So I installed the blocks (4" beefy taco) on my truck that I got from dgrfan55 this week and I have a few questions. First I installed them with the angle facing forward (high side front). Is that the right way or should the angle face down (high rear). I have a couple of pics showing how it looks. I have the middle leaf removed also.
Small end goes toward the front of the truck. This is especially important if they're ones with offset pin and hole. Offset pin and hole is made to pull the axle back 1/2" since lowering pushes the drive shaft inward, so by installing them backward you'll push the shaft even further inward. They may not have OSP (offsetpins) since he may have bought them back before I started doing this on all my 4" blocks, (and smaller blocks being used with leaf drop) so definitely turn them around so the small end is toward the front of the truck. Having them in backward like you do is pushing the rear of the drive shaft upward and making it contact the cross member under the cab easier. You should be ok once you turn them around. They come with a sticker that says "This side forward" when they're new.
dont worry about it. I figured since the blocks on my suburban go one way to lift it, that they would angle the go the opposite.
Thanks, tomorrow is the big day. Once I flip the blocks and fill the fluids I will be starting it for the first time. Hopefully I put it all back together correctly.
well I went to flip the blocks around and it looked like it would move the axle to far forward, plus the offset on my wheels are too deep so the driver wheel hit the lower leaf spring bracket. so I put my 3" blocks back on. oh well.
Why did turning the block around push the shaft in? My 4" blocks won't push the shaft in, if anything they'll pull it back a bit, but I have a feeling the ones you have are earlier ones that should have the pin and hole right in the center so I can't see it how the shaft would push in enough to be a problem. When you say your wheel is hitting the lower leaf bracket, do you mean the the u-bolt plate that the shock bolts to? My 9" wheel is about 1" from mine. I can see how dropping block size here would cure the rubbing, that's a bummer. Those plates may be able to be clearanced with a grinder and then fixed with a welder, but I'd have to take a closer look... heeeyyyy...that cross member notch looks exactly like a Streetacos crossmember bridge....what a great idea.
Not sure why it did it but Im not worried about it at the moment. I wanted to get the truck back on the road (it sat for 4 months) so when I have a little extra time to mess with it I will see what the deal was. Plus I might also hold off untill i can notch it so I can have the extra clearance. Yeah that's where it was, I think my wheels are a +50 offset, and I thought about clearancing the plates, but Im also looking at different wheels where the offset is different and should fix that problem.
Here's some more info about my OSP (offset pins) blocks made for lowering, not lifting... I locate the hole 1/4" forward from center, (on bottom of the block) and I locate the pin 1/4" back from center, (on top of the block) and the block installs with the small end (when tapered) forward. This direction will pull the axle back 1/2" and the reason is when you get to or beyond 4" drop in back or use drop leafs (flatter and not as curved) the driveshaft pushes inward a bit. Lift a truck it pulls out, lower a truck it pushes in. On the street style OSP blocks made for lowering, it's very imoprtant the installer installs them with the small end forward otherwise, they WILL push the driveshaft inward. They are made to avoid the shaft being too far inward and pull it back, but if installed with the tall end forward, they will do the opposite of what you're trying to achieve and push it it inward. For 4x4 trucks with rear lifts, I do the opposite, since the trucks are usually spring over axle I locate the hole 1/4" back from center (on top of the block) and the pin 1/4" forward from center (on bottom of the block) and this will push the driveshaft inward 1/2" to get the shaft back in where it should be. The reason I split the difference between the hole and pin, and not just keep the hole centered but pull the pin back 1/2" (or forward on a spring over lift block) is to keep the axle pad riding in the middle of the block compared to it riding toward the rear or forward end of the block. Streetaco's blocks are longer than other aftermarket blocks which makes them more stable and safer than all other blocks commonly found in the aftermarket. Especially a short, tall 4" block. Compare a Streetacos block to a DJM block sometime and you'll see what I mean. I hope this helped clear up the use of OSP blocks for lowered and lifted trucks.
