Lift options

[superlifted]

I have a 1971 Chevy Blazer and I have a 6 inch llift on 35 inch rubber. I am suffering from the fang owhen im on the rocks. I I would like to have flex offroad and a smooth ride on pavement.. Ive heard of the B-52 font lift and a shackle flip for the rear but am wondering if this is the best bang for the buck. Any help is welcome. Thanks

[lukefalls]

It is absolutely the best bang for the buck! I had it on my 71 GMC longbed. Now I'm linked front and rear.

I didn't use the B52 kit, but I copied that design. I just like to build my own. The Off Road Design shackle flip worked great. It flexed awesome.

Some things to consider. You SHOULD upgrade the steering to cross over. The 52s will flex more that your stock steering will handle. Also, you'll may need to build a panhard rod. Buy good shocks!

[special-K]

What are B-52s? 52" springs with sliders?

[OLDCHEV4X4]

Originally Posted by special-K

What are B-52s? 52" springs with sliders?

It dosent have to be sliders, It can be a shackle too. It just reefer's to putting 52" springs on the front. The B-52 kit is from DIY4x4.

Or a B-52 can be a airplane too. ;-)

[superlifted]

Thanks lukefalls. You definitely have some flex. I wish i had the shop to build a kit but i dont. Ill just have to order it. Wat type of springs will i need? 3/4 tons off any old chevy? And as for the cross over steering can you expand on that?
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[erock805]

I have first gen 4x4 as well. and am just learning about this stuff...

Cross steering what does the 52s do? how much Lift? I see it helps with flex so I imagine it rides pretty smooth. What are the disadvantges of this system over stock

[lukefalls]

If you buy the B-52 kits, its a bolt on swap. You should need little more than a tape measure and a drill. I am using the stock 52" rear springs that came on the truck. I got about 5.5 inches of lift when i did mine. That is partially because my mounts are a bit taller than the B-52 kit.

You can use any 52" springs. If you do use 3/4 ton springs, I'd removed the overload (big thing spring on the bottom) spring, or flip it over.

I upgraded the rear to a set of stock 56" rear springs (from a later 2wd 1/2 ton). I used a set of Off Road Design Shackle Flip brackets. If you use them with 56" springs, put the Left bracket on the right side of the truck and the Right bracket on the left. It'll give you a near perfect shackle angle.

The cross-over steering does nothing to the 52" spring swap. The stock steering is a push pull type that is parallel with the frame on the driver's side. It is not designed to handle the amount of flex and wheel travel that the 52" springs will provide. Cross-over steering changes the push-pull type steering to a (wait for it...) cross-over. The drag link extends from the pitman arm on the driver's side to the knuckle on the passenger side.

If you're not familiar with it, check out www.Offroaddesign.com or www.wfoconcepts.com. There is some excellent information on the www.coloradok5.com page. Also, the forum can help too. They both offer excellent kits at reasonable prices. This will be the most expensive part of the build.

I hope that this helps. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to let me know.

Oh, forgot to talk about the panhard rod. So, leaf springs locate the axle both side-to-side and front-to-back. If you have springs that are soft and a change is caster (which you will likely have), you can get some steering wobble known as "death wobble". A panhard rod extends from the frame on the driver's side of the truck to the axle on the passenger side. It SHOULD be the exact same length as the drag link and mounted at the same angle. This will stop "bump-steer". I can explain how and why if you'd really want to know.

In this picture, you can see the cross-over steering. NOTE: I moved the tie rod to the back of the axle - you DON'T need to do that. You can also see the pan hard rod that mounts to the leaf spring mount plate (generally not a good idea). You can also see my "bracket". This is what I build for test purposes. Once I decided that I like it, I built something nicer, premier, and safer.


In this picture you can see the 56" rears springs and the shackle angle



Here is another photo



Here is a link to my build:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...slow+gmc+build

[erock805]

Thanks soo much for the info...this sorts out alot. I started lurking on the pirate a bit and you only catch little stuff. This sets me strait.

So basically its a good lift on the cheap that offers a soft ride. Any other cons other than death wobble?

Had that on my dodge...

[lukefalls]

I had scary terrible death wobble until I installed the panhard rod. Then, none. I've seen people who don't have a panhard rod and have no death wobble.

Here are some things that help:
Use new spring eye and shackle eye bushings
Use stout shackles or "H" style shackles
Make sure that your caster angle is CORRECT
Make sure that all of the tire rod ends and drag link ends are in good working order
Make sure the wheel bearings are in good working order and tight
Make sure the steering box and shaft are tight.