[49dream]

I have a 49 chevy pickup with the leaf springs under the axle.
It has 3 inch lower blocks on it. The person that had it before me
cob nob about everything. I'm taking a few leafs out to soften
the ride. I made shorter shackle's to help lower the truck.
My question: the axle is not on center of the leaf springs. The lowering
blocks are behind (towards the rear) of the bolt that goes up
through the leaf springs. The axle is in the middle of my fenders so I don't' want to move the axle. Does this matter or do I need to move the entire
springs back so that there center long ways on the springs

Marcus

[studeman]

You should be fine. I set mine up a similar way. As long as the bolt head is in the divot of the lowering block you should be fine. The rear wheel is usually forward in the opening and offsetting the hole in the block is a way to correct it.

[willys36@aol.com]

Not a problem. Be sure to take out the shortest leaves to soften the ride, not long ones. You have to offset the axle center when installing an open drive line. Those trucks came from the factory with torque tubes and the links the factory used to attach it to the spring offset the axle fro spring center. You must do the same thing with a solid mounted replacement open axle to center the wheels in the fenders. Just make sure the new spring mounting pads you weld on the axle housing extend forward so they have a hole that covers the spring center bolt which anchors the axle in place.

Here is the block I made for my '53 which is the same as your truck. Needs to have the height, again to compensate for the tall linkage on the closed drive line axle it is replacing. This tall block got my truck to stock ride height. To get a lowered stance you need to go even taller, play with shackle length, etc.

[pasadenahotrod]

Links? What the....?

[49dream]

Thanks willy

I was told that if you move the new style axle back 1.5 inches from the center of the leafs it would be center of the your rear fenders??

[willys36@aol.com]

Don't remember the measurement but that sounds about right. The bolt head is off center but still well under my riser blocks so 1 1/2" is probably right on.