RC leaf spring mod

I got a super cheap set of RC 4.5" leaf springs for my XJ, I'm thinking of running shackle relocation brackets and an extended shackle to get good travel and ride.

The problem is I don't think I want 7" of lift.

Anyone think there would be a problem removing one leaf,(not sure which one) from the RC pack to gain less lift so after I add the brackets and shackles I'm back up to 4.5-5"

I don't want to cause any sagging issues down the road because the springs have no support so any advice would be great.


Thanks

Jeff

Ah crap I didn't realize that was my first post....sorry for asking for help on the first post....its actually my personal pet peeve.....

I don't think you will end up with 7". And you could go with a shorter shackle as long as they do not interfere with the relocation brackets.

I'm running RE SF 4.5" springs, HD relocation brackets, Teraflex 1.5 shackles and I'm at 6"

still, at 6" I would have to run a bigger tire, which I like the looks of but my pocket book doesn't.

I just bought a 4.10 gear set for my front end and an 8.8 for the rear with 4.10's and LSD. 8.8 will also gain .25" lift. 4.10's MIGHT work with 33's adn the AX15

4.10's and 33's isn't bad

relocation brackets = increased rear steer + lowering rear roll center, one of the old timers on here that built his own years ago before companies started making them said most guys have removed them due to the rear steer, lower roll center, and some interesting unloading on hills. If you want the rear to stay low, grab a RE 3/4" lift shackle, or some 1.25" boomerangs from serious offroad on here on Naxja, once the 4.5s settle in after some wheeling , youll be around 5-5.5" of lift. Id stay under 5.5" if you run less than 37-39" tires. I run 36s on 5", used to run 35s on 4.5, and I could easily go down to 4.5" with the 36s, but i cut lots of sheet metal, bump stopped, and long arms. Used to run 33s on 3". I would keep it lower. I wouldnt pull a leaf out of the rear either. cheap, quick and easy answer is get a 3/4 lift shackle and call it done. Get some good monotube shocks instead of shackle relocation boxes. 5100s, 5150s, RE monotubes are rebadged bilstiends, something like that in the middle of the road of price and performance.

xjtrailrider said:

I don't think you will end up with 7". And you could go with a shorter shackle as long as they do not interfere with the relocation brackets.

I'm running RE SF 4.5" springs, HD relocation brackets, Teraflex 1.5 shackles and I'm at 6"

Click to expand...

i also realized that you say you have 4.5" springs but RE's rear lift for the 4.5" superflex is 3.5" springs with an extended shackle. The RC kit uses 4.5" rear springs and NO shackle to get its lift

my math goes like this

4.5" spring
1-1.5" relocation bracket
1-1.5" Shackle
8.8 rear diff @ .25"
Total 6.75- 7.75" lift

blondejoncherokee said:

relocation brackets = increased rear steer + lowering rear roll center, one of the old timers on here that built his own years ago before companies started making them said most guys have removed them due to the rear steer, lower roll center, and some interesting unloading on hills. If you want the rear to stay low, grab a RE 3/4" lift shackle, or some 1.25" boomerangs from serious offroad on here on Naxja, once the 4.5s settle in after some wheeling , youll be around 5-5.5" of lift. Id stay under 5.5" if you run less than 37-39" tires. I run 36s on 5", used to run 35s on 4.5, and I could easily go down to 4.5" with the 36s, but i cut lots of sheet metal, bump stopped, and long arms. Used to run 33s on 3". I would keep it lower. I wouldnt pull a leaf out of the rear either. cheap, quick and easy answer is get a 3/4 lift shackle and call it done. Get some good monotube shocks instead of shackle relocation boxes. 5100s, 5150s, RE monotubes are rebadged bilstiends, something like that in the middle of the road of price and performance.

Click to expand...

i think I'll have to do the lift in stages, do the back and check shackle angle, I can't order the front springs until I figure out if the rear shackle angle is gonna be crap or not. They are used springs so I won't have any settling time in them, the should be already settled.

does a boomerang shackle do anything for shackle angle of just change the way the suspension wraps?

blondejoncherokee said:

relocation brackets = increased rear steer + lowering rear roll center, one of the old timers on here that built his own years ago before companies started making them said most guys have removed them due to the rear steer, lower roll center, and some interesting unloading on hills.

Click to expand...

I have noticed none of those things since installing the relocation brackets.

and I went from a stock shackle to a 5" shackle with the relocation brackets.

blondejoncherokee said:

relocation brackets = increased rear steer + lowering rear roll center, one of the old timers on here that built his own years ago before companies started making them said most guys have removed them due to the rear steer, lower roll center, and some interesting unloading on hills. If you want the rear to stay low, grab a RE 3/4" lift shackle, or some 1.25" boomerangs from serious offroad on here on Naxja, once the 4.5s settle in after some wheeling , youll be around 5-5.5" of lift. Id stay under 5.5" if you run less than 37-39" tires. I run 36s on 5", used to run 35s on 4.5, and I could easily go down to 4.5" with the 36s, but i cut lots of sheet metal, bump stopped, and long arms. Used to run 33s on 3". I would keep it lower. I wouldnt pull a leaf out of the rear either. cheap, quick and easy answer is get a 3/4 lift shackle and call it done. Get some good monotube shocks instead of shackle relocation boxes. 5100s, 5150s, RE monotubes are rebadged bilstiends, something like that in the middle of the road of price and performance.

Click to expand...

I call BS. Some simple research will show that the majority of owners love their relocated shackles. Me included.

Boostwerks.com said:

I call BS. Some simple research will show that the majority of owners love their relocated shackles. Me included.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I have some homemade ones copied from freerider, and they are great. Been on for 6 years

I can see odd unloading coming from 'goofy leafs', revolvers, missing link or some other such dual shackle or 3/4 ellliptical designs ... but not specificly from my HDOR brackets (or any other brands). I can't see them having a dramaticly problematic effect like that, and far less than a longer shackle would.
Now, a mile long shackle attached to the stock retention point ... I could see that wandering like a drunk dog down the road/trail. Or mixing a better shackle angle with an unloading shackle type (see above) and yeah you might have some wierd triats pop up there ... but again, not likely to be the brackets themselves being the issue.
As far as wierd handling in the rear ... for any odd traits, I am likely to attribute that to the 6" change in ride height more than to just one of the components. That, and I had similar rear handling characteristcs before and after the reloc brackets were installed, with only a slight change in suspension compliance.

but hey, I'm no expert just passing my experiences, I try to not believe everything I read on the interwebz

Boostwerks.com said:

I call BS. Some simple research will show that the majority of owners love their relocated shackles. Me included.

Click to expand...

I was considering building some a while back, researched on the things for a month or two. Right on the Fence with them...read so many threads on em, and on pirate on suspension geometries and a lower roll center in the rear with longer shackles can cause some gnarly rear steer, but I am picturing crazy long shackles not out .75=1.5" shackles...... Then Crash on here talked about the ones he built years ago. said the unloading down hill was pretty scary and he blamed that on the lower roll center, along with increased sway with the things, But i dont know his shock/leaf setup or if he was running crazy long shackles perhaps. When I got my willys it had the longest shackles id ever seen in the rear of a willys that wasnt trailered, like 8-9" long or longer. terrible rear steer and wondering. new rear packs (they were totally shot due to the crazy long shackles) and stock length shackles fixed all of the weird handling on the thing. It was pretty much night and day.

I ran the same springs with their extended shackles, then installed my HD Offroad shackle reloction brackets.....with the shackles mounted one hole back from the forward most position, it rides real nice and picked up less than an inch in height.

With the shackle leaning forward like that, it puts more weight on the spring (leverage) and you will get a softer ride and less lift....however, you will have to trim the bracket to get clearance for shackle swing.

Hans

I love my relocation boxes. No "unloading" or any other issues, just great flex and ride. I have 1" longer shackles than stock and they only touch the boxes at full stuff. I netted 4.5" from that combination with 3" springs.

your math seems to be off though...

4.5" from springs
5/8" from relocation boxes with stock shackles at 45*
1/4" from 8.8
---------------------------
so 5.5" if you use stock shackles

now remember the shackle boxes allow you to run a 45* shackle angle so cut the difference in length for your extended shackles in half to give the height - ie. 2" longer than stock shackles will give you 1" lift at 45* angle