Builds Elma the red 60

[joebattle1]

Any plans to swap out your shackles? Them being vertical ain't bringing you too much comfort if you can get your paws on some greasable OME or Man-A-Fre, etc. your ride will be more like a oversized couch...maybe more like an oversized couch

Yes, it's the next thing I'm saving my nickels for. Debating shackle reversal kit from man-a-fre ,maybe the kit from SOR but I doubt it. Totally open to suggestions. Can't afford to bag mine though.

 

[gregnash]

Shackle reversal is going to gain you another inch or two of lift with the suspension so if you are going to do that be prepared for the extra height... I bought the MAF standard greaseable shackles and pins and they have been great so far.

 

[joebattle1]

Shackle reversal is going to gain you another inch or two of lift with the suspension so if you are going to do that be prepared for the extra height... I bought the MAF standard greaseable shackles and pins and they have been great so far.

Yes, I don't think I look the look of the reversal so much. Besides don't you need to weld on the thing-ma-jobs up front? I don't have welding available to me in my garage. I think I'll go with a regular old lift kit with greaseables.

 

[NEFJ60]

Do you have any pics of your front and rear speakers after install? I'd love to see them.

 

[gregnash]

Yes, I don't think I look the look of the reversal so much. Besides don't you need to weld on the thing-ma-jobs up front? I don't have welding available to me in my garage. I think I'll go with a regular old lift kit with greaseables.

Yes the shackle reversal requires that you do a cut and weld to the spring perches which for the reversal are larger than the stock ones.

 

[joebattle1]

Do you have any pics of your front and rear speakers after install? I'd love to see them.

No, but I'll try and put some up here tomorrow for you. Sort of a ghetto job I did with MDF mounts but they work. Stand by...

Yes the shackle reversal requires that you do a cut and weld to the spring perches which for the reversal are larger than the stock ones.

What is the real advantage of having the reversal? You can bang it into a rock and not worry about shackle flip? It gives you added lift?

 

[joebattle1]

Couple more dirt pics... Sorry about the fish eye on these. My buddy ("Sammi 4" meep meep) forgot any other lens that day.

This is off the back side of Gorman SVRA. I don't remember the name of the trail. It's really fun in the fall when it starts to rain. Can be actually really nutty when it's wet.

This was one of our go-to spots for safety meetings.









At some point I took the grill and headlight frames off and rattle canned them up nice and black. The grill could actually use a respray.






We stumbled on this camp site and cool sculpture waaaaay up the drive. Was kinda spooky up there.

 

[joebattle1]

Let's side track for a sec.
So in the midst of breaking in (not really breaking anything in as I have 1 billion {208k-ish} miles on the LC) the Land Cruiser on the trail I continue to be suffocating at the expense of Sammi 4's motor. It's smoking so bad on the trail. We get it home and compression test it, basically 2/4 cylinders are fried. So this puts a hault to all LC work for a hot sec. We then do the fastest motor pull/install I've done to date. We had the whole thing out and running again in 4 days. 4 days is laughable to a lot of you but for us that's huge. It took us 3.5 weeks to do the 4runner. This thing was cake. We had the whole thing out in two hours. We had to wait on some parts and a bit of fab work going back in hence the 4 day install. Here's some pics of that for fun.



Shinny new headers


Me making some markings before she gives birth.


And a star is born...

 

[mcguirejohnson]

I would try and drive a rig equipped with shackle reversal before you go that route. I had it on mine and it was pretty rough. Looked great though with 35s

 

[cruisermatt]

You pulled a motor, machined it, rebuilt it, and installed it in four days? That's impressive!

 

[joebattle1]

I would try and drive a rig equipped with shackle reversal before you go that route. I had it on mine and it was pretty rough. Looked great though with 35s

Which route are you referring to?

You pulled a motor, machined it, rebuilt it, and installed it in four days? That's impressive!

We bought the new motor. Just had to swap all the crap.

 

[gregnash]

Yeah 4days no matter the vehicle is still pretty impressive. Even guys like Georg will tell you that 4days is pretty damn good for a pull and install. Plus not like turtles are overly hard or complicated, still one of my favorite little 2door wheelers. Buddy had one in HS and we mobbed the isht outta that thing.

You should call Georg @ Valley Hybrid (@orangefj45) or Kurt @ Cruiser Outfitters (@cruiseroutfit) and pick their brains a bit on the benefits of the shackle reversal. If I remember correctly there are diagrams floating around here somewhere that show doing so offers a PROPER axle impact path when wheeling with the reversal but I could be imagining things... For me I never plan to run anything larger than 33s so I really only need a couple inches of lift.

 

[joebattle1]

Yeah 4days no matter the vehicle is still pretty impressive. Even guys like Georg will tell you that 4days is pretty damn good for a pull and install. Plus not like turtles are overly hard or complicated, still one of my favorite little 2door wheelers. Buddy had one in HS and we mobbed the isht outta that thing.

You should call Georg @ Valley Hybrid (@orangefj45) or Kurt @ Cruiser Outfitters (@cruiseroutfit) and pick their brains a bit on the benefits of the shackle reversal. If I remember correctly there are diagrams floating around here somewhere that show doing so offers a PROPER axle impact path when wheeling with the reversal but I could be imagining things... For me I never plan to run anything larger than 33s so I really only need a couple inches of lift.

Yea, I don't rock crawl now nor plan to in the near future. Just want a super capable camping off road rig. I too am never running 35's or 37's. Most if not all of the wheeling I do is washed roads, fire roads, or old mining roads. Every now and again a small river cross (pre CA drought). Besides... My wife really wants to see the truck come down an inch or two. It's unmanageable for her small frame to climb in and out of it. Although I keep a fold up stool under the pass seat just for that.

 

[gregnash]

How tall is your truck/wife @joebattle1 ? Sounds kinda like my scenario... I just replaced the flat rear springs (stockers) with some rearched springs that have an AAL in them, looks like it net me about 3" of lift with my 31s. Actually running out to take comparison pics now.

My wife is 5' tall on a good day so getting in and out of the truck is not easy but not difficult. However, with the new springs it looks like I may have a "justifiable" reason (for her) to call @reevesci to get some sliders soon!!!

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

How tall is your truck/wife @joebattle1 ? Sounds kinda like my scenario... I just replaced the flat rear springs (stockers) with some rearched springs that have an AAL in them, looks like it net me about 3" of lift with my 31s. Actually running out to take comparison pics now.

My wife is 5' tall on a good day so getting in and out of the truck is not easy but not difficult. However, with the new springs it looks like I may have a "justifiable" reason (for her) to call @reevesci to get some sliders soon!!!

I'm ready when you are Greg.

Jason

Sent from my XT907

 

[mcguirejohnson]

Which route are you referring to?

I'm referring to the shackle reversal setup. I saw you mention it in an earlier post. It would make 33s look small, and once you step up to 35s it's a downhill slide.

Maybe on paper it makes sense but the combination of lift springs and the shackle reversal equalled a pretty harsh ride at least for me.

 

[joebattle1]

I'm referring to the shackle reversal setup. I saw you mention it in an earlier post. It would make 33s look small, and once you step up to 35s it's a downhill slide.

Maybe on paper it makes sense but the combination of lift springs and the shackle reversal equalled a pretty harsh ride at least for me.

Well you don't have to tell me twice on something I all ready don't really want. I'll be looking into the standard big spring greasables lift options. Thanks for the intel.

 

[gregnash]

if you dont have an aftermarket suspension already then I would look at a full kit. If you do and just want replace the springs or whatever maybe look at Alcan or Hell Creek for specialty springs...

 

[joebattle1]

@gregnash, my wife is 5'3". Currently my truck is 38" to the wheel well. It had a shackle lift (8" shackle) when I bought it with some sort of EMU leafs. I could probably just get a set of smaller greaseable shackles as I replaced the shocks with pro comps when I got it. I thinks it's best to just start over from scratch though and sell what I have.

 

[gregnash]

yeah could be... if the shackles are just longer then you could get away with stock or slightly longer shackles... check out JT Outfitters as I believe they have an anti-inversion shackle that is only about an inch longer than stock length.