Shackles

I'm in the process of ordering a lift kit w/ new leaf springs(4.5) I noticed that my stock rear shackles are cracking. Can someone recommend a shackle for replacement?

Nevermind the kit includes shackles

I was thinking of getting this 4.5 lift from rough country(84-02 Jeep XJ 4.5" Series II Suspension Kit):Includes:
Front coil springs, front lower control arms, transfer case drop kit, front track bar drop bracket, swaybar links, brake line relocating brackets, 4 RC Hydro 8000 series shocks, and new leafs and shackles.

Any thoughts?
http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/subpages/RoughCountry-jeep3.htm




Includes:
Front coil springs, front lower control arms, transfer case drop kit, front track bar drop bracket, swaybar links, brake line relocating brackets, 4 RC Hydro 8000 series shocks, and rear add-a-leafs and shackles or you can upgrade to NEW rear leaf springs.

Don't forget SYE. Its almost a certainty to need one at that height.

If you order the RC kit with the new rear springs, then it doesn't come with the shackles. You can either get the kit with aal and shackles OR a new spring set. Definitly get the spring set, and you can order lift shackles from RC too, which will give it another 1.5in of lift in the rear, but the shackles have two mounting holes, so if you use the one that is higher, it shouldn't raise the back all that much.

And as far as a sye kit, I wouldn't jump on that immediatly. The RC leafs have wedges built in to them, and with only a 4.5in lift I would drive it around first to see for vibration. The sye kit is definitly a better set up but you might be able to save a little money for now, maybe for some new meats to fill the fenderwell.

Sean

RoyalXJ said:

dont order a rough country kit. your leafs will sag real bad after only a year. i lost 1.5" with mine when i had them

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I had a front set of leaf springs on my old 79 fullsize cherokee, they went south in less than 2 years. I am not sure of their warrranty now a days, but they werent covered back then.. I know it was about 7-8 years ago, and I know they have really increased their quality, but from waht is sounds like...hard to say.. I also wanted to mention, I have the Rusty's 4.5" kit on mine, and it is great and cheap.. BUT I want you to be aware of a situation with the full leaf spring packs out on the market now:
Rusty's offorad, and Rubicon express, and I am sure otheres are guilty of this issue also.. These guys are getting their springs from, presuabley the same source, but they are using undersized spring eyes on both ends of the springs.
The front eye from factory is roughly 2.5 inches, they shrink it down to 2", and the rear is roughly 2" and that gets shrunk down a lil also. The real issue lies in the fact the bushings are undersized, and wear out prematurely. You can do a search on leaf spring bushings, and you will see what I say id true. I just dont want to see you dealing with this BS a year after your lift is installed, like a lot of us did, and that is not to say that the replacment bushings I just put in a few months back wont FUBAR as well.
I would ask that question specifically, and make sure you are getting a part that is going to last, and not just beyond a 6 month warranty period.

I am running a transfer case drop on my 98, and I have no drive line vibes, so you really dont per say need a SYE yet, but you will want to do one eventually, to toughen up your driveline. Hope this helps and good luck..

Oh yeah the track bar witht he Rusty's 4.5" lift is crap also, it has a TRE on the frame side, and is prone to shearing, LOL ask me, I am on my 3rd.. in the process of builing a custom track bar, from the 2 failed ones that were also Rusty's, and were on my wifes JK...

RoyalXJ said:

dont order a rough country kit. your leafs will sag real bad after only a year. i lost 1.5" with mine when i had them

Click to expand...

full leaves, or add-a-leaves?

my 4.5" RC springpack is still at it's original ride-height over a year of hard use later

WOW, my springs are over 2 years old, i lost maybe a 1" in the rear..OK maybe 1.5" BUT i have a JCR rear bumper with spare tire and gas can with jack...PLUS i beat this thing almost every weekend..
BUY the RC lift, they back there stuff...

scottmcneal said:

WOW, my springs are over 2 years old, i lost maybe a 1" in the rear..OK maybe 1.5" BUT i have a JCR rear bumper with spare tire and gas can with jack...PLUS i beat this thing almost every weekend..
BUY the RC lift, they back there stuff...

Click to expand...

Great point, we as XJ'ers do pack a lot of stuff in the back of that lil space, which does help sag the rear... I know mine is down an inch.. but it is all important, can't fix it on the trail if you dont have it with you, and the tools to do it...

I carry way to much crap for what i do, but i always get it back to camp..When i say beat mine, this is what i do out here in CA..

I get alot of flex out of mine, this is whats so hard on your leafs..I would only buy full leaf packs for any lift..Add-a-leafs don't last that long..

tomcat said:

full leaves, or add-a-leaves?

my 4.5" RC springpack is still at it's original ride-height over a year of hard use later

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full leafs and i know atleast 6 other people who had the same problem with their rc leafs.

xjnuttier said:

Rusty's offorad, and Rubicon express, and I am sure otheres are guilty of this issue also.. These guys are getting their springs from, presuabley the same source, but they are using undersized spring eyes on both ends of the springs.

Click to expand...

This is incorrect. RE is in a league of their own with their leafs. Quality. They cannot be compared to the shitty rustys leafs that break all the time.

scottmcneal said:

WOW, my springs are over 2 years old, i lost maybe a 1" in the rear..OK maybe 1.5" BUT i have a JCR rear bumper with spare tire and gas can with jack...PLUS i beat this thing almost every weekend..
BUY the RC lift, they back there stuff...

Click to expand...

leafs shouldnt sag that much. they dont warranty that either

ive got a 5.5 re leaf and wheel the hell out of it with a 35x12.50 spare, two amo boxes filled with tools and my compressor. i havent noticed any sagging at all.

RoyalXJ said:

This is incorrect. RE is in a league of their own with their leafs. Quality. They cannot be compared to the shitty rustys leafs that break all the time.

Click to expand...

actually RE used to be really good stuff... recently they have switched from being made in USA to made in India. i have read a couple of threads with leaves cracking, and being uneven. seems RE is running into this with lots of their stuff... namely bushings.

just because something is made overseas doesnt mean the quality is any less. show me these threads because i cant find them.

Apparently you've never opened up a piece of electronic equipment made by the lowest bidder in China. Do it sometime, it's both horrifying and enlightening. The same goes for mechanical fab and component quality.

not everything. its just like in the bmx industry not everything is shit. alot of quality stuff comes from overseas nowadays

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=992487&highlight=India+made+springs
What you can't read? this only took me a min..By the way his LAST set only lasted 3 YEARS..:wave: