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lateral shackle angles?

ocean_jet

ocean_jet

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Diego
I installed the HD Offroad Engineering shackle relocation boxes. Deaver springs, RE lift shackles.


The typical shackle angles you would typically look at are fine. But, for some reason when viewed from the rear of the Jeep, the shackles seem to angle outward... laterally toward the tires.

I measured the distance between the insides of the springs, and they are consistent within less than a 1/4 inch front to back. My thought was that the rear of the springs are "wider apart" than the front. Doesn't really seem to be the case.



JeepShackels222.jpg


JeepShackels333.jpg





What would be causing this, and is it anything to worry about?

If it's not a problem, I don't really mind them sitting that way. But, it does seem as though it can't be good for bushing life.
 
looks like the relocation brackets are mounted too far inward. i wouldnt run it like that if it was my rig
 
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Nothing to do with your question, but how are the bolts tying into the framerail reversed? The oem nutstrip has the nut inside the frame and the bolt head facing the ground.

Just curious, i run the shackle relocation brackets as well combined with an aftermarket gas skid and have not been able to get a hitch to fit. Looks like you made it work.

As far as the shackle problem, from the pics it looks like the sides of the 'c' bracket that the shackle fits arent parallel. Might just be the pic though.
 
What version are those? I had to do some cutting and hammering on the shackle box to get them to line up properly.
 
Lurch said:
......

Just curious, i run the shackle relocation brackets as well combined with an aftermarket gas skid and have not been able to get a hitch to fit. Looks like you made it work

.....
Click to expand...

does the bracket piece that mounts to the factory box have an oblong hole, to allow for some adjustment? seems like maybe it should be mounted on top of the hitch (as in mounted last, after skid & hitch are up in place), & adjusted up or down on the bolt that mounts into the factory box?

:dunno:... just a thought
 
From your very last picture it looks like the new mounts are at an angle. You should try loosening the long bolt that originally held your shackle on the car side...see if you can get it to level out. Having the weight of the car on it ought to help!
 
ktm racer 419 said:
looks like the relocation brackets are mounted too far inward.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought, but they only go in one way.



MoparManiac said:
Are the brackets left/right specific?
Click to expand...

They are two piece brackets. The part that goes into the stock shackle box can only be installed on the correct side. That part that mounts to that and holds the shackle could easily be interchanged side to side. I am pretty sure they are identical for each side, but I will check.


91to99 said:
What version are those? I had to do some cutting and hammering on the shackle box to get them to line up properly.
Click to expand...

Not sure because I bought them used about a year ago.



xj^REMY said:
does the bracket piece that mounts to the factory box have an oblong hole, to allow for some adjustment? seems like maybe it should be mounted on top of the hitch (as in mounted last, after skid & hitch are up in place), & adjusted up or down on the bolt that mounts into the factory box?
Click to expand...

I think it is oblong. I would like to think they would work with or without the hitch... and I thought they were suppose to be mounted first... but not sure.


Porch951 said:
From your very last picture it looks like the new mounts are at an angle. You should try loosening the long bolt that originally held your shackle on the car side...see if you can get it to level out. Having the weight of the car on it ought to help!
Click to expand...

I will try that. There is weight on them in the pictures.

Actually, when there was no weight on the car, they looked fine... nicely vertical. I didn't notice one way or the other when I first put weight back on. I drove it around about 25 miles, and when I parked it to check over everything, that is when I first noticed it.
 
CharlesS said:
They are RE lift shackles and the bushings are poly....
While it may be an optical illusion; it looks like the bolt holes on the right side of the bracket are up a little higher than on the left causing the problem.
Click to expand...


I think it's an optical illusion. I just checked, and they are pretty much lined up.
 
Lurch said:
Nothing to do with your question, but how are the bolts tying into the framerail reversed? The oem nutstrip has the nut inside the frame and the bolt head facing the ground.
Click to expand...

When I got the hitch, there was no nut-strip on the driver side. The hitch came with carriage bolts, and some flat square brackets with a small square hole in the middle. I had to fish those and the bolts through the frame rail and the carriage bolts set into those.

Ha... I always thought that was standard!


Oh, also, I have the Tomken gas tank skid which does not mount to the frame rail (not a great design)... so I only have the shackle relo bracket and the hitch on the frame rail.


Lurch said:
As far as the shackle problem, from the pics it looks like the sides of the 'c' bracket that the shackle fits arent parallel. Might just be the pic though.
Click to expand...

I think the "c' brackets bend in slightly as opposed to being parallel, but the shackle is no where near parallel to the bolt that is holding them into the "c" brackets.
 
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My guess would be bad shackle bushings causing it to lean outward where it is potentially more worn out?
 
Stock rear axle? Looks kinda like the perches are too far out.... which wouldnt make sense if it were stock.
 
Jeep450r said:
Stock rear axle? Looks kinda like the perches are too far out.... which wouldnt make sense if it were stock.
Click to expand...

It is not a stock rear axle. It is an MJ 44 with the perches re-installed for SOA.

But, I have been running the axle for a couple years already before I installed the shackle relo brackets. Maybe the problem was always there but I never noticed since the shackles were mounted up in the boxes where it would be less obvious.

Also, I am thinking that if the perches were too wide, then the springs would be closer together at the front hangers, and wider apart at the rear shackles. They are about 3/6"-1/4" wider apart at the rear than at the front. I would have rather seen no variance, but even at 1/4", that would be 1/8" inch per spring. These are way more than 1/8" off.




How would I measure the spring perches to see if that is the problem?





Thanks everyone for your comments!!!
 
The brackets look right. Try loosening your ubolts on the axle to see if the springs can move in a little.
 
When you reinstalled the mj d44 brackets for soa did you move them inboard or keep them at the same spacing? If you kept them at the same spacing then thats your problem as mj's mounts are wider than xj's. You keep measuring the front and back of the leafs but what about the middle where they're mounted?
 
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