Both front shackles bent

[DudeManScott]

So if I want to keep it on the 4" bracket and if I get a set of stock springs maybe I should get the 3.5" kit to keep it about the same?

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[superpsd]

I have the stock oem leafs and Sky Manufacturing 5" RSK and the pivot brackets set to the same hole as yours is and those are my lift numbers. If you use a RSK kit that was any lower you would likely need a shorter pivot bracket to lay the Axle beams flat. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

 

[gnxtc2]

Both the front shackles are bent, can the leaf springs be adjusted left and right on the axle?Or is there a pin in the axles the leaf springs align with?
Part of me thinks whoever messed with them last didn't align the leaf springs so it put to much tension on them?

Obviously I am going to replace them but don't want it to happen again. Do these look like the stock size shackles?

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The reason you are twisting the front shackles is due to the spring pack. Since the D50 is a so called "independent" suspension (TTB50 = POS), the leaf pack is preventing the leafs from twisting. The shackles are absorbing the twisting action. The design of the POS TTB50, the leafs not only go up/down, they have to resist the twisting/arc of the TTB arms. The F250 springs are thicker than the F350 springs.

How often do you replace ball joints? The upper ones are at an extreme angle. :shocked::shocked::shocked:

The top spring is the F250 one. Bottom is the F350 one. Notice the thickness in the leafs. The bottom leaf in each pack is an add-a-leaf; the top leafs are the OEM leafs.

As others have stated, get yourself a D60. A D60 will bolt right in. You can get rid of the drop brackets and go with a set of lift springs. If you want it to ride nice, then go with a RSK with SD springs. There's plenty of info here on this subject.

How much lift are you looking for?

3" Sky Manufacturing RSK with SD "V" code fronts, "C" codes in the back with 5" traction blocks with 285 tires. (current)

Plain 'ole F350 suspension, D60 with OEM front springs with an add-a-leaf and OEM rear springs with a F350 block with 265 tires.

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[97Beast]

I wouldn't recommend playing with a lifted TTB. Getting all the geometry correct will take a lot of work, time, and money. And none of the aftermarket lift springs will act the same as the stock spring pack. I did a small lift on my TTB (about 2.5"), and it was just not worth the hassle.
Tuff country makes adjustable drop brackets. They allow you match the drop of the axle to the spring height. But I still wouldn't play with them.

My advice, like everyone else, is go Dana 60. You don't even need to do a reverse shackle kit. A straight axle swap on these trucks is about as "bolt in" as it gets.

I swapped a Dana 60 and reverse shackle kit in about 4 years ago. And I haven't looked back!

 

[superpsd]

This is my TTB with a 5" RSK. I can always roll a D60 with OBS Springs latter if needed. At this point however I am completely happy with how it performs and I have not had any tire wear or drivability issues. This is my daily driver. I lifted it about a year ago and had the initial alignment and have not needed any other alignment checks.

 

[DudeManScott]

This is my TTB with a 5" RSK. I can always roll a D60 with OBS Springs latter if needed. At this point however I am completely happy with how it performs and I have not had any tire wear or drivability issues. This is my daily driver. I lifted it about a year ago and had the initial alignment and have not needed any other alignment checks.

Thanks for the pictures! I am really not trying to do a D60 swap at the moment.

So if I get the stock leafs, and the RSK in a 5" I should be at 28" from fender to hub. Just like you, if I go with the 3" kit I should be at about 26" from fender to hub (1" higher than my current setup). This sounds right yeah?

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[freddie]

I really don't see how that's going to ride great. An RSK changes your caster angle, from the driver's side of the truck, an RSK rolls the springs and axle clockwise - that's part of how they create such an improvement in ride. If you keep the D50, the TTB is not going to rotate due to the pivot bolts, yet the leaf springs are still going to TRY to rotate clockwise since the front leaf spring will be mounted closer to the frame than stock, and the rear will be further. You'll be twisting your leaf springs, but this time it will be lengthwise as opposed to the twisting that you have currently. If anything, it is going to make the truck ride worse due to the binding you'll be putting on the leaf springs.

Not to mention that a 3.5" RSK without any sort of options is going to cost over $400 to your door. Add in the tow hooks and receiver or anything and you're pushing $500. You should be able to find a Dana 60 and springs for $700-800 and you will get rid of the Dana 50 and not have any of the aforementioned problems we've been pointing out. To each their own. Reinvent the wheel. Lol

 

[superpsd]

I understand your theory but I disagree. Probably because I drive the truck everyday. The ride improved over the stock configuration. I handed the shop that aligned my truck a pair of fully adjustable bushings and they handed me a print out that shows my alignment is within the factory specification. Also tires have worn evenly over this last year. I drive this daily I drive it everywhere on and off highway. Not to say anyone will like how this suspension is setup but I am happy enough that I have no plans for a D60. D60 in my area were pushing 1K for a worn out Axle and I never could find one complete with the correct Axle ratio. I paid 40$ for the drop brackets and 410$+shipping for the RSK and 89$ for the drop pitman arm and I still need to upgrade my shocks. I'm still running a single Monroe shock. I also need to lower the bump stop it will flex the springs good if you hit a hidden dip at speed. You know the ones that look like a perfectly flat road but have hidden valley.

DudeManScott if you go with a lower RSK lift like a 3" you would have to change the pivot brackets to a 2" drop bracket. Going with a 3" RSK and a 4" drop pivot like you have now would have the axle beams pointed up from the pivot points like wings on an aircraft versus having them lay flat as they should. In that case you would likely never been able to align the suspension. There would be no way to correct the camber.

 

[sootie]

Check the classifieds, I think there was a complete take out axle from an OBS listed today ....

 

[freddie]

Superpsd I wasn't trying to doubt you. I'm glad you're happy with the setup. I am just pushing for the Dana 60 because it is a well established method. And you've got to admit that the TTB just doesn't hold up and between pivot bushings, spring bushings, worn springs, and ball joints, that the TTB suffers from wear stock, not to mention most shops have problems aligning them.

 

[superpsd]

I don't disagree with that. A D60 is a good choice. I already had the drop brackets and my ball joints and bearings were good so I went the route i did. I'm also not the only one who has installed a RSK with a TTB its actually been done many times with many different styles of brackets, springs, and kits. As for D60 all I was finding around me were overpriced worn out axles that needed rebuilding so I decided to do a little research and decided to RSK the TTB knowing that it might not work out well. If it hadn't I would have had to pay the piper and buy a D60.