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Cutting behind stock shackle mount for shackle movement?

ljobbins

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
SD County
I have read a lot about shackle relocation brackets and or boomerang shackles to allow for the shackle to travel more but I was looking at it today and it seems like it would be easy to just cut out the cross member behind and weld in some support, allowing for the shackle to have more room for travel. Has anyone done this or have any reasons why this would be a bad idea? I’ve seen shackles attached to bumpers but have yet to see what I am describing.
 
Describe your suspension.

The main benefits of shackle relocation brackets is the ability to tune the leaf spring suspension for improved shackle angle. Additional shackle travel is a minor benefit, but leaf springs do need to be properly bump stopped to prevent damage from inverting the springs, making unlimited shackle travel neither desirable or beneficial.

IMO what you propose is a lot of effort for little to no gain. I have never thought that my XJ's off-road ability has been hampered by the shackle travel. Shackle relocation brackets are inexpensive and allow tuning the rear suspension for proper shackle angles with lifted leaf springs that are longer eye to eye than stock springs.
 
Well i'm just trying to look at every option before I commit to anything. The main thing I was looking at was keeping center of gravity as low as possible. I was thinking if I could get a longer somewhat flatter spring than most people have I can have a longer shackle that would sit near 45 degrees in the stock shackle position. If I did this the shackle would be limited in compression by the rear of the shackle mount. I would then also have more droop from the size of a flatter spring being able to curve and drop down as well as a longer shackle. Being able to have a longer flatter spring would allow me to have some compression without as much lift as a person would normally have.

If any of what I said works I still have to figure out what I would do with shocks. So, thoughts? Opinions?
 
If I was fitting longer leaf springs, I would move the front leaf spring mount.
 
Besides keeping the axle in the stock position, what would be the benefit of moving the front mount forward vs. extending the back like i'm saying?
 
The further your wheel from the front mount, the more wheel travel is possible. There are other factors but that’s the thought. Think of a leaf spring like a control arm.
 
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