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Shackles or adding a stock leaf

D

dspilot

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Hickory Flat, MS
Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I get my shackles and spacers shipped to the homestead, I find some stock leaves close by. What would ya'll suggest for lifting the rear a couple inches-- shackles or adding a stock leaf?

Opinions please!!
 
with stock leafs if you put shackles in there it wont do anything... i made custom shackles for my old XJ they were 7" long and they gave me a 3" lift if you put you shackles in and add a leaf or two of more stock leafs that will lift it for real cheap thats what i did atleast... until i got my RE super flex kit:D
 
I've done the stock leaves on 3 different Jeeps now and I love it. If you want 2"+- do a main with the eyes cut off and the second leaf from the donor pack as well. Good ride and no sagging. Shackles will accelerate the wear on your stock packs. Not a good idea.
 
Once you build a good leaf pack longer shackles are essential to make it work well. Good flex=fairly flat pack + longer shackle + small lift block + friction reduction. Once you know how to build a leaf pack, rebuilding it every year or so (depends how hard you wheel) is a quick evening job and usually just entail replacing the main or the main plus first full.

John
 
While I am at it.......The packs that I found have about 93k on them. Mine have about 165. Should I completly remove mine and use them for the donor or do it the other way around??

Thanks
 
dspilot said:
While I am at it.......The packs that I found have about 93k on them. Mine have about 165. Should I completly remove mine and use them for the donor or do it the other way around??

Thanks
Click to expand...

I would remove yours and put in the newer pack, and use your older ones for AAL's. It will also ive you a chance to inspect the older leafs when you take them apart to see if there is an "S" shape are any cracks/bends that shouldn't be there. If your older packs are garbage, then you have the shackles to fall back on, but I would build a thicker pack before using a longer shackle. Longer shackles increase the range of motion, and since the stock packs don't have much arch to them anyways, the longer range of motion will allow the stock packs to straighten and even invert much easier. As mentioned, save the shackles for lift packs that have more leafs and a larger arch as they have a lot more room to stretch out without inverting.
 
I didn't know that I could take stock Xj leaves and add them to my current pack and get lift out of it. I thought I had to use leafs which had a high arch.
 
The stock shackle is pretty limited in movement, but if you get the proper angle with it, it won't be bad. However, this is nearly impossible to do using the stock main leaf. As you put more arch in the pack, you pull the eyes of the pack closer together, causing the shackle angle to get worse.

By adding a longer shackle, you increase the available movement of the shackle. This helps the ride, but won't significantly change the angle.

The only way to correct the angle is by using a proper (aftermarket) spring. You could move the upper shackle mount, but this can really only be done once you reach higher lifts. This is basically what I did, but I used longer leaves too (f-150), but mine is around 6.5". http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=901160

What I would suggest would be to swap in the newer packs and add your old leaves as suggested. Then add a slightly longer shackle. You can use MJ shackles, they are only about 1" longer (1/2" lift) and allow more movement then stock XJ shackles. I used F-150 shackles, they work fine, but you have to grind the bushing sleeve some to get them to fit the stock pockets. Chevy shackles are supposed to work too.

Good luck!
 
camarors8992 said:
I didn't know that I could take stock Xj leaves and add them to my current pack and get lift out of it. I thought I had to use leafs which had a high arch.
Click to expand...

You won't get but a couple inches, but yes, you can.
 
TRAILREADYXJ said:
You won't get but a couple inches, but yes, you can.
Click to expand...
By adding an xj main you will get 2". Main plus second leaf 2.25"+- I've done both and those are the measured results a couple days after the lift was on. My current set up is extra main and second added in and I have 2.5"+- none of the springs are upcountry.
 
asatxj said:
By adding an xj main you will get 2". Main plus second leaf 2.25"+- I've done both and those are the measured results a couple days after the lift was on. My current set up is extra main and second added in and I have 2.5"+- none of the springs are upcountry.
Click to expand...

Ok, well 2"+/-.5". It will depend on the age of the spring packs used. A friend of mine added just the main and only got around 1".
 
TRAILREADYXJ said:
Ok, well 2"+/-.5". It will depend on the age of the spring packs used. A friend of mine added just the main and only got around 1".
Click to expand...
I agree YMMV
I don't want to engage a urinating match. Just showing the range of possibility.
 
asatxj said:
I don't want to engage a urinating match. Just showing the range of possibility.
Click to expand...

Same here, I was just posting what I have experienced.
I have built quite a few "bastard" packs and they are never quite the same. It's all trial and error.
 
asatxj said:
Shackles will accelerate the wear on your stock packs. Not a good idea.
Click to expand...

My extended shackles inverted a good set of leaf springs. I got some replacements at the junkyard and used a stock main leaf as an add a leaf and it rides great and hauls plenty of cargo with no sagging.
 
Last edited:
Tim_MN said:
My extended shackles inverted a good set of leaf springs. I got some replacements at the junkyard and used a stock main leaf as an add a leaf and it rides great and hauls plenty of cargo with no sagging.
Click to expand...

Did you leave the extended shackles on it or go back to stock?
 
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