Lift Kits

Anyone have pictures of their rear lift kit installation? Where did you get them? Is axle wrap a problem and/or how do you prevent it?

Thanks in advance,
k.c.

 

We're talkin' mud truck?

Basically what was used in the '60s was a pair of longer shackles by most of the streeter fellas. The way you overcome spring wrap is with a pair of traction bars.

There are other more involved ways but a pair of traction bars is the simpliest

 

are you talking about lift blocks?in what?is the thing stock?more info.needed.

 

It's a '38 Pontiac with a '78 Trans Am rear end. I want to lift the body off the rear axle an additional 3". I know how the mudders do it. Can I do the same? Who makes a kit?

Thanks again.

 

If you want to go up that much, you probably would want to have your springs re-arched. I wouldn't use shackles for more than 1" of added height.

 

i believe the ratio of shackle length to lift height is something like 1.5-2:1?

so 3 inches of lift would be like 6 inch shackles.....

 

You want to RAISE the rear end??
Are you building a gasser-style car?
All the dads who built high cars when I was a kid in the '70s did it by using higher-arch springs AND adding leafs to make them stiffer.
My friend's dad lifted a '61 Starliner a couple inches just by adding a few leafs to the stock springs. It actually rode better afterward because it was so soft from the factory.

 

what about those load helper air bags?

 

You can also take the leafs apart and re-arch with a sledge if you're up to the workout, but in the truck world a 3" spring would have a longer main leaf. Add a leafs or mixing & matching with leafs from other springs are another option to gain an inch or two, but will likely hurt ride quality.

3" blocks are a problem if it's a performance car that gets launched. Even with traction bars.

Does it have 1938 springs or sagged TA springs? Either way, it'd probably ride a hell of a lot better with a new set of springs that are targeted to your desired stance.

Good luck!

 

a combo of blocks, shackles and a helper spring would probably be your best bet if you dont want to pay for spring work. all that stuff can be bought pretty cheaply as most of it is universal.

 

make a flip kit if the axle is currently on top of the spring, this will get you three inches because that is what the axle tubes normally are in thickness and then just put a set of ladder bars on it. new perches to do this are like ten bucks or make them out of square tubing, also if it rides well that will be unaffected since the springs are the same.

 

'38 donk?

 

If I remember correctly, the Trans-Am rear is too wide for the '38 Pontiac, by a couple of inches. How about we hook him up with a rear end that fits?

 

I think it's funny that we're trying to guess what he's trying to do. Why doesn't he just tell us why he wants to lift it?

 

You, and your logic and reason!

Oh wait, that's a good idea.

 

Buy new springs, get some common 3" wide ones off of something else like a half ton pickup or s10 blazer .
You can pick up brackets from places that sell to circle track guys, we used a mopar rear shackle , and a 1" tube cut down and weled in brackets at desired height