jamespeek

i re-read your post... the shackles might be your problem, but i don't know for sure. pretty sure it would get better if you bought some 2" hangers and a 1" lift shackle to get you back to 7" total. but i don't know how much better it would get, and if it would solve your problems with traction. and not sure what type of pinion angle you would wind up with etc

jamespeek

it was hard to measure the spindles... they all seemed the same, but they are obviously different, just can't tell til they are on the truck. but, they 4x4 10bolt rear axle def works like a charm! everything bolts up just perfect, and with 5.25" backspacing, they rims fit GREAT! starting the front today, and i get my camera phone today to replace my old blackberry with no camera... so photos are coming

1LowC-body

thanks man, tires are 255/60s and i have the factory rally wheels just painted them black in the middle, (not sure on the spacing). Also on the rear i don't have shackles, its just the flip kit and hangers (they are adjustable 1-2") and i have them on 1" now because the flip kit gives you 6" drop. So basically the way it rides is great because its the factory leaf springs (which i assume is mainly my problem) because the factory springs are made to give a lot to ride on the road, but when you flip the axle over on top of the springs, it doesn't change anything with them just slams the truck, so basically you still get the same travel but you have less distance to travel. I love how the truck rides on the road even though its so low, it rides better than stock believe it or not but i do need to stiffen it up in the rear due to the weight transfer when i take off and my friend said it looks like im almost dragging my rear bumper haha. I'll probably look into some stiffer leaf springs or shocks. Don't think changing the shackle to a lift one and lowering the hangers would help because the springs will still travel the same and it will just change my pinion angle like you said. But i'll deff look into it. Can't wait to see what your truck looks like on them SS wheels.

1LowC-body

actually tire size is 275/60/r16 just walked out and checked it, after i said 255 that didnt sound right so yea there pretty big but are great tires

jamespeek

gotcha. i would bet your rims are 15x8 with 4" backspacing (so 0 offset), so the djm spindles don't push your rims out. if you had belltech spindles, your front tires would not tuck right. i don't understand it, but i have tried the belltech part number 2400 on my truck with the 17x8 torq thrust (with 0 offset; ie 4" backspacing) and it didn't work out, it was far too much to do any fender rolling to solve, you'd have to use 5" backspacing rims to use belltech spindles.

here is a photo of my truck with the 20s. it looks like they don't tuck in the rear, but they do. they look SOO much bigger than the torq thrust 2s.

maybe this photo will work with facebook? don't know... here i go

jamespeek

From the driver side rear. The tires tuck pretty well.

BigRedChvy355

iTrader: (4)

I was wondering this, would it be easier to get the 6 lug axles and have the shortened and resplined? I'm trying to decide if I want to go the 6 lug route with my 91 or just stick with what I got and put 15" Aeros's all the way around.

jamespeek

i don't know. if you go back far enough, you might be able to find some 6 lug axle shafts that might fit your 5 lug rear, but that's just speculation. the distance from outside tire to outside the other tire in the rear of my truck with the 4x4 rear and the SS rims (with 5.25" backspacing) is about 76.5". i think it was about 3" wider than the old axle. so, even with the backspacing of the new rims, the axle still pushes the rear rims out a little, just a tad, about 0.5". plus the tire width is greater than the 17s. i'm not a machinist, so i don't know if you can shorten them very easily without alignment issues. they would have to cut it perfectly, and re-weld it perfectly. i don't know if the local machinist is capable of that...

someone actually hit my rim and bent my axle when i was making a left turn and they were at a stop sign, so i got a check for $600 from their insurance company. i bought the ss rims for $500 and the rearend for $350 i think. i'm "upgrading" from a 3.08 to a 3.73 rearend, and i am getting the larger rims. so, for me, this worked out well, cause i needed a new axle, and wanted bigger rims. i like it when the tires fill up the wheel wells, but i also like the truck being up a little high, so a 3/5 drop on 20s is ideal for me. i might even have to get a 1" spring spacer for the front to make it a 2/4 drop. but, i can still plop right in my truck instead of bending over. i can turn my butt to the seat and just fall right in, i like that .

the front will be dropped another 2", but the larger rim and larger overall tire diameter will raise the truck back another 2", b/c the overall size of the 20s with tires is 31.5 and the 17s overall size is 27.5. so the height should remain the same. ... SHOULD but, so far, all the "engineering" i've done has turned out ok. i have no regrets thus far, but i haven't started the front, it begins today

oh, and they make gmc center caps. i want to replace the chevy ones and get some SS badges to make my own version of what the sierra SS would / should / could have been. a T56 6spd is next, then OBD2 TPI setup. I have all i need for the tpi, and i'm doing that project later in the fall, now i just need the 6spd and the truck adapter for the shifter, mine already has a 5spd getrag in it, so it should be easy.

BigRedChvy355

iTrader: (4)

I done the T56 in my 91. I can pretty much tell you what you have to do start to finish. It is fairly easy, all you have to is cut a hole 11 inches back from your stock shifter from the getrag tranny, move your tranny crossmember back an inch, driveshaft will have to be swaped for you since you have the 5 spd, just get one out of an auto truck, it'll line right up, clutch hydrualics just order a master cylinder from a 92-98 FSC and a slave clyinder from a 93-97 LT1 F-body get these fittings, it makes life so much easier with this swap Russel PN 640821, along with those I bought 10ft of steel braided brake hose Jegs PN 555-110020 and fittings PN 555-101020 and 555-101000. Clutch and brake pedals you already have covered. Flywheel will have to be an LT1 flywheel and you can use a mini high torque starter.

jamespeek

thanks big red! i was wandering about that stuff. sucks about the crossmember though, i was hoping i wouldn't have to mess with it, but at least i can use the stock one, just drill new holes.

here is the finished, well, somewhat finished product of my recent project



side shot, as i you can tell, it's later... at this point i realized i couldn't use the same calipers ... i bought autozone calipers against my best wishes... but, it's ok... they'll probably do just fine...



yes... that's some nasty toe-out



i will go ahead and admit it with shame right now, the center pieces don't fit on the front rims... omg, what a hassle. i can't believe i didn't see it coming. the only thing i think to do would be to have the spindles cut on the ends and then rethreaded a little, then have the rotors machined down some, and don't use the metal hub cover. ??? wtf a little pissed, but HOLY CRAP ... the 3.73 and the 20s are a MEAN combo... the monotube bilstein's in the front, WOW... best shock ever... no scrubbing, sits JUST RIGHT... looks nice... i might try to raise the rear a tad, but i'll wait and see what bilsteins in the rear and a slight change in the pinion angle accomplishes.

and yes, that is the jack that fits behind the seat over there next to the jackstand... i'm that dedicated to doing this somewhat on the cheap