Okay, so I flipped the rear leaf spring shackles on my '49 Merc a long while ago...The rear suspension is Jamco 4" lowering springs, 4" lowering blocks, and flipped shackles (shackles point up) to get it to the ride height I really wanted. This is how I came out from the rebuild with this car, and never drove it with the shackles pointing down, so I have nothing to compare the ride stiffness to other than different vehicles. I have put over 4000 miles on the car this way, and I have to say, it rides Very stiff in the rear. By stiff I mean the only thing I have driven that is more stiff is my '98 Dodge dually...Would this excessively stiff ride be caused by the shackles being flipped up? I got to questioning this because I built a '53 Ford Mainline for my fiancé (and it has a completely stock rear suspension setup, which is pretty much the same setup as a stock Mercury rear suspension) and that '53 has the shackles pointing down and rides like a dream in comparison...Any thoughts on this fellas? I know quite a few guys on here have done the shackle flip to get the ride height down...Does anybody have any experience with this either way that would possibly shed some light on this? I guess I should prolly also mention that it's a '79 camaro rear end and I have the Merc rear axle bump stops removed...Any insights would be greatly appreciated! And much thanks in advance too Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Are you sure the frame isn't just sitting on the axle? I mean 4+4+a flipped shackle[at least 4 more inches] is a lot of drop. Just saying.
Ralphie makes a good point. Sometimes you have to use air bags to get it as low as you want. Or, notch the frame.
You can't change spring rate by changing the position of a mount. If it's not sitting on the bump stop check and see if the shocks are bottomed out. By the way, the shackles were pointing up not down when the car came off the assembly line. The Wizzard
Thanks fellas...I know the axle is not on the frame...I'm gonna check for the shocks bottoming out...it does move when you push down on the fender, just a really quick and short movement like a drag car... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I can't see how you dropped it 8" and it's not on the bump stops. Even with flipping the shackles it's gotta be a 6" drop.
It was on the bump stops...I removed them...it is honestly stiff enough spring rate that never hits the frame... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
My shackles point up as well. Originally that way. Are they torqued properly 35-40 lbs.ft. If too tight they may not pivot.
When my '51 Ford was a restored stocker, I ran the shackles "pulled down" to make it level. Rode just fine. Last year, I went to big 'n littles, Aerostar springs, and put the shackles back up for a reasonable rake. Still rides good.
I have flipped a few all with stock leafs. Rode the same just didn't drag the shackles on everything. Did you set up the new pivot to where the spring will have movement to stretch and not bind?
Well, it's the stock Merc pivot...binding was the thing I was worried about here though... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Are you sure the dropped springs you bought are the same eye to eye length as the stock springs. Ralphie
I think you answered your own question. If it was on the bump stops before you took them off, you've got what 2, maybe 3 inches of travel at the most before the axle hits the frame, yet it never does. That's some pretty stiff spring.
you need to show some pictures of what's going on or you may as well just have us pull different answers out of a hat.
Okay, I will try to get some pics up tonight...I'm not sure if the spring eye to eye is the same length as the originals...the originals I had were super shot and I tossed 'em years ago...What I do know is that the Jamco dropped springs bolted right in without any prying or anything like that...they bolted right in place, so that leads me to believe that they are the same and correct length... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
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