Calling all Suburban Owners new and old. load carrying info needed.

[PMA4x4]

I am looking at doing a small lift on my 91 suburban and I am stuck between leaving the tension shackle and just getting taller springs or switching to a compression shackle. The benefits of the tension (factory style) shackle is it is suppose to allow you to load up with out it sagging.

What I want to know form you is...

What type of suspension are you running in the rear. ie blocks, tension or compression(shackle flip)
Have you had or have sag issues in the rear?
how much extra weight is in your burban.
general thoughts


Thanks

 

[bftank]

sag has nothing to do with shackle position, and everything to with the strength of your springs. 1/2t springs sag when the suburban is empty. i would go to a 3/4t spring ( a 63" would ride the best, but require moving spring mounts).

regarding lifting, a lift spring will be a little stiffer than stock. a shackle flip will keep the stock ride but can do goofy things to the pinion angle of the dangle.

i currently have a skys offroad design 4" shackle flip on my 89 burb with a 6"offroad design shackle. my half ton springs go into a reverse arch with any weight on them. if i remember it rides really smooth though. its been a couple of years since it was on the road.

 

[PMA4x4]

I understand sag has nothing to do with shackle position alone but with a compression shackle the spring decreases in spring rate where as tension shackle the spring rate is infinite to the point of damage. This is why a lot of the trucks expected to tow or carry a lot of capacity use the tension shackle.

I have the 56" springs in mine stock. I am going to check into these 63s though. A longer leaf does offer a better ride.

For me it sounds like I want to stay with a tension shackle. I am not worried about extreme articulation, what it does factory is good enough.

 

[bftank]

the 63" springs are found in chevy's from '89 and up.

not sure that i follow your logic on the compression vs. tension, but to each his own. shackle angle and length can affect ride as well.


how much are you looking to spend? if you don't have a tight budget, give deaver or national spring a call to have them build you a lift spring with great ride and load carrying potential.

 

[bfdiesel]

Mine has a 2.5 inch block in the rear for now. I carry any where from 300-500 lbs of things(chains, tools, air compressor, spare tire, jack, oil, ext.) in the back most the time. I have also tugged a trailer around weighing about 2-3 tons loaded and maybe 800-1200 lbs tongue weight and haven't noticed much if in any sag. I have a 3/4 ton with I think 10 but may be 8 leafs in the rear. I don't see how the shackle is going to change the spring rate unless it is the style the early 70's fords used where the shackle looked like a seesaw that the spring passed through and then attached to the other side so as it was loaded and the spring started to set on the passed through portion of the shackle decreasing spring length to increase load carrying and stiffen the ride.

The springs will not change their rate in your burb if you flip the shackle. What will limit you is if you go cheap on the hanger for the flip as it will need to be stouter than the stock one do to more leverage being put on it. Most the kits I have seen look stout enough to not be the new weak link.

Lift springs will decrease the smoothness of your ride which may not be a bad thing. If you are looking at like a 2 inch lift spring it won't take long for it to sag back down from what I have heard.

The blocks I have work okay for now, but if I ever get a shop I will drop my tank and flip the rear shackle.