bftank
Explorer
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.
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.
