Square body GM owners, especially Suburban owners, please step inside

[hidesertwheelin]

I'm getting ready to install my lift and am torn between a shackle flip and springs. For those that have installed a shackle flip, how has the rear suspension reacted when you really loaded down you vehicle for a trip, or pull a trailer off-road? My worry is after I hang my bumper w/ dual swing tire and fuel can carrier, drawer/sleeping platform, 40 gals of fuel in the tank, and hopefully a 10K or 12k winch attached to the rear bumper, plus all my other gear that it may be to much. I'm looking at either installing 6" lift springs or using my factory 1/2 ton springs w/ shackle flip and a zero rate. What has everyone's experience been?

Edit: I have the 6" springs already if it matters.

 

[cyclic]

I'd do shackle flip first. Then run it for a bit. Load it up and see if you want a zero rate or a helper spring due to load. But start with a shackle flip.

My 88 with a 2.5 flip, but before any bumpers or load........................

The TNA 2.5 flip installed...............

 

[Dratwagon]

If I'm not mistaken 1/2 tons came with 52" springs, so if you do the shackle flip you can get 56" sprin4gs, the holes are there for both, as seen in cyclic's photos.

cyclic, are those 52s.

 

[hidesertwheelin]

If I'm not mistaken 1/2 tons came with 52" springs, so if you do the shackle flip you can get 56" sprin4gs, the holes are there for both, as seen in cyclic's photos.

cyclic, are those 52s.

Both my 1/2 ton Suburbans I have owned had 56" rear springs.

 

[Dratwagon]

Then I would go with the flip. You can always get some leafs from a 3/4 ton with a tow package 2wd or 4wd.

 

[Larry]

Go with the flip first, but you're going to need to go back to stock springs or at least shorter springs so you don't end up with a 9" lift. The flip actually helps with rear axle articulation and the ride quality improvement is very noticeable. The only downside to doing a flip on a Suburban or K5 Blazer is the fact you must drop the fuel tank in order to install them.

52” springs are short wheel base springs while 56” are long wheel base so with that, a Burb would have 56” while K5 Blazer and SWB K10 would be 52”.

Here is my Burb after the 4” ORD flip kit install with factory ¾ ton springs. Link HERE to the swap.

This one is the same shackle flip on my K10 with swapped in 56” rear springs that I’ve added a few leaves to but with the ORD HD rear long shackles. This combo definitely requires a zero rate block to relocate the axle 1” forward. I would not recommend mixing the 4” flip with the long shackles for something light but it works great on my heavy K10. She flexes like mad and rides like a Cadillac!

The truck will hit the roof long before the tires come off the ground. Rides and flexes great!

She’s flexy!

 

[Bojak]

Not to derail or hijack, but Larry do you have a high steer kit or disconnect with your set up? Just curious after seeing the flexibility pic.

 

[Larry]

Not to derail or hijack, but Larry do you have a high steer kit or disconnect with your set up? Just curious after seeing the flexibility pic.

Both the K10 and Suburban have ORD sway bar disconnects and longer HD front shackles but I never disconnect the sway bar as they are too much of a hassle to reconnect later. A guy must literally have the truck on perfectly level ground then use a big hammer to beat the disconnect pins back in. Not worth messing with on the trail. I learned that the first time yanked them out. The biggest advantage of the sway bar disconnect kit is it corrects the angles of the sway bar after installing a lift kit. I swear it also makes the front suspension ride better as it allows the bar to pivot with suspension travel rather than just jamb up and down.

Nope, no crossover steering on either truck and have no plans to. I share the same feeling with crossover steering as I do with rear disk swaps. Costly swaps that yield nothing but problems especially for long distance travel rigs. Sure, high steer crossover is perfect for a full-on rock crawler but for the rest of us that use the rigs for back country travel, it does nothing but give you bump steer. ORD will tell you the same thing. That is nature of the beast with crossover and I don’t want bump steer. I like the Cadillac ride and handling.

This pic shows how the sway bar disconnect on the K10 helps correct the sway bar angles on a lifted truck.

 

[cyclic]

I did mine without dropping the tank at all. First get it in the air (duh), then remove the factory ones with what ever method you choose. The TNA brackets use inner nut plates, I first held it up to the bottom of the frame and used my other hand to place the bottom plate and start the two bottom bolts. That will hold it up for now, then lightly tape a side plate to a steel yard stick. Put in the forward most bolt lightly, then the rear bolt for the same plate. Then the bottom plate the same way. The plates will hold themselves, so no real access to the frame inside is needed. I was able to do the complete rear flip in 3 hours by myself. I did use a plasma cutter to remove the factory rivets, but what ever method you have will work. Hardest part of the ENTIRE lift was the front spring shackle bolts had to be cut out due to hitting the exhaust.

I don't intend to do heavy off-roading so I went with the Zone sway bar links. Similar to the ORD ones, just not quick disconnect. The links make a huge improvement in street manners and actually help articulation over the stock set-up.
These are my Hummer H3 4 piston brakes with slip over rotors (easy conversion for 6 lug fronts), you can clearly see the Zone Offroad links in it.

Steering correction is another big thing you WANT to do. Match it to what ever lift your doing. 2.5 use a pitman arm, 4 inch you'll want the axle side steering arm, your trying to get the link parallel with the spring to limit bump steer.
I'm a HUGE fan of limited lift and opening fenders for large tires. A low CG and entry height make for a much more usable truck.