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Leaf spring length

F

frozen chosen

NAXJA Forum User
Location
North Dakota
Do all of the mfgs make their leaf springs too short? I know that you can spend the money and go with Deaver or some custom springs but why do the ones in the kits seem as though they are too short. I have the 4.5 RC and my shackles are vert. and that is the only thing that seems to make the kit ride bad... I also have 1.5 in. shackles on my rig, is this where I went wrong?
Please let me know what other kits are like.
Thanks
 
As far as i know no one but the custom type leaf builders, " IE " deaver,national etc make them for proper shackle angle. i think i read RE makes there's a little longer. don't have first hand experience with them myself.i have often wondered why a lift company selling aftermarket springs wouldnt have them made a little longer for good shackle angle myself.
 
I just installed RC's 3" lift with full packs (not AAL) yesterday and my shackle angle is just about where the stock springs had it.
When I talked to Jason at RC he assured me that there would be no problems with it....seems that he was right.
The eye to eye measurement was the same as my stock one, the new pack has a slight more arch and a extra leaf in it.
 
So it sounds as though anything above 3" is not going to have the right spring length and you have to modify the mounts to get the propper shackle angle...This doesn't seem right to me but then I am not the one making the money on the extra parts you have to buy to make it right, I am just the one SPENDING the money.
 
Is your shackle a boomerang style shackle? That would help, and is what RE recommends with there springs.
 
jeepme said:
Is your shackle a boomerang style shackle? That would help, and is what RE recommends with there springs.
Click to expand...
The shape of a shackle has nothing to do with the angle of it!
 
I have a new set of Rusty's 4.5inch leaf springs and the shackle angle is very nice on them, they are deffinently longer than my older rustys 4.5inch leaf springs. I believe they recently updated them. They ride nice and flex awesome!
 
I just installed a set of RE 5.5” with boomerangs; my shackles are at a 45 deg. Angle.
It appears that the shackle may hit the back of the shackle box when fully flexed out.
The 5.5” springs are longer than the RE 4.5” I removed.
 
I think it would be nice if the vendors would post up pictures of their different lift kits (1.5",3", 4.5" or whatever) installed on the rigs.
Not just the profile pictures of what it looks like .... but of things like brake line lengths (whether to use stock lines or not ...if applicable) and shackle angles and the like. (HINT...HINT)
 
As far as longer brake lines go that's another , but you need this to thing lol ! and extra $ for it.. i found a rear brake line relocator, good for up to 4.5 inches of lift. $ 12.99.. i am building my dodge van leaf bastard pack.
 
I have straight shackles and not the boomerang and I agree that weather they are boomerang or not, it would not make a difference... The springs need to be built longer from the MFG to fix this problem. I know they have to have so much of an arch built into them but when they build them they also need to be longer for the propper angle. They flex well and I have put them through their paces in the last 4 weeks but no settling like I expected. I take that back, the shackles were pointed forward when I first put the lift on and now they are straight up and down causing a very stiff ride due to the springs doing all the work and not the springs and shackles like it should be.
 
It is not the shape but the length that changes the angle. Boomerangs a some of the longest shackles you can get. The shape is so that the shackle will not hit the back of the shackle box.
 
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