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RE 4.5" lift spring and shackle question.

nosajwp

NAXJA Forum User
Right now I have a stock 2001 XJ 4.0L auto 4x4. I've read that using shackles on stock springs for a little boost is a good way to kill the springs quickly. Today I was looking at RE's 4.5" lift with rear leaves, and it looks like they use extended shackles in the rear for some lift. Will this wear out the RE springs in a similar way? Anyone have experience with this?
 
After about the first 75,000 miles most stock springs are worn out anyways. No the shackles included with the RE kit will not hurt their leaf springs. This a great performing kit. You won't regret buying this kit.
 
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I too researched this very question. The results and consensus after reading hundreds of pages of stuff...shackles will NOT cause your springs to sag or in any other way adversely affect them. Improper bumpstop adjustment is the culprit behind these statements. Although, I am always looking for a good explanation from someone who claims that leafs will sag due to longer shackles
B.
 
i was also looking at this kit. is it 4.5 total with the leafs and shackels or are they true 4.5 leafs + the shackels. .. i have skyjacker 3inch leafs and got 2 inches from my shackels......warn bumpers are heavy and im afraid it will only be a 4.5 in the back. and thats only .5 higher then now.
 
From what I have experienced Longer shackles only casue better flex. I am running a SOA on a 90 Commanche with a 3" lift shacle, and the truck has plenty of drop and flex.





Patrick
 
the shackles can contribute to the sagging of STOCK springs.. allowing them to flex more will give them more of a workout than they are designed for.. conversley a quality lift spring has more of an arch and will benefit from the additional travel afforded by the longer shackle.. a stock leaf is nearly flat and when its compressed up it will actually bring the shackle forward, this is greatly increased by lifting the vehicle with a shackle, by giving it more upward movement before it hits a bump stop.. lifting with a block leaves the stock spring configuration in place, but adds the axle-wrap problem to the set up, and this will also kill your spring by flexing it more in ways its not designed for.... an ADD A LEAF re-arches the leafs, and IMHO a FULL LENGTH leaf is the best route to go if you are not replacing the spring pack...
 
I am running the 4.5 RE superFLexy Kit! love it to death!
rundown.
leaf packs i believe are 3.5in 6leaf packs the shackles are the 1.75in extended shackles.
when i was done installing the lift the rear (with no bumper,or gas tank or lift gate from teh accident, mind you) sat about 6.5 inches above stock...then i added the lift gate gas tank and stock bumper and that took it down to about 5.5in of lift... when i first installed it. now about 1k miles later I had to load 300lbs of dog food in it to make ti sit level (took it down to stock height.
then I took 150lbs out
and it still runs just alittle high but it is working in.
The people at RE said they were designed to sit at the said height (3.5 or 4.5 depending on the spring) after settleing wich takes about 1500 to 2k miles or more on road.

I am kinda new to the jeep thing :laugh3: i like it.
the lift rides better than stock
but read up on it and know what you getting in to...
you gonna need an sye...

but yes super flexy is the words :sunshine:
 
sidriptide said:
the shackles can contribute to the sagging of STOCK springs.. allowing them to flex more will give them more of a workout than they are designed for.. ......a stock leaf is nearly flat and when its compressed up it will actually bring the shackle forward, this is greatly increased by lifting the vehicle with a shackle, by giving it more upward movement before it hits a bump stop..
Aha, so its the bumpstop, not the shackle?
 
reverse arching your springs due to improper bump-stops is what kills leaf springs.
 
90k ago I installed the RE 4.5 kit with full pack National Leaves. The coils were stiff so the rear sat a bit low, I installed greasable 3" shackles (1.5" net gain) and everyting looked great - until last summer when I loaded 900lbs. of sakcrete and who knows how many 4x4's in the back.

I oredered but still have not installed 1" spacers to compensate for the moronic self-induced leaf sag. Learn from me...

Mike/NY #300
 
my 3.5" RE leafs and extended shackle initially gave me 6.5" but has settled to 5" with 300# of tools and junk in the back.... 33x12.50s barely rub the plastic inner flares and i have not cut the rear fenders yet.. any more sag or junk in the back and i will have to address the issue
 
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