What shims if any should I order?

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singletrackjunkie

singletrackjunkie

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Aug 31, 2007
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Cadillac, MI
I'm installing a Hells Creek 2 1/2 inch lift with 1.5" over stock shackles. I've searched but not definite answer. Will I need shims with this or is this something I need to put together, drive, measure my angles and find out. I've considered just driving it and seeing but it would be nice to order everything once and be done with it. any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Brian :beer:
 
i believe that is because there is no definite answer.. only questimates. you can buy a cheap anglefinder from homedepot.. install the lift and then measure your caster and rear pinion vs rear transfer output angles to find out if you need them and what angle they need to be
 
If you do end up needing them, make sure to get steel ones, not aluminum.
 
I hope to be finished with the install this weekend so I'll let everyone know and post some pics. I had just installed a Paki soft top the week before and was meaning to post pics when I broke my stock rear leafs. I had been saving up for alcans but the break forced me to go with a cheaper option so that I could get it back on the road.
 
i'm curious what you find too.. i have my rolling chassis all set up and measuring now says that i need 6* shims both up front and in the rear but i don't have any of the body panels on yet which should add a substantial amount of weight... I'm curious if my angles will change then or if it even matters. either way I think i'm going to wait till its completely together before i start checking angles
 
I can't remember if the slightly overstock shackles will require shims to correct caster or not, but can second that if you do - use steel ones.

Just looked up the site I once used many years ago - not affiliated but they were priced right and of good quality: 4Crawler Offroad Products - Custom Leaf Spring Shims
 
I just finished installing the lift and took it for a short drive. It rides alot better than with the rusted out old stock suspension. No significant vibration even at highway speeds (60mph which is as fast as I will ever really go in this thing). I haven't checked my angles yet but based on how it rides I probably don't need to. here's how she sits
IMG_4963.webp
 
SJ, the lift looks good! I plan on ordering the same springs. Did you buy the Hell Creek shocks as well or just the springs ? Would you mind posting a side profile pic so we can see the shackle angles?
 
You can calculate the angle change due to the 1.5 inch longer shackle by trigonometry.

The spring is about 40 inches, eye to eye, so the tangent of the angle change is 1.5 divided by 40. Then you find the angle whos tangent is 1.4/40 on your calculator (inv tan or arctan) or by looking it up in a trig table. This angle is 2.14 degrees.
 
I'm at my inlaws today but will post pics of the shackle angles later tonight or tomorrow. the front is a little steep but the rear is good. Now I need to move to 33" tires and get a winch for the front to help weigh it down to see if that will help with the shackle angle. EMR88 I bought the complete package (springs and shocks) from Hells Creek and the shackles were from Man-a-Fre. It rides much better than stock but my stock bushings and shocks were completely shot.
 
the shackles in the front look like they are flipped upside down or right side up compared to the rears (i'm not sure which way is correct)
 
the rear is correct, I flipped the front because otherwise the third pin is really close to the bumper gusset and looks like it may limit travel. While the shackles are designed to be placed as they are on the rear a search on this forum informed me that they will serve their intended purpose in either position as long as the 3rd pin is pointing in and not out.
 
Looks really nice - of course I'm biased toward OEM soft tops....

Put the hub caps back on :D.
 
Here is the low down on caster. First, it is not a tire wear angle. It only effects the driveability of the vehicle. If it does not wander and your steering wheel returns after a turn, your caster is probably ok. The only issue that you might encounter is that if you tow it with a tow bar, your wheel might not return. It is probably worth the few bucks to take it to an alignment shop and have the angles measured, just to have an idea of where you are actually at. If you decide that you need shims, you will probably need to find longer u bolts to accommodate them. Don't forget to consider the effect on the driveline angle.
 
thanks for the pics. I was thinking of ordering those springs and using my original shackles, but I might go with the same shackles . I love the softtop, looks like all you need are doors and tires.
 
emr88 said:
thanks for the pics. I was thinking of ordering those springs and using my original shackles, but I might go with the same shackles . I love the softtop, looks like all you need are doors and tires.
Click to expand...

I have the doors, the ones that came with it were rusted out and covered poorly with diamond plate. I just bought some new ones and plan on mounting them this week. unfortunately with the fiberglass body they don't fit perfectly so I'll probablly be taking it to a body shop to get the fitment right. The tires aren't in the budget until next year and then I plan on getting KM2's 33x10.5's
 
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