Whoop-Eater Rear Suspension, Wrap Up -Squarebody Summer Hangover 08- Rev5 Suspension

This project has been a lot of fun to build, document, and share with y'all. Aside from the payoff, this is the last segment of the official Squarebody Summer series, focusing on the Offroad Design Rev5 suspension upgrades for the suburban. This one is all about long travel rear leaf packs, and how you can get massive travel, a really good ride, and still use your truck like a truck - runs to the hardware store, camping, and all those truck things.
Settle in for some old style baja leaf spring action.
David
Support those who support this project:
Offroad Design - the definitive source for squarebody offroad gear:
www.offroaddesign.com/willome...
Powerstop Brakes - the exact rotors, calipers, and pads on my truck:
www.amazon.com/ideas/amzn1.ac...
Vibrant Performance:
vibrantperformance.com/
PN 12185 is the ultra tight 3" aluminum 90
Baja Designs:
www.bajadesigns.com/
Essential swag:
willomet-motor-fab.myshopify....
The full Willomet shop of tested and approved gear:
www.amazon.com/shop/willomet_...
Keep up between episodes:
/ willomet_motor_and_fab
Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound and Artlist. In order of
play:
Hold On, by Ottom
High Rollin, by Stefano Mastronardi
Swinging in the Barn by James Paul Mitchell
Ruby Blues by Cunningham Manor
Amazon Store:
This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!

[@woffordsoverlandjourneys8618]

That's freaking awesome dude! Wish I could get in my Chevy Express I will drive like that

[@jimmyfavereau]

what a find! my kinda jam.. good music too : )

[@WillometMotorFab]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@truspirit1925]

I agree...I use my burb for camping ...hunting....and basically everyday drive. A full mattress fits nice in the back with rear seat down....my favorite vehicle I've ever owned...

[@PaulKaiser42]

I have been a bit out of the ig loop so seeing this today was an awesome surprise 👍🏻👍🏻. It looks so good 👊🏻

[@WillometMotorFab]

Thanks, Paul. I' m glad you caught it here.

[@mattwood9981]

Hell yeah!! I can't wait to see this on the trail to see how well it performs! I'm in the process of a solid axle swap on a 2000 3/4 ton chevy with Alcan springs and ORD solid axle swap kit. Such great products!! Love all the content

[@WillometMotorFab]

Right on! They've got the right stuff, for sure. Good parts, and even better folks.

[@k5hoss]

Great work! I have similar set up but plan to do that shackle & shock setup. Looks great!

[@WillometMotorFab]

You’ll love the results

[@bugsphotos]

Love the videos keep it up always like at home buildes quality videos 👍

[@WillometMotorFab]

Thank you!

[@longnlow0915]

Just came across your video. Wow super cool build !!

[@WillometMotorFab]

Thanks, and welcome!

[@truspirit1925]

That's a beauty man...

[@cgscprspecialist3937]

Awesome build exactly what I am trying to do family, camping hardware store daily driver

[@WillometMotorFab]

Go for it!

[@theautoanswerman8063]

Such a bad ass set up

[@WillometMotorFab]

It works so well. Old school leaf springs get it done.

[@theflyfishingnomad9641]

Luv the square body, the videos, really luv the music and I think my dog has a crush on Harriet. I drove a 78 Suburban for 24 years but never built it up, ultimately it gave it's life to save mine in a crash. I just bought an 89 and it will get built up as going off road is now part of my life and retirement, mainly to access remote out of the way fly fishing areas, and to just get the hell away from people. Your videos are giving me a lot to think about.

[@WillometMotorFab]

It sounds like your square served you well, keeping you safe and breathing. Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you're here.

[@adambatchelder4121]

Very cool ive done almost the same thing with long custom national springs on a chevy truck.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Nice! It’s hard to overestimate the performance value of a custom leaf.

[@affordabledcgenerators1607]

Thank you for the videos. I worked a full day at my job, wrenched this evening on my square nose Suburban, then sit down for dinner to watch someone else work on their square nose Suburban 😎

[@WillometMotorFab]

You’ve got the fill osmosis going on! Glad you’re digging the videos.

[@chrispartaka9164]

Killer Burb! Consider me subscribed. This helps me so much with my K5 build. Great content sir!

[@WillometMotorFab]

Welcome to the party!

[@bowsertownes]

I like the truck, I definitely enjoy the leaf spring content. Doin a 63 conversion in my m1008.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Custom leaf packs are where it’s at!

[@matthewc3617]

That is awesome. I debated back and forth whether to go leafs or links and I probably would have went with this same setup had I seen your video in time!

[@WillometMotorFab]

You can't lose either way. Custom tuned for your rig is always a winner.

[@matt_takata]

Just got me a set of deavers for my raptor and new shackles. Can’t wait to test and feel the difference. Now after seeing this video I wanna build my custom bump stop kit

[@WillometMotorFab]

Do it! You won't look back.

[@johngeary8534]

Did you think about floating both ends of the springs with bars?

[@zoomad75]

Wicked awesome video for the rear suspension. Should be cool to see some GoPro footage of it bombing down some desert two tracks hauling the mail.

[@WillometMotorFab]

It’ll be fun to compare the Rev4 and Rev5 movements. I’m curious to see them all side by side.

[@b.s.adventures9421]

I have an 86 C20 burb. Love this info and build. I’d like to set up a nice simple “budget” longer travel suspension. I’d like to graft on a Dana 44 TTB ford front suspension on the front. I will be living out in the desert soon and want something that’ll soak up the rough roads at a nice little clip. Long term goals. The burb is not going anywhere, but I gotta build my shop first.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Keep building. It sounds like you’ve got a great project going.

[@qasimalsaidi]

I wish you and Jason Lewis build his new junk together. That would be so awesome.

[@WillometMotorFab]

We've texted a bit about his new truck, and I would sure love to roll by his shop and lend a hand on what we know is going to be a great piece of gear.

[@robp418]

Just ordered a set of deaver leafs for my 2020 Silverado. Hope they live up to the hype

[@WillometMotorFab]

custom springs usually make quite a difference

[@Drunken_Hamster]

You could've done a link setup with cantilever coilovers. Could've even done it with a ratio'd rocker and gotten 19" of travel out of a 12" shock system. I appreciate the video about tension shackles, though, as I personally like the idea of them and of getting the most out of lower-tech designs in general. *EDIT:* Damn, you didn't really go over the advantages/disadvantages of tension shackles like I thought you would...

[@WillometMotorFab]

Making a bell crank rear setup was beyond my skills at the time. Also, shocks were impossible to get during covid, and those 14’s were off the shelf in a warehouse and had to be revalved. Fortunately, the truck is always under the knife, so maybe I’ll do that next.

[@Olecurtybastard]

Is there a benefit of relocationg the shocks in the rear to outside the frame? My current set up has them inside the frame like it is shown here but all the new builds I'm seeing run the shocks closer to the wheel and outside the frame. Love the videos!!

[@WillometMotorFab]

Huge benefit. If I were doing this again, I would have pushed them outside the frame.

[@Olecurtybastard]

@@WillometMotorFab thank you! I guess I'll start cutting into my bed cage. I just ordered your rear hangers. I'm excited to get them on. Thanks again!

[@julianchavez3372]

Your sub is nice, but I love your dog.

[@WillometMotorFab]

She's hard not to love.

[@labbuilt]

Do you have any more videos about the process of building shock mount and sway bar system?

[@WillometMotorFab]

Look through the full build series, but also check my IG.

[@ze_german2921]

I had king shocks on my Dodge a few years back and wished i had clear coated everything because one season in maryland were they sprayed salt, it completely cosmetically destroyed these shocks. Cerakote or clear coat them if you plan on being anywhere they spray salt

[@WillometMotorFab]

Here in Texas, salt is pretty rare, and even when it gets used, it's not on the roads for long.

[@sauhacksch7591]

What is your opinion on the need for a torque support / traction bar on your rear axle? ... With those huge leaf springs

[@WillometMotorFab]

Most big leaf packs need some form of torque management. I prefer a 2-link over a torque arm, and it's something I might work on after this next trip.

[@joshuaatkins5197]

I see you lopped off a bit of the body behind the rear tires. What did you do on the drivers side where the spare fits into? Put a flat piece or something?

[@WillometMotorFab]

Yep. Plated it closed for batteries.

[@ScottPlude]

damn that's a great video! I need to ditch my stock springs and shackle flip. (putting another $3 into savings :'( )

[@WillometMotorFab]

The tension shackle and a custom leaf is a huge performance value.

[@forgottenknowledge8917]

Them-How many leafs do you want sir? Him- Yes

[@WillometMotorFab]

More is more.

[@ravenrivera1950]

How long are the springs you installed? I see you went to the 56 inch leaf location on rear n moved the front spring eye forward would that make it 62s?

[@WillometMotorFab]

Lots of that detail is explained in the video, but they’re about 64”.

[@kamieswanson9785]

Do you have to add height to the leaf spring to counter the off set of the Boomerang shackle? Or Can you run the Boomerang Shackle with a regular lift of 6"

[@WillometMotorFab]

No need to change springs. The boomerang shackles have the same end to end dimensions as the standard shackle.

[@everardo8994]

good job excellent what can you use the bolt grease in the shackles in what size is please send me the size

[@WillometMotorFab]

I use whatever grease is in my grease gun. Not sure what you’re asking about size.

[@everardo8994]

The shackles have bolts

[@WillometMotorFab]

@@everardo8994 I think they're all 9/16 diameter, and they're either 4.5" or 5" long

[@arjenvandrie7705]

Hey. love your channel! Can you tell for the people from Europe if there are also standard springs that are under something that we can use or the specs that we can make them? ordering and shipping to the Netherlands is unaffordable... the small things can be done but the heavy stuff goes x4

[@WillometMotorFab]

Look for someone making custom leaf springs that's within a reasonable shipping radius. I only know about Alcan and Deaver.

[@johanvandenberg6341]

I make my own springs from original leaf springs. i have a k5 blazer with front and back springs under.

[@AblationMusic]

I’m assuming you had to call ORD about wanting a spring for a greater lift then 4” and using a tension style shackle? Because on their website they say you need a shackle flip for anything greater then 4” for their custom springs.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Custom springs from ORD always require a phone call, and it's well worth the time.

[@ignaciorestrada]

Can this set up be done to a newer model suburban in the 90s?

[@WillometMotorFab]

For sure. I actually use the longer leaf springs from that newer generation of trucks.

[@kevinwatkins2200]

I have a newer 14 bolt like you that I'm trying to disc brake swap. Was wondering what calipers and rotors you are using.

[@WillometMotorFab]

I just used the Powerstop kit - new rotors, pads, and also nice new calipers: www.amazon.com/dp/B00KT5EMAA?tag=onamzwillomot-20&linkCode=ssc&creativeASIN=B00KT5EMAA&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.3VE4TYXHQ5EXS

[@RustyCedarCo]

Just watched this for myself, and my first thought was: “Man, David really puts a lot of thought into how he goes about catching his video content.” The quality of your videos match the quality of your work dude. And the burb looks so wicked with those 40s and the new suspension. I’m looking forward to seeing it in action. How much do you expect it to settle?

[@WillometMotorFab]

Thanks Andy. These do take some time to assemble, but the end product is worth the work. I’d like to see the spring settle about 2-3”, and some heavy cycling is definitely in order.

[@ScottPlude]

@@WillometMotorFab you spelled it "heavy cycling" but I think the correct spelling is "FUN"

[@Mitsokid1]

Love the videos, been following for awhile. Question, with the rear-spring front-hangar moved forward, what length of custom spring did you order from ORD?

[@WillometMotorFab]

65ish”

[@Mitsokid1]

@@WillometMotorFab Thanks for the quick response! How about the shock length?

[@WillometMotorFab]

It’s 14” all around

[@Mitsokid1]

@@WillometMotorFab Thanks again. Good luck with the 6.5 rebuild/install.

[@vornice7604]

on the ord website it says i have to shackle flip for the 7" lift spring i want, will they make me a spring for a setup like this if i call?

[@WillometMotorFab]

They probably would. Give them a call for sure.

[@monkeynts]

Since you didn’t go 4link why didn’t you use bypass shocks instead of reservoir?

[@WillometMotorFab]

I started building this in 2020 when parts were hard to get a hold of, including these smooth bodies. Bypasses were worse. I'd quickly recommend bypasses just like you're suggesting if it's in the budget.

[@scotthendrix4484]

Looking at this boomerang shackle can I use it with standard lift springs and factory mounts

[@WillometMotorFab]

Hey, consolidated the part numbers, so their standard shackle will work in tension just like this boomerang.

[@scotthendrix4484]

@@WillometMotorFab what your saying is get there upgraded shackle not the boomerang for my application

[@WillometMotorFab]

@@scotthendrix4484 pretty much. The boomerang doesn’t exist from ORD anymore. They made their standard shackle achieve the same result, so no need for redundant parts.

[@scotthendrix4484]

@@WillometMotorFab OK thanks

[@danielalamo2075]

One suggestion, knee pads. Concrete gets hard after a while. Then it gets really difficult to get up.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Good idea!

[@kylewest100]

Just found you and I like what you did on the back. What about doing that on the front too? Would that work? I want to keep things simple but good ride and decent travel for a daily driver

[@WillometMotorFab]

Custom leaf packs on the front work exceptionally well. That’s the setup I ran before the links. Welcome, and I’m glad you’re here.

[@kylewest100]

@@WillometMotorFab I’ll go back and see what videos you’ve got on your original setup

[@CH0PSV1LLE]

Dude.... Can you please do a video on the pros and cons of this and a shackle flip???

[@WillometMotorFab]

I’ll do a Q&A, and make sure this is on the list.

[@CH0PSV1LLE]

@@WillometMotorFab sweet.... Keep up the great work.

[@offgridmangogrower]

Can you share who the spring builder is? I currently have chev truck springs under my 56 int travel-all and want to go with a custom pack. Can the lever or link be bought and added separately? I’ve definitely learned some tips from your build…and enjoyed the tag along.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Details are in the video, but they're designed by ORD. Give them a call - they have all my build specs in the system.

[@chickenfoundation9323]

Got link for the shackle? I can’t find it on the website

[@WillometMotorFab]

They consolidated designs, and now have a single part number that can do compression and tension: www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/product/view/id/2398/s/6-xtreme-travel-shackle-with-spring-bushings/category/422/

[@damionakc]

Does the boomerang shackles make a softer ride?

[@WillometMotorFab]

It works well with very soft springs, and allows them to easily flex into the shackle. The shackle itself doesn't change the ride.

[@carsongowdy4347]

Would this style shackle setup be good for a front leaf suspension?

[@WillometMotorFab]

It's specifically designed for the tension setup in the rear. The front uses a compression style that frenches into the frame.

[@theimplacableauthoritarian2938]

Wow, The Baphomet

[@WillometMotorFab]

Sabbatic goats and soda

[@joshfields3879]

What year on that Aggie ring?

[@WillometMotorFab]

It’s a smashed and flattened 04.

[@chickenfoundation9323]

Also how much did the springs cost you?

[@WillometMotorFab]

You should call ORD, but custom long packs go for around $1300 a pair as of this writing.

[@lostmancampground]

As someone who owns a wagoneer, how difficult do you think it would be to build this same kind of rear suspension for a Wagoneer? My wagoneer has a tension shackle rear and I’d love to build up on that platform by swapping to some square body style tension shackle hangers, grab some long range travel shackles from Off-road Design and work on a shock setup similar to yours

[@WillometMotorFab]

You could definitely adapt these systems from ORD for a waggy. The brackets are simple.

[@lostmancampground]

@@WillometMotorFab awesome. I’m definitely going to give it a shot then! I’ll start out swapping an OEM style rear shackle hanger with their HD long travel shackle and see how things line up. Maybe upgrade to one of their other hangers in the future. Later down the road I’d love to do some better springs than my Rusty’s lift springs

[@ianpotrament9428]

I see alot of comments about springs and shackles. But can you tell me about the shock mount? Ps, just bought a suburban, and you are partly to blame! Thanks.

[@WillometMotorFab]

I just put some tabs on some 1.75 DOM across the inside of the frame. Nothing fancy. Also, congrats on the new truck!

[@delapeace805]

What diff cover is that?? Where can I get my hands on one

[@WillometMotorFab]

Crane. ORD has it all. www.offroaddesign.com/willomet-motor-and-fab-s-suburban-ord-parts-list.html

[@Fxdxdingo]

What size tire are you running??

[@WillometMotorFab]

FoDeez

[@Fxdxdingo]

Building a k5 blazer on 37s right now! So glad i found your channel!

[@l.d.b.r5141]

How much space in your storage you have to sacrifice for this set up?

[@WillometMotorFab]

Zero. Everything is under the bed space. That was a key requirement.

[@l.d.b.r5141]

@@WillometMotorFab Perfect because I have this Chevy Silverado that I wanted to make into a Baja truck. But I never liked how they had to sacrifice a lot of bedspace to have the performance they want. That's saying I will never perform highly as they are. I'm just looking for the looks but I'll still be able to back it up Without destroying the truck. I just want like a off-road ranching truck with the bedspace and towing capacity.

[@l.d.b.r5141]

If possible that would you recommend to get into started 1st I have a 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500.

[@jroddri]

What yr is the burban ?

[@WillometMotorFab]

1985

[@joelwolfe]

Only reason to dump leafs is if you get wheel hop in rocks

[@jaredwilliams5252]

I thought the calipers were supposed to be on the backside of the axle not front.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Modern 14s have them on the front.

[@robjones4210]

I found your channel through Nates latest video (dirt lifestyle) that you did the BRD with him. I'm in the planning stages of getting and building a 96-99 k2500 suburban into a towpig/overlander for my samurai based rock buggy and also as an occasional daily driver/adventure rig. I'm very interested in the rear setup you have, It's exactly what I've been thinking about but not seeing anywhere. I have a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind: 1) what was the net lift over stock height? (to aid in designing the front system) 2) can you share the spring specs? thanks!! I've been digesting your videos over the past few days, I feel your pain having just about finished my Samurai build (3-link/4-link, supercharger on propane all the goodies) and completely agree on the last 20% takes 80% of the time and effort!!!

[@WillometMotorFab]

I’m glad you’re here. Welcome. Net lift is around 4.5”. The springs are 400/350, and ORD has the full leaf pack specs in their file.

[@mattleonard5268]

Isn’t the suspension tall for going fast? I would want it lower and wider.

[@WillometMotorFab]

In this video it was still a bit tall. Springs settled and I got it lower in the following videos.

[@Bad_Ass_Bowties]

How much lift are those springs?

[@WillometMotorFab]

I forgot the exact free arch measurement, but they're setup for 7" of up travel and 8" of down and the 40 clears the fender.

[@berniebass3575]

My question is where's all this money coming from.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Hard work and frugality.

[@dano4572]

HOW ABOUT AXLE WRAP?????? 650HP,,650 TORQUE ( LT4 ) KINDA POWER????????????!!! 5 INCH LIFT 8/16/23

[@WillometMotorFab]

If you’re concerned about wrap, a two link works great.

[@BULPIN847]

I cannot stand jazz music.

[@WillometMotorFab]

Well, you’re in good company with Kris, but are in for some disappointment. Get ready with the mute on Sunday! Seriously appreciate you watching.