Read the thread about removing rear spacer blocks to lower the rear of the bed for 5th wheel towing. (Don't have the truck yet, will be 3500 DRW 4X4), but took a look underneath and thought I might be able to remove the rear shackles and rebolt the springs inside of the brackets. But after reading all the posts about removing the spacers, I looked at my truck (98 Ram) and the springs are too wide to fit in the shackle brackets. Is this the case with the 05 3500 DRW 4X4? Has anyone tried this? Could it/would it work? I'm wearing myself out before I even get my truck!

 

Are you asking if you can just eliminate the shackle? If so, then NO. You need the shackle in a leaf sprung suspension. it allows fore and aft movement of the main spring as the suspension cycles. When a leaf compresses out of arch, it lengthens. vice versa when it arches. As far as a shorther shackle, that probablly wouldnt be a good idea for the reasons above as the factory would put in only what was neccesary. However a longer shackle properly reinforced is ok but that is a whole other can of worms. Its easier to take the block out for dropping down a little in a spring over axle setup.

 

Ramtough,

Thanks for the reply. Never took that into consideration. Just looking for a little more drop.

Thanks again-

 

im sure you can get a drop shackle, they have them for other trucks...

 

One advantage of moving the spacer blocks is that you don't have to buy anything. It's just moving parts around. Some people have opted to replace the spring bolts just for ease of installation. I didn't. Had a bit of a hard time with one, but got the job done. Drops the rear 1 1/2" measured at the dropped tailgate.

Ramtough is right about NOT eliminating the rear shackles. You COULD do it (perhaps), but you'd end with with a solid rear suspension.

 

would be a good idea to get 4x 4.5"x1/2" cap screws and nyloc nuts for them. my stock bolts were destroyed in the process of taking them apart. what idoit engineer designed them round head bolt???

 

Round head bolts are the standard for spring center bolts because they usually fit into a specific size hole to align the axle In this case hex heads work but just barely. Vice grips are the normal way to hold the round head and they work fine.

Wetspirit

 

in our application, the hole in the axle spring perch is about 1.25"^2. the round head works, but when you use crush type lock nuts at least with nyloc's you can torch the nut to melt the nylon to loosen it off...