fj60 shackle reversal and steering question

[feeneysFJ]

Hi, new to the forum. I recently bought an '84 fj60, and am having some steering/suspension related concerns. the previous owner put on what appears to be a man-a-fre 4" lift shackle reversal/OME leaf kit, although it has bilstein shocks. it also has aussie lockers, front and rear. it sits very comfortably above 33x12.50 tires. now, the truck is amazing off road, but unfortunately this is a daily driver, and the reality is it probably sees 85% city/highway and 15% moderate off roading. I've noticed that on-road the steering is pretty loose. there is almost no wandering at high speeds which is good (although after having the wheel bearings replaced recently and wheels re-aligning it has developed a new shake around 35mph, hoping its just alignment), however the steering does seem very floaty in general, and sometimes has a strange sensation of being steered from the rear. it also has a very heavy amount of body roll under normal driving conditions. when the road is off-camber at all, the steering wheel really wants to turn to the downhill side. sometimes even on-road I'll find I find I have to turn the wheel almost 45 degrees to maintain a straight line if the road is sloped.

I've searched past topics about this, but most seem to be about the physics of it and the general pros and cons, but I haven't really found a definitive before and after account for an fj60/62.

so, my question is, for anyone who has done a shackle reversal on a 60/62, how drastically has it effected the steering? I'm considering returning it back the original shackle orientation, which I know is a bit strange, and maybe downsizing to 32" or even 31" tires. I'm wondering how much of what I'm experiencing is due to the shackle reversal, and how much is just the ride height, the lockers, or just normal fj60 steering I need to get used to. also maybe there are more sensible and cheaper alternatives to make it handle a bit more street friendly? I've had the power steering box rebuilt and had all the steering components checked, and tie rods, bushings, etc seem to be in good shape.

attached are a few photos of the rig.

thanks!

 

[CenTXFJ60]

We did a shackle reversal on my sons 60 several years ago. He was 15 at the time and when he got his license, we decided (quickly) that this was not a safe (in our opinion) set up for street use. We did upgrade to hydro steer since he was running 35's. This helped with the response and feedback via the steering wheel. West TX off-road is a good source for this. Regardless, due to gaining lift through extending the shackles and higher arched springs did not feel right to us. Created way too much play/travel between the frame and springs for road use. It was awesome when it came to crawling etc... My son (see his build under Mcguirejohnson here on MUD) eliminated the setup and did a spring over conversion. In our opinion this is the best of both worlds. You get the height and retain the stock (close to stock) spring travel. Check out his threads and feel free to contact us with any questions. I hope this feedback helps and please know this is only an opinion based on our experience. Shackle reversal has its benefits, but we experienced the same concerns you described above. Thanks.

 

[feeneysFJ]

We did a shackle reversal on my sons 60 several years ago. He was 15 at the time and when he got his license, we decided (quickly) that this was not a safe (in our opinion) set up for street use. We did upgrade to hydro steer since he was running 35's. This helped with the response and feedback via the steering wheel. West TX off-road is a good source for this. Regardless, due to gaining lift through extending the shackles and higher arched springs did not feel right to us. Created way too much play/travel between the frame and springs for road use. It was awesome when it came to crawling etc... My son (see his build under Mcguirejohnson here on MUD) eliminated the setup and did a spring over conversion. In our opinion this is the best of both worlds. You get the height and retain the stock (close to stock) spring travel. Check out his threads and feel free to contact us with any questions. I hope this feedback helps and please know this is only an opinion based on our experience. Shackle reversal has its benefits, but we experienced the same concerns you described above. Thanks.

thank you, this is very helpful.

 

[cruiserpilot]

I'm wondering if you need to look at the upper and lower knuckle bearings, not sure when the axle might
have been completely rebuilt. The other possible is that with the shackle reversal, it might need an axle shim
just to get the castor angle proper.
It will ride top heavy with a high lift spring, maybe replace the springs with a mild 2" lift, you can still easily
clear the 33" tires and it might handle a bit more comfortably.
I had a shackle reversal on an FJ40 SOA, I didn't mind it. People would always say 'how does it corner?'
it's a land cruiser, not a car.

 

[NTAPHSE]

Sounds like you need more caster. Maybe have the alignment checked?

 

[Landpimp]

it should be able to be made just fine with the SR. I have a 40/45 with SR with OME and one without SR and OME...they both drive very(for what they are) well at any speed. I remember I did have to add some more caster to my SR on the 45 after I 1st put it together, maybe 4deg?

what tire pressure you running?

that rear aussie locker is going to push the rear end around now and then, that is that feeling of being steered from the rear your getting

sway bar on rear?

 

[SNLC]

Odd, my 60 with the MAF SR and OME heavies was the best leaf spring truck I ever drove. I did a lot to get it that way though including a cut & turn.

Cheers