M1008 Lift Kits - Seek advice on size ( 2,4,6 inch) & type: block or reverse shackle

M1008 Lift Kits - Seek advice on size ( 2,4,6 inch) & type: block or reverse shackle

Hi, Thinking of retrofitting my M1008 with a suspension lift kit so that I can install Goodyear Wrangler 37 X 12.50 M + S tires ( came off a Humvee) and not have to do any modifcations to the fenders. I have run into a couple of different schools of thought regarding the rear lift - one is that no block larger than 2" is desirable since this will subject the vehicle to rear axle wrap - this kit uses a reverse shackle set up - the other school of thought is that a rear block up to 6 " thick is fine - and you will not have to worry about axle wrap. Just wondering if anyone has tackled this type of project and what method you used for the rear lift as well as what size lift you think is needed in order to mount the Humvee tire and not have to do any fender or bed modifications. Thanks in advance for your advice. Lastly any recommendations on good places to go to talk to knowledgeable folks about this is always a bonus - thanks agin.

Axle wrap from blocks has always been an issue. Not as much on a 1 ton with heavy springs. Either way has been done in the past with great success. What are the tasks your truck will primarily be used for? This dictates alot of how you should go. Shackle flips seem simple and effective and on the surface, they are. I would not do one unless it was minimal in lift, I used a zero rate to relocate the axle back into the center of the wheel well and rewelded the perches to fix the mismatch of angles on the driveline. Many will disagree with me and that's fine but I really value correct driveline angles and that is where my thoughts come in on this. A combination of a short shackle flip and a smaller block would be a good compromise.

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Thanks for your reply. The truck will be used on a farm that has some steep hills and lots of mud and rock ( eastern panhandle of WV) - probably to haul firewood and other equipmnet around - it will pull an M101 trailer as needed and also run on the roads in about a 35 mile radius around the farm - WV allows registration as a farm vehicle with this restriction. I had one question - what size do you recommend for the overall lift so that no body moficiation is necessary? - thanks again
Fred

Recovry4x4 said:

Axle wrap from blocks has always been an issue. Not as much on a 1 ton with heavy springs. Either way has been done in the past with great success. What are the tasks your truck will primarily be used for? This dictates alot of how you should go. Shackle flips seem simple and effective and on the surface, they are. I would not do one unless it was minimal in lift, I used a zero rate to relocate the axle back into the center of the wheel well and rewelded the perches to fix the mismatch of angles on the driveline. Many will disagree with me and that's fine but I really value correct driveline angles and that is where my thoughts come in on this. A combination of a short shackle flip and a smaller block would be a good compromise.

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Can't be done without trimming. The lift will only determine how much the fender needs to be cut. You could put an 8" lift and still need to nip the corners. Square fenders do not play well wide offset tires.

If you want to minimize cutting, the zero rate really helps. That way the front half of the fender only needs to be trimmed below the turn signal.

I put an ORD 4" shackle flip , new Tough Country leafs in front and 37 " surplus radials on my 1028 and still had to trim the front fenders slightly to prevent rub on deep ruts. No big deal and you barely notice .

Thanks very much for the info - what size lift would you use then?

fredster67a said:

Thanks very much for the info - what size lift would you use then?

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I run a 5 inch lift with 4 inch shackle flip and zero rates in the rear and in the front 4 inch rancho springs and zero rates.

Installing new leaf spring bushings brought mine up an inch. Rearched and added springs gave 4" more for a total of 5"
Popped on Hummer wheels and 37" tires. Needed a little trimming on the fenders.

I agree with Skinny. If you are going to run HMMWV wheels and tires, you will have to trim your fenders regardless of how much lift. The reason for this is due to the articulation that occurs when crossing a ditch at an angle. But what's wrong with fender trimming? It's easy to do. For the rear of the front fender openings, I used a string and magic marker to pull a radius mark off the hub center, then used a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade to cut the mark. I hand-filed all edges smooth, sprayed all raw edges with Etch-Prep, primed, and painted. I then used a tube of flexible body filler to fill the void between the body panels. After this set up, I spray painted the area again. For the front of the fender openings, I simply cut the entire bottom of the fender off and threw it away and used the same paint-fill-paint procedure. It's so easy a Cave Man can do it.

Regarding how much lift, if you go more than 3-4 inches, you will need longer driveshafts, brake lines, shocks, and steering parts. One issue you will run into if you use the shackle flip on the rear is you will have to relocate the shock mounts on the rear axle because the shock on the passenger side will not pivot up enough to attach to the frame mount.

Based on your stated intended use of your truck, my recommendation is to research the market and purchase a 3-4 inch lift kit which achieves the lift by springs only, and then cut-fill-paint the front fenders for tire clearance. This will be the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to go. Ask me how I know.

Hope this helps.

The least amount to go is 6 inch. As sharecropper stated even with that much there is a chance of a little rubbing! Ihave used a shackle flip with a block to keep the block size down and the cost as well.

Sweet, very nice. How is it in the mud?

Sharecropper said:

I

One issue you will run into if you use the shackle flip on the rear is you will have to relocate the shock mounts on the rear axle because the shock on the passenger side will not pivot up enough to attach to the frame mount.

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I did not have this problem and I have never heard of it before.

Sharecropper said:

... One issue you will run into if you use the shackle flip on the rear is you will have to relocate the shock mounts on the rear axle because the shock on the passenger side will not pivot up enough to attach to the frame mount....

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I have never heard of this either.
I know two others who have put shackle flips on a K30 and a M1008 without this problem.
Maybe if you were trying to still use the original shocks, that may be a problem.

Sharecropper is correct. I had to relocate the right rear shock mount on my shackle flip. Easy fix- cut, lower and re weld to axle housing.

Can we see pics of this? I have never heard or seen this issue before, I run longer shocks than what my lift calls for though.

After I installed the shackle flip kit on the rear of my M1028, the passenger side shock would not bolt-up at the top and bottom at the same time. The shackle flip, by design, provides 4 inches of lift by lowering the rear spring bushing 8 inches. The front spring bushing remains in the same position. So in effect, the rear axle is rotated by several degrees. While this rotation helps with the U-joint angle, it also causes the passenger-side shock bracket on the axle to be rotated under the axle to the point that the axle housing is in the way of the shock tube. It was at this point I decided to relocate both shock brackets upwards on the axle so that there would be nothing hanging down below the axle to catch on rocks and other trail obstacles. So I drove the truck to my friendly truck frame shop and had them cut off and re-weld the brackets higher on the axle tube. While I was at it, I also ordered a rear U-bolt flip kit from ORB to remove everything hanging down.

Hope this helps.

With my lift using a shackle flip, had to move shock mount also.

Im running 6 to 8 inch lift shocks so that might be why i did not have an issue, Interesting learn something new everyday.

I did use 6 inch lift shocks and if you put the body down and not flip with the rod down the shocks do rub on axle tube so had to move shock mount on my m1008.

I don't like to turn the shocks "upside down" with the compression rod downward. This arrangement only increases the potential damage to the rod from road hazards, road salt, etc. And besides, by relocating the shock brackets on the axle tube to resolve the issue, you eliminate the brackets from hanging down below the axle tube where they can grab rocks and other trail obstacles. Looking back, if I had to do it over again, I would still relocate the brackets regardless in order to gain ground clearance.

Hope this helps.