got a couple questions about shackles

hey guys

well i went wheeling a little yesterday (it was actually just a monthly thing to clean the local trails, but how better to get through the trails than to drive them right!!) and i realized that my rear, not only flex, but give to bumps was terrible.

i have a rustys 4.5 inch lift full spring pack (well, i removed the fifth "baby" spring.

anyway. i knew it has always been stiff, but only yesterday did i actually investigate why. turns out, i should have bought a 3.5 inch pack with 1 inch lift shackles, because my shackles are straight up and down and allow for no flex really (stock ones with a 4.5 inch pack)

so i had purchased a set of 2 inch lift shackles (yes, 2 inch lift, not two inches longer) for my new project (along with 2 inch polys but thats not the point) and i was thinking about putting them on Ol' Red. it sits at a little over 4.5 up front and just about 4" in the rear. i still have one more leaf i can take off before i start getting to the full length leaves. i was wondering if i removed this do you think the sag from that would level out with the extra 2 inches. i dont want to be riding 6 in the rear and 4.5 in front. (nor do i want to ride 6.5 up front, i just dont have the modifications for that yet and im not stupid)

so what are your guys thoughts... i want flex, but i dont know if removing the leaf will create too much spring wrap/and warp.. they are pretty stiff leaves though..

also, ive been thinking about something, do you think my uptravel in the rear would be complimented if i cut an inch or so of the metal out of the rear of the area, where the "Frame" access holes are, right behind the shackle so that it doesnt hit when rotating upward?

How old is the spring pack? I'm running the same springs with a 3/4" lift shackle & it flexes just fine. They were stiff at first but have loosened up over the last 3 yrs. JIM.

just about a year ^ they have settled, and when i force them too, they flex great, but the stock shackles are limiting badly because of their angles || instead of \ \

just for some clarification of the last question, heres a quick paint example of what i meant (sorry, im too tired to work with coordinates in cad tonight heh)

Looks like that would work, but I have little experience with that kind of stuff. I would want to reinforce the shackle mounting box & around the cut out area. With the 3/4" shackles the only thing I hit when flexing was the factory bumper mounting bolt. JIM.

thanks, i was planning on re-enforcing it if it was practical to cut the slot

any body else?

hey guys i have off today, so i wanted to get some work done
any help would be great

I have 4.5 inch Rusty packs and 2" shackles in rear. Tons of flex. Heres pics of angles etc. My spring packs are over 3 years old but I don't remember them ever being super stiff.

how much lift did it net you, i dont want 6.5 inches i havent modded it to work at that hight yet. looks like you have ~3 leaves as well, so id like to know how it worked out

It actually lifted the rear a little over 5 1/2 inches.

i guess thats not too bad, how many leaves in the pack?

Total of 5 leaves. These packs are around 4 years old and I'm sure they have settled a little. It should have given me 6 inches and very well may have with new packs. I have 6 inch long arm in front and this set up in rear. I am putting new coils and packs in next month for 8 inches total.

yea, i dont have the money to go long arm or do many of the necessary modifications to the heep yet to go 6+ so i want to stay around 5. thats pretty comforting, my springs are a year old now and i am thinking about removing the 4th leaf and reinstalling the smaller 5th leaf for some support, im just hoping that their is enough sag (not negative sag, just enough to level it out and make flex easier, while keeping good spring rate)

what do you think?

Well I wish I knew. As long as the shackle is even a little bit angled, I mean it shouldn't be straight up and down, It should allow for your springs to have plenty of flex. As for as removing springs , I never have. Again , mine will get stupid in the flex department. Have you talked to Rusty?

no i think thats on my list of things to do.
thats good though that it didnt net too much lift. i am probably going to try it and see how it is, if its too much, or if the springs sag, ill just put everything back to normal before any damage gets done.

WHY DO THESE STUPID BOLTS NOT COME OUT!!!

i got the bottom shackle bolt out easy as pie, get to the top one, nothing, not even the slightest movement. i didnt think the top REAR was supposed to get frozen like the front one... so what now, ive tried heating it, i have been letting it soak in liquid wrench for a while now ( couple days) ive done all but cut into it...

i even broke one of my real good wrenches trying to torque it out with a breaker bar...

any tricks for the TOP REAR shackle bolt?

never mind... it just took some creativity...

well after a long day of struggle, i finally got them on (the struggle was with the top rear shackle bolt on the passenger side)

looks good, height is perfect, but the shackles are pretty straight up and down. id say they are at --if vertical is 180*-- about 160*

is that ok, i thought they would be pushed out more, altough the ride performance IS noticible.

Hey guys

does anyone know the size and thread of the shackle bolts? i need to go to homedepot because my whole town is closed on sundays, and i dont want to trust my jeep on a jack all day.