Great mod, well worth the time and money. I went with a 2" drop in the rear and it looks great. I'll post updated pictures tomorrow morning. I will admit though that a 3" drop would have been even better but I was to impatient to wait for delivery.

I read the instructions posted here as well as those that came with the Westin Shackles. Rather than jack up the axle and put it on jack stands I just jacked up the truck from the trailer hitch. The reason I did this is because my jack has a limited ability to go very high and I was concerned that once I had the axle on stands I would not be able to reach the hitch.

Had both of the old shackles off in about 5 minutes and replaced with the longer ones all in about 15 minutes.

Thanks for everyones help, I'm convinced that the search feature on this site really does work!

Without reading those posts I would have never attempted something like this on a truck with 100 miles on it.

On the way home from New Orleans tonight I also ran across a LS1 on the Interstate. He wanted to play so I finally gave in. Fast car, looks good, but I think he was surprised by the Lightning.

Thanks Again Everyone!

 

hey spyder did it change the ride at all

 

Now level out that sway bar...

 

Nothing that I have noticed yet. I only had 110 miles on it when I installed them and have put another 150 since. I do know that I feel much better driving it now that it's **** isn't sticking up in the air.

I don't know if I will notice any difference, but I did this more for cosmetics than ride.

Thanks,

 

Any links or websites I can start with?

Thanks

 

level out the sway bar


what do you mean?

will that help the front from wanting to roll over?

 

The simplest way to do it...

Determine EXACTLY how far you dropped the rear end with the shackles via measurement. If you neglected to measure the wheel opening BEFORE you turned a wrench, then you're pretty well screwed. Take the average of the two sides, as the drop probably isn't even from side to side.

If you have to make a guess, a typical 2-inch shackle (I used the BelTech items) will give you between 1.25 and 1.5 inches of actual drop.

Unbolt the endlinks (dog bones) from both ends of the sway bar. One end bolts to the end of the sway bar and the other end directly to the frame.

Anyway, measure upward from the centerline of the frame mounting hole and make a mark corresponding to the exact amount of drop you got.

Drill a big-azzed hole in the frame (big enough for the sway bar end link mounting bolt to fit through). The hole will be directly above the stock one, the distance being exactly equal to the amount of drop from the shackles.

Make sure you get the hole location EXACT on both sides.

Also, be careful when drilling the driver's side, as there is a bundle of wires and other stuff inside the frame channel near where you're drilling.

Re-mount the sway bar end links in the new holes you drilled, and bolt up the sway bar to the other end. The sway bar will be perfectly level again (or at least as level as it was before the swap).

Don't try to do one side at a time or you'll find your azz twisting on that big fat bar like a mother to get the first end link to line up (don't ask).

To answer your next question, I have NO IDEA why folks waste the time shortening (cutting and welding) the endlinks for this application, or wasting a pile of money on adjustable ones.

The last step is to mail me a bottle of Basil Hayden's as a thank-you gesture for saving you a bunch of time, aggravation, and money, as well as returning your sway bar to its proper functional position.

 

Look - when you drop the rear end, the sway bar is naturally rotated in its bushings in a "downward" direction. This is because the ends are bolted to the frame and the "center" bolted to the axle. The bar is supposed to be "flat" with the suspension in a "neutral" position.

With the sway bar rotated out of the proper position, you alter its function. If you were able to drop the azz-end far enough to rotate the bar to a true "vertical" position, you would lock the rear suspension up solid, at least until the bar snapped.

 

The sway bar (or "anti-roll bar") is essentially a torsional spring that resists body roll. When the body tries to roll out of the plane of the axle, the bar is twisted.

Look under the rear end of the truck. Both ends of the bar are bolted directly to the frame. It's connected to the axle by bushings that allow it to rotate. When the body rolls relative to the axle, one end of the bar is pulled upward and the other pushed downward. For the body to actually roll, that thick-azzed bar has to actually be twisted.

When the axle moves up and down parallel to the body (normal suspension articulation with no roll), the bar simply rotates in the bushings. It really only exerts any force when the body rolls.

The stiffness of the bar is a function of its position relative to vertical. Torque (twisting force) is equal to (force times lever arm). At the extreme, with the bar "vertical", you would generate no twisting force on the bar at all when the body rolls - only a bending moment. This would be bad.

Don't forget that Basil Hayden's.

 

You had a chance to tackle this one yet?

 

doing the sway bar mod, it is suggested or more less required?

I might be dropping my truck soon, so I'm just curious. Is it bad to drive the truck without doing the mod? or is it one of those things, that you REALLY need to do after dropping the truck?

 

'Guard:

The sway bar work described is not a MOD, per se, rather it's an ADJUSTMENT to fix something that you screwed up as a consequence of another mod.

It's most certainly not ESSENTIAL, as your axle won't fall off or your gas tank burst into flames if you ignore it.

However, why in the world would you NOT re-set the proper sway bar geometry? It's easier and quicker than the drop shackle install, has a beneficial effect on the handling of your vehicle, and is simply the proper thing to do (conjures up images of Wilfred Brimley and a bowl of oatmeal).

Were the previous posts not convincing enough relative to the benefit and ease of the adjustment?

One thing I forgot to mention - the driver's side shock will be in the way, so you need to unbolt it (at least at the bottom) and twist it out of the way. Other than that, a no-brainer, at no cost.