Modified shackles.

[Lon]

I'm getting ready to lower my 2000 Astro. I'm broke, and have 2 other project trucks so I dont want to spend a a lot of money on this.

I have come up with a nearly free way of lowering the back. I'm going to flip the axle, using weld on Moroso spring perches then to raise it to a 4" drop I lengthened a set of stock shackles.

I dont have the van dropped yet, I'm waiting until I have all the parts so I can do it after work on Friday to have it in for alignment on Saturday morning. For the front drop I'm going to use Chassis Tech 3" springs. I'm using AIM/Chassis Tech because a lot of guys that I lowered trucks for ask me about Chassis Tech/AIM, so I'm going to test all the claims I have read about on the internet.

On to pics. I'll try to get them on order. Basically I cut apart the shackle, set it in a jig, and welded it back together, with some 1/4" boxed tubing I had laying around.

[doyoulikeithere]

Looks great, I love home fabbed stuff.

Do the Flip-Lowered Astros bottom out on the bump-stops if the frame isn't notched?

Or is that the reason you need longer shackles?

[Lon]

Flipped axles on Astros will nearly touch the subframe. I had a 93 I lowered with a flip and I ended up using C1500 lowering shackles to raise it up. They worked fine but would bump the frame on hard bumps.

Check this link it shows how I dropped my old van. The C1500 shackles dont have the curve at the bottom so they are at a steeper angle.

viewtopic.php?t=3236

[Lon]

I lowered the rear of the van. I did an axle flip with homebuilt axle saddles. I also installed the extended shackles. After one day I put it back stock. A 4" drop on my van was still to low without a c-notch, which I will not do to this van.

So the van will have still have the front lowered with the cut stock springs and no drop in back. I plan on swapping to truck rallye wheels, 8" on back and 7" in front. 275/60 in back and 235 or 245 60 in front.

For axle saddles, I took weld on saddles from Tractor Supply and made tabs to locate the axle, without welding them to the axle tubes. The saddles were $11 and I had the steel to make the tabs.

They look similar to these.

[doyoulikeithere]

I lowered the rear of the van. I did an axle flip with homebuilt axle saddles. I also installed the extended shackles. After one day I put it back stock. A 4" drop on my van was still to low without a c-notch, which I will not do to this van.

So the van will have still have the front lowered with the cut stock springs and no drop in back. I plan on swapping to truck rallye wheels, 8" on back and 7" in front. 275/60 in back and 235 or 245 60 in front.

For axle saddles, I took weld on saddles from Tractor Supply and made tabs to locate the axle, without welding them to the axle tubes. The saddles were $11 and I had the steel to make the tabs.

They look similar to these.

Good to know!!

Many Thanks for the update.

[Lon]

I lowered the rear of the van. I did an axle flip with homebuilt axle saddles. I also installed the extended shackles. After one day I put it back stock. A 4" drop on my van was still to low without a c-notch, which I will not do to this van.

So the van will have still have the front lowered with the cut stock springs and no drop in back. I plan on swapping to truck rallye wheels, 8" on back and 7" in front. 275/60 in back and 235 or 245 60 in front.

For axle saddles, I took weld on saddles from Tractor Supply and made tabs to locate the axle, without welding them to the axle tubes. The saddles were $11 and I had the steel to make the tabs.

They look similar to these.

Good to know!!

Many Thanks for the update.

Side note. I have a folding bed in the back of my van. I think the weight had a lot to do with the difference between this van and the first one I lowered. My 93 only had the middle seat. This van rode so bad with a 4" rear drop that I put it back stock immediately after getting off work.