Advantage 52

[McMurray76]

What is the advantage of running 52" leaf springs on the front?

[McMurray76]

What is the advantage of running 52" leaf springs on the front?

[ncgamedog]

budget 4" lift, softer ride quality than standard lift spring, moves axle forward a bit, and keeps a more appropriate shackle angle.

there are some cons too, but you didn't ask abt that...

[madcow75]

Okay ...ncgamedog.. I will ask then what are the cons then.

[jbclassix]

K... I wanna know too. I have been going back and forth on 52s since I need to replace my front spring hangers. It will either be 52s or whatever length is on my 91.

[madcow75]

91.... are you sure you don't have 64's or 56's.

[jbclassix]

No my fronts are 46 or 48's or something like that. They are long!

[McMurray76]

What are the cons?
What is the best way to level out the rear?

[ncgamedog]

Originally Posted by McMurray76

What are the cons?
What is the best way to level out the rear?

It depends somewhat on what model vehicle your thinking about running them on. For blazers, which obviously have a fairly short wheelbase, it can cause some significant body roll for on-road driving. That depends a lot on your comfort level driving a teeter-toter rig. I ran them on a 78 k5 and enjoyed them offroad but it added some pucker factor when hanging curves. I ditched the factory overload from mine and added a cut down leaf from another pack. Not counting the overload, there are 4 and 5 leaf versions. Mine were the 5 leaf, and I would highly recommend those. There is also an issue with some axle wrap in the front when using these, due to the added length and soft spring rate. Once again, its all in what you can live with. They certainly aren't as bad as some RUF applications I have seen, such as folks running toyota rear springs in the front of their SAS swaps. Rear springs, in general, are designed differently than front springs. Rears typically have a lager transition in length from leaf to leaf as they progressively step down. That's why when you see custom made front leaf packs they usually have a high leaf count and use thinner leaves. On a truck the negative effects should be less noticeable, but not completely. They are certainly a viable option, and a good one for budget minded wheelers. If its primarily a daily driven rig, then you may disappointed in the change in handling. You could also investigate running a sway bar, by either modifying the factory one or some other custom option.

Shackle flip for the rear!
http://diy4x.com/cart/index.php?rout...product_id=112
http://offroaddesign.com/catalog/shacklekit.htm

[McMurray76]

Thanks!