Shackle Lift

shauck · 12-13-06, 11:02 PM

I am looking to lift my 86' fj and saw on another thread he used
6 3/8 shackles. I want to put on 33x10.5 tires. I off road but not a rock crawler mainly snow and mud. Does anyone have experience with estended shackles how much $$$, what kind of ride, ease of installation?

BlueCruiser84 · 12-13-06, 11:23 PM

Do a search. You can fit 33x10.50s stock. If you are just looking for a cheap lift go with the long add-a-leafs from man-a-fre.

Price on shackles isn't too bad but, as with anything, you get what you pay for. I wouldn't go over 1.5 or 2 inch extended, but that is just my personal preference. The installation shouldn't be hard unless your old bushings are seized in the shackle mount/spring eye.

AND do a search. TONS of info.

fytattoo · 12-13-06, 11:41 PM

i agree with bluecruiser...dont go anything over 2 inches...even at that height youlle still need caster correction shims in the front...but you could always add a small body lift in as well...it will help with clearancing the rockers and allow the addition of sliders with out losing ground clearence

cody c · 12-14-06, 12:34 AM

X3 on the 2" max extended shackles. many cheap options if youre looking for a cheap lift if youre not planning to go too extreme offroad. add-a-leafs, re-arched springs, body lift,etc. actuallu spring overs arent too expensive for the mechanically inclined!

Haskins1111 · 12-14-06, 12:39 AM

Yeah i am the one who put the 6 3/8 shackles on, i dont see why people shouldnt, i dont do any heavy offroading so i am not to worried, the 33 10.50 fit great with this lift, they were a little expensive, 250$ shipped from MAF, you must use a caster shim of 4 degrees, i am installing the long AALS tommorow to see if it will smooth out the ride (kinda rough with the new shackles), it depends on where you live for how hard the installation, i am from Cali and no rust just unbolt, put new bushings in and add shackles.

cody c · 12-14-06, 12:43 AM

is there a horizontal plate or square tube between the shackle plates on your extended shackles?

Haskins1111 · 12-16-06, 06:33 PM

There is a bolt as the third piece. You know after just adding some AALS, i remember know how hard it was to put the shackles on, i am now changing my answer to either get shorter ones or at least non greasable ones. My reasoning is that the longer the shackle the hard they are to put on, second the greasable bolt is really tricky to mount because it screws into one side of the plates (which means i boggered the threads trying to get them on). Also i was never able to get the zerk fittings to screw into the bolts so i am not even able to use the greasable part. I did get 2in. of lift from the AALS. Hopefully this helps.

Sporin · 12-22-06, 11:37 AM

I did a shackle lift on my old FJ62 and if I were doing it again I'd go with AAL's. Not sure the job is any easier but the shackles just put more stress on my already beat springs. AAL's will at least HELP the tired springs hold shape and lift.

I ran 33x10.5 BFG AT's on it and really liked it. I didn't add any caster ships adn it actually wandered less then it had before had with stock saggy springs and 31's. Your results may vary.

hodag · 12-22-06, 12:51 PM

I built my own 1.5" over stock shackles with 3/8" bar stock and 1.5" square tube. Put in new Energy Suspension urethane bushings while I had everything apart. I clear 33x12.5 Firestone ATs with only the very slightest rub at full stuff.

I pulled the bar stock of of the scrap dumpster at a local machine shop and the square stock was from an old pallet rack. All I have into them is the $50 for the new bushings, $10 for rattle cans, and $20 for all the grade 8 hardware.

I didnt put in caster shims, and I have no steering issues that werent already there.

There are quite a few ways to lift these trucks, this is the route I chose. I will be doing an SOA soon, so I just needed to get by for a while.

Hodag