Redthies' '97 F350 Thread

[redthies]

Great lookin' rig!

Can't wait to see what you do with it.

We are planning a trip that will have us passing the Logan and Park City area in september. You may just see us on the road. I still have a Cummins swap in mind, although I won't rush into it unless the powerstroke craps the bed.

[redthies]

Right on! Nice truck!

Thanks Drummond! Good to see you back on here. Did you have a good winter?

[Rot Box]

We are planning a trip that will have us passing the Logan and Park City area in september. You may just see us on the road. I still have a Cummins swap in mind, although I won't rush into it unless the powerstroke craps the bed.

Sounds like a good time I hope do

If you're waiting for the PSD to crap out I think you'll be waiting awhile

[Spencinator]

I like the setup!! Cant wait to see more pics of it in use.

[redthies]

What is the benefit of running superduty leafs on my truck? I know people do it, I would assume they are slightly longer and provide a better ride. Any more weight capacity over my stock springs?

[bftank]

advantages to superduty springs

yes they are longer by about 4". this makes them equal length from centerpin to bushing on the front and back of the spring. weight wise they are designed for the same weight as what you have. the longer a spring is the better the ride is because the lever end is farther away from the pivot. this can contribute to axle wrap, but with this being a front spring on something that isn't a crawler, it's not as much of a concern.



weakness of stock suspension.

the biggest weakness on our trucks is that itty bitty bushing on top of the shackle at the front of your springs. this is weak because it is not wide enough to help control side loading, yes there is a track bar for that but it still flexes. this causes your bushings to wear quickly and gives your truck vague handling characteristics. eventually the shackle rests against the frame on one side or the other like mine does, and clunks when it turns. i had considered welding in new bushing mount for my sd springs and leaving the shackle in the front so as to not increase ride height, as i don't feel the front shackle handles all that bad most of the time. ultimately i have decided to reverse the shackle so the suspension is setup correctly it will be a little taller than i want for the 37's, but maybe that will give me room to run chains on the tires as necessary.

benefits of reverse shackle

having the shackle in the back helps the front end track better, and take the bumps a lot better. springs are less likely to get bent. track bar has less work to do. better stability with wider shackle bushings.

[redthies]

I had Sky's 3" reversal kit in my last 350 and loved the ride, amount of lift and overall result. I have talked with Chris about the superduty springs, but I think the extra work isn't going to be of benefit to me. I think I will just stick to a standard shackle reversal.

[bftank]

i just wish the shackle didn't hang down so low in the back.

[redthies]

On my 92 (white truck in first post) the shackle was sitting almost vertical. Not what I want this time. The ride was still much improved, but this time around I am going to just bolt the front up with the factory hole, then I'll install the shackle and be able to roll the new front x-member to the rear if the angles don't look good. Sky says the Ford leafs come in slightly varied lengths throughout the obs years. Shorter spring sets will give the steeper angle. I hope mine are longer this time

[bftank]

what is your plan for shocks?