Jump to content

Velvet Ride Shackles


dcairns

Recommended Posts

*The "AAAAAAAAAAAAA test" - Attempting to sing a constant note on a bouncy road. If the road is bouncy enough, the constant note becomes a UUHUUHUUHUUHUUH instead of an constant AAAAAAAAAAAA. And, no, you don't want to hear me singing  . 

 

 

LMAO :D:thumbs:

 

So the velvet ride is so velvety that it even smoothes out the horrible I-5 freeway?? Hmmmm, I just may have to check these out, thanks … :pop:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 58
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Velvet Ride Install Details:

 

What you will need:

 

A socket and box end wrench of the size of the bolt that holds the existing shackle in place (same size as the trailer hitch bolts too). I had to go buy a socket and box wrench since the size was larger than I had in my set. It may be a metric size, but the 13/16 size I got seemed to work ok.

 

You will need some sort of jack and stand (for safety). I have a hydraulic floor jack that allowed the fairly high lift needed to unload the spring.

 

Trailer Hitch-

If you have the trailer hitch, you need to remove it so you can get the top shackle bolt out. Remember to get the trailer plug out of the hitch before you start doing the bolts. Otherwise you end up with the hitch hanging from the wire harness. There are two clips that hold the wire bundle to the hitch, as well. They open up by pushing sideways in opposite directions, to separate the loop (kind of hard to explain, but you should be able to figure it out :) ). Then loossen the 8 bolts that hold the hitch in place. Leave a couple of key bolt till the end. I then loosened one side and supported it with my floor jack, while I did the last bolt on the other side. Once all the bolts are gone, I just lowered down and out of the way.

 

Lower Shackle Bolt

Jack up one side of the rear of the truck, from the frame, till the tire is almost off the ground. Add a jack stand for safety, incase something slips. Remove the nuts off the shackle bolts. Adjust the jack height so the bolt end (the outboard or nut side) is centered in the hole. On one side, I was able to just pull the bolts out, on the other, I hand to use the wrench the whole way. If they don’t want to come out easy, then tap the bolt through as far as you can with a hammer, and then wrench it the rest of the way. Now you should have the lower bolt out.

 

Upper Shackle Bolt

Now carefully lower the truck back down till the upper shackle bolt is free to slide out above the frame. Support the truck with a jack stand. It may need the hammer and wrench technique or may slide out. Be very careful here as you can lower the truck too far and push the spring into the bottom of the bed and possibly dent the bed. Yes I did hit the bottom of the bed once, but fortunately did not dent anything :D.

 

Install the new Shackle

Do the top bolt first, since you are already at the proper jack position. Then jack the truck back up and try to align the lower bolt holes and install the bolt.

 

If it is a hot day, the ground under the rear of your truck will now be soaked!!!! :sick:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Velvet Ride Install Details:

 

What you will need:

 

A socket and box end wrench of the size of the bolt that holds the existing shackle in place (same size as the trailer hitch bolts too). I had to go buy a socket and box wrench since the size ............ under the rear of your truck will now be soaked!!!! :sick:

 

Great walkthrough. I put drop shackles on my 03 LS that I traded in for my SS. Took my SS into the dealer for dent removal (bought it with a tiny alomst invisible dent) and saw my old LS. Still dropped in the rear. Best looking LS on the used car lot! Next time buy an air compressor and an impact wrench... makes it so much easier! Now the important question:

 

Did you ever get the sway bar on? Tell me ALL about it please! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you ever get the sway bar on?  Tell me ALL about it please!  :D

Still backed up on my projects...

Just put in a new gauge for measuring the intercooler water temp.

Half way through the installation of the heat exchanger

 

Next up is the rear anti-sway bar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still backed up on my projects...

Where does waxing fall in that list, brother Dave? :D

Oh, yeah, waxing too....

 

I actually looked at the wax department at Pep Boys yesterday, does that count?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually looked at the wax department at Pep Boys yesterday, does that count?

Looking and being "close" only count in horseshoes, big guy. Nice try, though. :P

 

Think of all that gas$$ you could be saving Dave if you were "Zainoed"!

See, a smart man there. He's right, ya know. Better listen to him, dcairns. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone tried Bilsteins? :confused: I replaced an '01 Lightning with the SS. I have to say the Lightning did not exibit the bounce. If I can relieve the bounce and add a sway bar I'll be completely happy with the switch. Well, maybe that supercharger :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...