Problem with my shackles?

So last Fall I finished my IRO 3" lift (full leaf springs) and everything has been fine (and for the most part still is). Over the long weekend I went on my first camping trip and was towing a trailer. Almost every bump I hit I heard this loud squeaking coming from the rear. After multiple stops trying to figure out what the problem was, I looked under the rear of the Jeep and saw that the bottom of the shackles (where the leaf springs bolts to) were pressed up against the frame - the weight of the trailer was pushing the rear down (I tested this by using the trailer's third wheel to relieve the weight). As not to ruin the trip, I ran to Home Depot and bought some thick tubing to wedge between the shackles and frame and went on my way. This worked as a temp fix, but what I'd like to know is - did I damage the frame and shackles (I didn't see anything unusual aside from some rub marks)? Did I screw something up on the lift install? Can I fix this compression that appears to be happening?

Thanks!

i had the same problem...the fix for me was aftermarket shackles...i got teraflex 1.5 inch...but jks makes a nice boomerang style shackle thats only an inch lift...their might be other techniques but i know that what I did was a sure fire fix

what angle is your shackle at?
and what is the tongue weight of the trailer?
are you still using the stock shackle?

aftermarket boomerang shackle relocation brackets may be your answer if you have an undesirable shackle angle. not towing the trailer with your XJ may be the answer if you do have desirable shackle angles. lol.

as far as not installing properly... leafs are very simple. the only important part is to tighten everything (to spec!) with the jeep under its own weight to set properly preload on the bushings to ensure longevity.

I'm using my stock shackles and they sit somewhere between 70* - 80* angle (from horizontal) with only the weight of the Jeep on them (there is maybe 3/4" gap between the shackle and the frame). I'm not really sure about the tongue weight of the trailer - I can move the whole trailer around by hand. I'll definitely hit them again with the socket to make sure they are torqued correctly.

I was thinking of new shackles too, but I don't want the back end of the Jeep to be lifted too high (IRO sells their 3" lift with 3.5" lift on the leafs - I assume to offset the weight of the Jeep) like a racecar. Would 1.5" shackles cause that - are they close to stock size?

so they are almost horizontal?

I apologize, I think I wrote that incorrectly - they are somewhere between 10* - 20* from being vertical - with the weight off the rear they look like they did when I installed the leafs.

No, they are nearly vertical. Boomerang shackles will clear the box, but lift your jeep. Sounds like some shackle relocators are in your future, well that or don't tow, or bumpstop/airbag to fit

With shackle relocators, do I need to worry about anything else (pinon angle, longer shocks, extended brake lines, etc....)?

Yeah, you will. Still trying to get mine dialed in.
Not as simple as they make it seem.
Start with the boomerangs, and go from there, you will need them anyway

Ok - so after hours of looking in to this last night :compwork:, I think I'm starting to understand what the purpose of shackle relocation brackets do. I just want to make sure I've got this down. :lecture:

Shackles give more rear flex with a slightly smoother ride because after a lift is installed, many times the rear shackles are set to being close to 90* - which is not optimal. Also, the shackle, when mounted in the bracket, needs to be set at a 45* angle with the bottom of the shackle (where the leaf mounts to) pointing towards the rear of the Jeep. This will also give a slight increase in lift in the rear, but not as much as a boomerang would (I want to keep the increase as minimal as possible). Also, and the main reason why I'd be doing this, is that the bracket should help eliminate the bottom of the shackle hitting the frame when I tow or go offroad. It's also recommended that I install extended brake lines as well.

I'm hoping this won't affect my pinon angle (which I'm still learning about but am a bit fuzzy on that and the mechanics behind it), but from what I read, these brackets may cause the pinon angle to offset which would mean I would need shims (I'm currently running with a T-Case drop and plan on installing a SYE - but that won't be for awhile yet). Could I skip the shims if I install a SYE though?

Finally, it sounds like the brackets from hdoffroadengineering are the way to go on this upgrade.

:wave:

You still need to run a longer than stock shackle in the brackets, or they wil invert on you. Ask me how I know.

You will need to shim or rotate your perches anyway when you install the sye.

souske said:

You still need to run a longer than stock shackle in the brackets, or they wil invert on you. Ask me how I know.

You will need to shim or rotate your perches anyway when you install the sye.

Click to expand...

How much longer than stock? Suggestions on where/what to buy?

Definately get the boomerang style, as an extended straight shackle will still hit the rear of the shackle box. As gor length, I would find the sshortest boomerags you can find, as you said you aren't trying to gain any more lift.
I believe mine are RE, but any reputable manufacturer should be fine.
As for where to buy, I usually look throught the sponsor list, they are usually competitive, and give discounts to Naxja Club members. This discount can usually save you more than the cost of a membership if you have multiple parts to buy. Most of the membership dues here go to keeping trails open.Plus you become part of a great club with knowledgeable, generous members.
Just something else to think about.

You're going to gain quite a bit of lift with relocators and longer shackles. I had to pull a leaf out of my 4.5" RC pack to get the suspension back down to match the front. I am using the HDoffroad relocators and adjustable RC shackles in the 1.5" lift position.

all of this is still very confusing. I wanted to buy some liquid iron relocators.
I also just ordered some brand new RE shackles for my 4.5" lift. why wont those work with the relocators??
should I try to return them? still uninstalled

Put the boomerangs on first, then decide if you want/need relocators. I had the same experience as Jeep450r, had to pull a leaf to get it to sit back down with boomerangs and drop brackets, before that it was sitting @ 7" with both of them on there.

I'm still a bit confused on this as well. I'm nowhere near as experienced as most of the people on this board, but I'm still learning. What I don't understand now is how the spring can invert on you. Could you please explain that?
I've read that shackle relocation brackets will stop the shackle from hitting the frame and I read that boomerang shackles will stop the shackle from hitting the frame. I was leaning toward just the bracket relocation because it adds minimal lift, but now with what I'm reading about the boomerang in this thread, I'm not sure which way to go. This is my daily driver with a 3 inch lift. I just run easy to moderate trails when I go out, nothing extreme.
I really appreciate all the responses I've received about this. Its given me more reason to do more research to find out what will work best for me

amorth said:

I'm still a bit confused on this as well. I'm nowhere near as experienced as most of the people on this board, but I'm still learning. What I don't understand now is how the spring can invert on you. Could you please explain that?

Click to expand...

A leaf spring can invert if the shackle length/location allows the leaf spring to flatten out completely. If the bumpstops are too short the spring can compress further thereby inverting the spring.

Alright, well after another night of searching the intertubes, I've decided to go with the boomerangs first (thanks souske for bringing this to my attention). :cheers:

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Zone Offroad XJ shackles - http://zoneoffroad.com/product-acc?ki=52&gr= (I ask because of the price). Or are the RE or JKS booms better?

*quick edit - I just ran across these* How about adjustable rear shackles? http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_shackles.html could these help eliminate the shackle from hitting the frame?

http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_shackles.html

the RC ones are just lift shackles, not boomerangs.