Shackle VS. Addaleaf

Hello everyone, in about 2 weeks over spring break i'm going to put on another 2 inches on top of my rustys 3 inch lift, i already got the the coil spacers for up front, and the longer break lines for the front, trackbar, and whatnot, now all i need is something for the rear, and Lower control arms ( let me know if you have any you want to get rid of!!!), anyway, what do you think would be better for the rear, a longer shackle (any type that i can pull off something in a junkyard?) or an addaleaf, i really dont mind the stiff ride, which i know an addaleaf will cause. Thanks everyone!!

Dave

Well... do you already have the 3 inch leaf pack in the or was the rusty's an AAL?

probably go for the shackles and a spacer if you want to do it fast and cheep. If you don't, well then don't.

its the full leaf pack

both - add another leaf from another pack

add a 1" lift shackle....

do you guys think i'll have some serious vibes at around 4.5 or 4.75 with a 1inch t-case drop and 2 1/2 degree shims?

thanks
dave

Wondo said:

do you guys think i'll have some serious vibes at around 4.5 or 4.75 with a 1inch t-case drop and 2 1/2 degree shims?
thanks dave

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Hey Dave. I'm guessing you will get some vibes, how serious, you probably won't know until you drive it. It its really bad, you could lower your t-case a tad more, but that would only be a very temporary fix. You shouldn't need angled shims unless you are running an SYE. Best thing to do is buy a cheap angle finder and then shim your rear axle as needed to run your shaft in phase. Your driveshaft angles should be the same, with a small amount in the pinion to account for normal axle wrap during acceleration.
B.

XJ_ranger said:

both - add another leaf from another pack

add a 1" lift shackle....

Click to expand...

ditto...

'cept I'd go with a full length AAL and a 3" longer shackle (1.5" lift)

Thanks everyone for the info...Hey beej, do you think it would be wise to get a different yoke? I've heard people talk about getting a wrangler yoke..dont know the years or anything, but they say it is a bit longer and i forget what else? Do you think it would be wise to remove the shims since i dont have an SYE or should i keep them to help with vibes? Thank you very much for the info!!

Dave

I don't have any experience with the Wrangler yokes, others can chime in, but my impression is that they are also a 'temporary' fix. I understand that some have run them without problems, but I would vote for getting an SYE. From a couple of guys I know that have done this, the recommendations are for a heavy-duty SYE rather than a hack n' tap style. They aren't that expensive and will save you big $$ in the long run by preventing your driveline from imploding. Insofar as the shims go, its tough to say how many degrees you will need to shim until everything is installed and the angles checked on flat ground. Once you have all your suspension components installed and tightened, check your vibrations on the road. If they exist, check your driveshaft angles and shim or un-shim as necessary. I have always been able to slip the shims in after only loosening the ubolts. I will also recommend that you clean and paint your leafs when you have the pack apart, and consider applying some graphite paint to the leaves and running full-length poly spring sliders between the leaves. Great protection and great flex eh?

Good luck with it, it sounds like fun!
B.

Beej, Thank you very much for the info!!! i'll let ya know how it all goes.

I would prefer not to add a aal to a lift pack (you probably will not get the amount of lift out of the aal that they advertise). I would prefer the shackle (it will be softer and add more flex to the current springs).

As for the rest of the driveline. You need to install it all and check to make sure there is no binding at the u-joints at full droop. if there is you need a YJ or rusty's yoke. Then you can check for vibrations and shimming to correct any vibrations.

You might want to do a search on SYE and YJ yokes. They do not fix the same things. After a search it should be more clear as to how they might or might not help you with your application.

Michael

Adding shackles will also help correct the pinion angle a little, so definately do the shackles before you buy shims.

baldwinwb said:

Adding shackles will also help correct the pinion angle a little, so definately do the shackles before you buy shims.

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I got some negative feedback for this?
Everything I said was 100% correct. Adding Shackles Changes the pinnion angle. In the rear, where we are talking about, longer shackles will help point the pinion up! Also you definately want to install the shackles before you get the shims, so you can get an accurate measurement and order the correct shims!

baldwinwb said:

I got some negative feedback for this?
Everything I said was 100% correct. Adding Shackles Changes the pinnion angle. In the rear, where we are talking about, longer shackles will help point the pinion up! Also you definately want to install the shackles before you get the shims, so you can get an accurate measurement and order the correct shims!

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pay up - become a member - find out who gave it to you - then PM them...

baldwinwb said:

Adding shackles will also help correct the pinion angle a little, so definately do the shackles before you buy shims.

Click to expand...

without a SYE and CV shaft, he DOESNT want the pinion pointed up. The shackles willl change the angle and he may have to reverse shim to correct for that. So in my opinion, it doesnt help. I was not the one who gave you bad feedback.

If he does get the SYE and CV shaft, the change in angle will be in the right direction, he may then be able to use a lesser degree shim.

Thanks for all the replies and info everyone!!

Dave

jjvande said:

without a SYE and CV shaft, he DOESNT want the pinion pointed up. The shackles willl change the angle and he may have to reverse shim to correct for that. So in my opinion, it doesnt help. I was not the one who gave you bad feedback.

If he does get the SYE and CV shaft, the change in angle will be in the right direction, he may then be able to use a lesser degree shim.

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With a T-Case Drop the output shaft will be angled down slightly. For best ride quality on a stock drive shaft the T-Case output shaft and Pinion need to be parrallel. So the pinion would need to be angled up slightly as well so that they will be parrallel. Either senerio the drive quality requires the pinion to come up.