Holey Shackle angle batman

[samibattlemaiden]

So while i was crawling under the truck to see if the boot was the issue with my tcase not wanting to be in 4lo i noticed that my front shackles were pretty much at 90%.

i measured and there 6" shackles and right about 4 1/4" eye to eye. they have the tineyist angle forward on the bottom so there probly at more like 88 or 92% depending on how yah measure it.

i know i need longer shackles to give it a sharper angle and make it ride a bit better but how much longer?
i also know that i will only gain half the added length so what are we looken at here like 6" or more eye to eye?

thanks in advance chris

ill try to get a pic up in a bit.

 

[alaska60]

okay....I'll bite on this one!
I really think you want to shorten your shackle length and not increase it. i would run it about 3 1/4 " eye 2 eye, this will cause it to angle more, where length will push you out to a 90.

Can anyone back me up on this????

 

[samibattlemaiden]

though i just said the exact opisit i compleetly agree with yah. now that i think about it i can see that you are correct and i was back wards.

also heres a pic. how much do yah think my ride comfort will increase?

also hows my rear angle looken. i should probly shorten both?

 

[alaska60]

I would do both. Other wise you will sag to the side you did. it will drop the rig a tiny bit, but will provide a small difference on your comfort of the ride. Hows she ride now? stiff?

 

[samibattlemaiden]

yeah she's a little bouncy but, most of the roads in sonoma county could use a little love. no death wobble, she's comfy at freeway speed but, my last truck was a samurai on 35's so she feels like a caddy by comparison.



yeah i fully intended to do both if any as in both right and left. actually ill just do the drivers side what do i care how bumpy the pass side is......

so while im monkeying with it whats the general mud consensus on missing links on the rear, i know lighter rigs do well with them but don't know how they would be on a rig with so much junk in the trunk.

 

[lehiguy]

okay....I'll bite on this one!
I really think you want to shorten your shackle length and not increase it. i would run it about 3 1/4 " eye 2 eye, this will cause it to angle more, where length will push you out to a 90.

Can anyone back me up on this????

Can't say that I agree with you here chief. I have always said that the only true fix if to cut off the shackle mount, move it inboard, weld it back on and use a longer shackle. Your rig will ride much better and will flex like crazy. I have been down this road a few times, and until a longer spring is readily available, this is the answer.

 

[Mace]

It all depends on how long a shackle your spring needs. If it needs the length of your current shackles then Lehi's comment about moving the shackle hangers is a good one.

If you can get by with less shackle length without inverting the spring, then you can get by that way..


lotsa variables here.

But honestly, the ride will not improve that much with a shallower shackle angle. It can be a bit better, but nothing drastic...

 

[Butt Ugly Chuck]

No experience here so correct me if I'm wrong. Shackle angle here looks vertical:

Shorter or longer shackle isn't going to change angle will it? Looks like you need longer springs or relocated hanger?
Butt

 

[samibattlemaiden]

mace do you mean inverting will under flex or just at ride height?

 

[samibattlemaiden]

butt, i could be wrong also (ive never yet toyed with suspension) but the way i see it a shorter shackle will lower the ride hight and bring the front of the spring closer to the front of the frame.
if you removed the shackle all together and let the truck rest on just the spring it would hit at least a few inches forward of the front spring mount. but like i said i could be wrong

 

[Mace]

mace do you mean inverting will under flex or just at ride height?

under flex

If you invert at ride height you are uberscrewed..

And yes, shortening the shackle will give it less of an angle.

 

[samibattlemaiden]

thats what i thought just wanted to double check. and by less of angle you mean it will kick the lower part forward right?

 

[lehiguy]

When I first installed my OMEs, I was invering on the rear. I was very careful to get shocks that did not hinder axle drop, so there was no "safety net" there to stop the axle from going way, way down and the shackle was just to short to go back to the proper position. I put on longer shackles after that. A year or so later, I thought it would help to have a better shackle angle so I moved the mounts inboard and went to a six-inch shackle. It did ride better, especially when the rear axle would roll off something big. Before, the shackle was angled forward and gave a harsh landing, after moving the mount, it was substantially better in my opinion. I repeated this process on the front end after putting on an MAF shackle reversal kit; it couldn't keep up with the front axle drop and would invert. That ruins your whole day!

 

[trucruiser]

You should also make sure your shackle bolts are not too tight and hindering the movement of your shackles.

 

[samibattlemaiden]

so did yah hafta re-relocate the front?

 

[jvazquez53]

Mine are at almost the same angle (80 degrees mine), ride is bumpy, other than that, no problems.

 

[samibattlemaiden]

yeah i went for a cruise yesterday after posting about the ride. i can hold the wheel at 80 with a finger so i supose im doin pretty good.