but wanted to run this question by y'all. With the axle flip, does adding a leaf spring to the rear raise the rear of the truck any, or does it simply stiffen up the ride?

Chris
Wilmington, DE

[abody]

Hi,
I am by no means an expert but you could leave it that low for when you are at a car show and put air shocks on it.
They are not 100% dependable but super easy to install. Just my two cents. Was thinking about going the same route with my 61'

[Hobcobble]

does adding a leaf spring to the rear raise the rear of the truck any, or does it simply stiffen up the ride?

Chris
Wilmington, DE

I'd say the leaf will raise the truck at least the thickness of the leaf.
As far as stiffening the ride, adding a leaf[s] back to your pack will stiffen the
ride a bit. If you're that close to the ground though.... that extra bit of rigidity
might very well save the lower rear corners of the box....
John

[hullinger]

Guys,

Thanks for your thoughts. I had never done a rear axle flip and my first thought was that with the axle now on top of the leaf springs, adding another leaf spring would push the axle further up and thus lower the truck a bit more. It was a lot of effort flipping the axle so I didn't want to spend the time on adding a leaf if it doesn't get me a bit more ride height. Anyway, here is my truck after the flip, with two leaf springs removed from all four corners and with air shocks on the rear at 80 lbs of air. I'm trying to get the ride height level now and it only needs another inch or two before it's just right.

Chris

[Txas2step]

Anything(leafs) you add should lift not lower...the springs are now on top. Cool truck.

[soopernaut]

Anything(leafs) you add should lift not lower...the springs are now on top. Cool truck.

The springs are under the axle now. Adding a leaf will put the axle higher essentially lowering the truck.

[abody]

How did you go about dropping the front? Sids axle? or is it at all possible to flip the front end as well?

[hullinger]

On the lowered front, there are simply two leaf springs removed. Now the remaining front axle springs are tired and saggy so I'm certain that helps lower it a bit too. Ideally, I'd like to lower the front a bit more in order to level the ride height. I'm thinking that the front is where I should spend my efforts instead of trying to raise the rear another inch or two.

Chris

[digdoug]

Anything(leafs) you add should lift not lower...the springs are now on top. Cool truck.

The springs are under the axle now. Adding a leaf will put the axle higher essentially lowering the truck.

How do you figure, Bill? He wouldn't be adding springs to the top of the pack and the pack isn't turned upside down.

[Hobcobble]

does adding a leaf spring to the rear raise the rear of the truck any, or does it simply stiffen up the ride?

Chris
Wilmington, DE

I'm with you now on this.... If your spring
packs still have a positive arch, adding a spring or springs would
stiffen the ride and also "possibly" raise the ride height a bit.
I do think though, that there would be more of a possibility of scrubbing
your u-bolt clips. My thinking is.... that any leafs would still be added
to the bottom of the pack.... not on top of the primary [long] spring that
the axle now rests on. Does this make sense? ....
John

[soopernaut]

Anything(leafs) you add should lift not lower...the springs are now on top. Cool truck.

The springs are under the axle now. Adding a leaf will put the axle higher essentially lowering the truck.

How do you figure, Bill? He wouldn't be adding springs to the top of the pack and the pack isn't turned upside down.

Ok, I guess the height will stay the same with leafs added, unless the leafs are added above the main spring.

[66patrick]

When you flip an axle with no other mods, you have less than a half-inch of suspension travel. Ask me how I know. Zero ride quality. Looks great, rides like crap. You are FAR and away better off by putting that axle back where it needs to be and instead get you stock axle modded with a two or three-inch drop from Sid's. My lowered truck (3" Sid's drop, stock springs with all of the leaves intact!) rides beautifully, NO bumpsteer (with a modded Pitman arm), and does not bottom out.

On the rear, the axle is left in the stock position, but the rear spring mounts are extended three inches for a three-inch rear drop. Again, the springs are left alone! I have a very nice-driving, three-inch dropped truck that is still usable as a truck.

Top is the spring hanger for the rear spring three-inch drop. Bottom is the stock spring hanger.

[my5thmopar]

When you flip an axle with no other mods, you have less than a half-inch of suspension travel. Ask me how I know. Zero ride quality. Looks great, rides like crap. You are FAR and away better off by putting that axle back where it needs to be and instead get you stock axle modded with a two or three-inch drop from Sid's. My lowered truck (3" Sid's drop, stock springs with all of the leaves intact!) rides beautifully, NO bumpsteer (with a modded Pitman arm), and does not bottom out.

On the rear, the axle is left in the stock position, but the rear spring mounts are extended three inches for a three-inch rear drop. Again, the springs are left alone! I have a very nice-driving, three-inch dropped truck that is still usable as a truck.

Top is the spring hanger for the rear spring three-inch drop. Bottom is the stock spring hanger.

Hey excellent idea and photo. That's looks like the way to go.

[Hobcobble]

Hey excellent idea and photo. That's looks like the way to go.

I'd say as long as any pinion angle change is accounted for, that is definitely a good
way to approach a drop for the rear axle. The Sid's front axle seems to be
the closest to stock and least expensive way to get the front end down... AND
you can add in disc brakes if you'd like to .....
John

[66patrick]

Sid takes a STOCK front axle and modifies it. It is NOT made from the inferior Chinese steel that many dropped axles from other sources are made from.

[digdoug]

When you flip an axle with no other mods, you have less than a half-inch of suspension travel. Ask me how I know. Zero ride quality. Looks great, rides like crap. You are FAR and away better off by putting that axle back where it needs to be and instead get you stock axle modded with a two or three-inch drop from Sid's. My lowered truck (3" Sid's drop, stock springs with all of the leaves intact!) rides beautifully, NO bumpsteer (with a modded Pitman arm), and does not bottom out.

On the rear, the axle is left in the stock position, but the rear spring mounts are extended three inches for a three-inch rear drop. Again, the springs are left alone! I have a very nice-driving, three-inch dropped truck that is still usable as a truck.

Top is the spring hanger for the rear spring three-inch drop. Bottom is the stock spring hanger.

I only see a three inch drop on the rear shackle. If you leave the front spring hanger alone you only have a 1 1/2" rear axle drop. Did you move the front spring hanger up too?

[66patrick]

It's three inches in the back, too. If you were to see the two trucks parked side-by-side, it is definitely three inches and not 1-1/2 inches.

[digdoug]

It's three inches in the back, too. If you were to see the two trucks parked side-by-side, it is definitely three inches and not 1-1/2 inches.

That's what she said!

[slick]

Adding the leaf springs will raise it up. It will also help you out with the bottoming out by stiffening it back up and allow you to put stuff in the back without bottoming out.

[soopernaut]

Adding the leaf springs will raise it up.

How would adding springs to the bottom of the pack raise it up? At first I thought it would lower even further before I visualized it, but came to the conclusion it will not change the ride height. Adding springs above the main spring would lower the vehicle just like adding a lowering block would, but one would probably not add any springs above the main spring in a spring under situation.

The spring points at the hangers/shackles are at a fixed height and will not change. The axle is at a fixed height directly on top of the main spring and will not change. Any springs added to the bottom will not change any of these fixed points.