shackles/pinion (1 Viewer)

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landwagon

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Mar 23, 2005
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Ivydale W.V.
Hey fokes, I'm getting ready to make some lift shackles, I have taken 4 inches out of the wheel wells, running stock spings with 35/ 15's, I was thinging 2 inch over stock shackles, and dont know if I'll need to change my pinion angle, or should I just check it after the lift, and make change if needed, or does somebody know, it just has to be done. I thing I will have to, and is 2 inchs good to run/ safe. Thanks for the help.


Tim,

87 fj 60
99 taco trd
tlca 14863
 
you may get lucky. i've found that it's usually on the line as far as having to shim. won't drastically effect it, but could be better. try it and find out. having to shim may almost delete the benefits of your shackle lift.
 
pinion

I did not know about that, just by spinning the pinoin it takes from the shackle??????? don't git it.

tim
 
Since the springs are under the axle anything you put between the springs and the axle, shims, blocks, etc, will lower the vehicle. If you go with 2" longer shackles, you will get 2" more lift, but if you have to ad a shim to correct pinion angle, you will lose the amount of lift gained by the thickness of the shim. If its 1/2", then you will only get 1.5" out of a 2" shackle.
 
Don't you only get 1/2 the length of the extension in lift? So to get 2" of lift you need 4" longer shackles?
 
Adding two inches to the shackles has NO impact on street handling without shimming it. At least in my experience. I got mine for free too. A friend of mine made me some at work, 7 and 7 1/2 inches long compared to 5 and 5 1/2 that was on there. It raised it at least an inch in the rear and more in the front definately. All that I changed was the shackles and the bolts/nuts, I even left the worn out bushings in there. They held up great so far, even at Paragon.
 
Oh yeah, it doesn't give you the full amount of lift you are extending them because you are only lifting half the spring.
 
Wow..

A 2" shackle only gives you about 1" of lift (your spring is basicaly a lever and the axle is mounted in the middle of the lever.. )

In the rear you will probably not see any major issues with pinon angle.

The front is where you start to notice things.. Cruisers have fairly shallow castor in the front end. so, when you add longer shackles it is very easy to achieve positive castor. Which will make the steering wheel not recenter as well, be a bit squirly, etc. Not everyone will notice these things..
Shims are an okay fix for these problems.
If you do get shims you will have to get longer spring pins (the heads have to be longer for proper engagement into the spring pad) to keep your axle from sliding along the leaf spring..
 
Tinker said:
Don't you only get 1/2 the length of the extension in lift? So to get 2" of lift you need 4" longer shackles?
You are right. I was paying more attention to the amount of lift he was doing, not the length of shackle he was making.
G
 
Lift shackles are cheap enough to buy. Any special reason that you need to make 'em?

.
 
2" shackel lifts installed and didn't get the shims in right away. Squirly, and pulled left. After the shims found their way in, all was fine. :D
:cool:
 

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