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How long can a make a shackle?

C

CW

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Ok, I am fed up with my rear springs stiffness. They are a mix of waggy and comanche springs under the xj main leaf. I just put them together to give me 7" of lift with an mj shackle, so it would be driveable so I could make the trip down to school. The packs are nine leafs and I would like to knock it down to the least amount possible. How long could I make a shackle and still have it behave well and be safe? I would like to squeeze 3" or so out of them put that means a 6" longer shackle. I want to fab them this weekend before a trail run so I don't really have trial and error time. Also would I gain any advantage from a boomerang shackle with a stock main leaf?
 
CW said:
Also would I gain any advantage from a boomerang shackle with a stock main leaf?
Click to expand...
Wht is the advantage of using a boomerang shackle? Ive seen them a lot of CJs and YJs. SOme have the longer part of the boomerang up and some have it down. Does it matter?
Sorry about the hijack
 
Wht is the advantage of using a boomerang shackle? Ive seen them a lot of CJs and YJs. SOme have the longer part of the boomerang up and some have it down. Does it matter?
Sorry about the hijack
Click to expand...
Boomerang shackle can allow longer or shorter main leaf, depending on placement. (there's more to it than that, but this is a common reason, you can read more on the internet doing a google search) not an advantage in an XJ since there are so many leafs that fit available. It can also affect how the leaves flex.

Where can you get the poly liners for leafs at?
Click to expand...
just about any spring shop should be able to help you, or you can order them over the internet, or you can cut up an old krazy karpet into 2.5" wide strips.
you can use graphite sliders or graphite paint on them to have the same effect: getting the leaves to slide along one another with less friction. They will ride smoother and quieter. I've even seen a guy with a hand-stitched leather "boot" filled with grease over his entire leaf pack like old rolls royces. Quiet and smooth....
 
It could be the lack of any liner and the rust all over, but it is still really stiff and doesn't like to flex, plus the mj shackles bind on the hanger when traveling forward limiting drop. So I will fab some this weekend for sure and I'll swing by a spring shop and see if I can find some linings. But I would really like to lose a few leafs.
 
CW said:
It could be the lack of any liner and the rust all over, but it is still really stiff and doesn't like to flex, plus the mj shackles bind on the hanger when traveling forward limiting drop. So I will fab some this weekend for sure and I'll swing by a spring shop and see if I can find some linings. But I would really like to lose a few leafs.
Click to expand...

the same spring shops that should sell poly spring liners should also be able to re-arch your spring pack. Remove a couple of leaves if you want to, add the liners to keep things smooth, and then get the whole pack re-arched by the spring shop to the height you need. Easy and should be cheep.
 
Yeah but I'm needing a one day turn around. I have to drive 90 miles after school on friday, work on it on saturday and make a trail ride on sunday. I will wheel with my current setup if needed but, the rear is too stiff and makes it a little wierd.
 
i feel your pain, nothing worse than having a stiff one in the rear, or so i'm told*





*no actual experience from this on my part
 
CW said:
Yeah but I'm needing a one day turn around. I have to drive 90 miles after school on friday, work on it on saturday and make a trail ride on sunday. I will wheel with my current setup if needed but, the rear is too stiff and makes it a little wierd.
Click to expand...

one day turnaround eh? smart thinking, that way, if something goes wrong, like a broken leaf spring bolt, then you have plenty of time to fix it before you have to go somewhere. cripes man, do it another weekend. i highly recommend that you just wheel it as is, what's the big deal? If its so bad, sacrifice a day of wheeling and get it done...if not, take your chances that something will go wrong and you will be stranded. Or, call ahead and see if the spring shop will book you in to get your springs rearched. In my case, I brought just the leaf packs in and they did it in about an hour. But i knew how much arch to get done. In your case, you will probably need to spend a little time with them. SO, i recommend just wheeling it as is. Or as said before, put in the long plastic sliders twixt the leafs. You might still need a new centerpin and new ubolts, depending on how much it spaces the pack apart. Next time, give yourself enough time to do the mod before the trail run.
 
Island XJ said:
one day turnaround eh? smart thinking, that way, if something goes wrong, like a broken leaf spring bolt, then you have plenty of time to fix it before you have to go somewhere. cripes man, do it another weekend. i highly recommend that you just wheel it as is, what's the big deal? If its so bad, sacrifice a day of wheeling and get it done...if not, take your chances that something will go wrong and you will be stranded. Or, call ahead and see if the spring shop will book you in to get your springs rearched. In my case, I brought just the leaf packs in and they did it in about an hour. But i knew how much arch to get done. In your case, you will probably need to spend a little time with them. SO, i recommend just wheeling it as is. Or as said before, put in the long plastic sliders twixt the leafs. You might still need a new centerpin and new ubolts, depending on how much it spaces the pack apart. Next time, give yourself enough time to do the mod before the trail run.
Click to expand...

All the hardware is two months old, so I'm not worried about that. I was perfectly happy with my old setup it just didn't give me enough lift to clear the 36's, and I was short on time so I threw some packs together with what I had lying around. It is impossible for me to have more than a day and a half to work on my junk because I can't plug a welder in and take up 5 spaces in the university parking lot, I barely even have enough space to change a broken tail light. Believe me, I know it's not the best situation. :mad:

Does anybody have any input on my original shackle question? I will fab them before I take anything apart. I just need some guidence on how long I can go, and if making some boomerangs is woth it.
 
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