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not happy with lift....

fuzzydog

NAXJA Forum User
Location
BC Canada
Well, when I first got my XJ I did a bastard pack with dakota springs under the main XJ leaf, and bronco coils up front. I was happy, it worked and flexed well.
then I put in a rusty's 6.5" long arm up front and I am happy with that - it works well. To level it out I originally used a 3" block under my bastard pack. was not happy with that. Now I got a BDS 5" spring pack and an extended shackle. It levels the jeep but now doesn't flex so well anymore because long before the rear tire gets anywhere near full stuff, the extended shackle hits the back of the shackle 'pocket'. I guess these BDS springs are longer than the stockers but you would think they would say something when you buy them....

Anyway, just wanted to rant so the next guy that looks at rear lift springs and shackles will keep this in mind. I am now looking at making a custom rear shackle hanger like some that I have seen on the site here.
 
Starboard M said:
You could use a boomerang shackle.
Yep, several companies sell them.

Or make your own. If you don't have the skill or equipment, take measurements, buy the steel, and pay someone from the board locally to do it for you.

I'd just order a pair of boomerang shackles and be done with it.
 
89xj said:
wouldnt you expext a 5" lift spring to be longer???

ding ding ding

not to hate, but it HAS to be longer, there's more arch. Geometry's a bitch.
 
87manche said:
ding ding ding

not to hate, but it HAS to be longer, there's more arch. Geometry's a bitch.
Along the arch of the spring yes, but if your measuring strait across eye to eye, they very well could be the same length.
 
Starboard M said:
Along the arch of the spring yes, but if your measuring strait across eye to eye, they very well could be the same length.

ok, wouldnt you expect the springs to bend/flex resulting in the increase of length from there static position?
 
Starboard M said:
Along the arch of the spring yes, but if your measuring strait across eye to eye, they very well could be the same length.
sure, but look at the spring like it's a semi ellipse.
In order to get lift you have to increase the radius of the ellipse, increasing the radius means that you increase it's circumference. So if you take the new longer semi ellipse and lay it flat, it will be longer.
 
on the longer spring theory....

Yes the spring length itself will be longer, but that is because it has more arch to it, as was already described. I expected, perhaps foolishly so, that the eye to eye distance on the lift spring would be the same as on the stock, perhaps even shorter to allow for further backwards movement of the shackle when the longer spring compresses. I expected, again perhaps misguided, that since I was buying a lift spring for a specific vehicle it had been engineered to work on that vehicle. The result of my installation is that the spring does not work. This may be the spring makers fault or it may be the shackle makers fault....haven't thought enough about it, but if the eye to eye distance on the lift springs is longer than on stock, there is no way that it can compress very far with a stock shackle = useless lift spring except for mall crawlers.

I am going to either move my shackle mount down out of the 'pocket' or go with the boomerangs, probably fab my own. I've seen them in action and liked what I saw.
 
Get some br shackles, but also give the springs a chance to break in a little before you write them off. They may flex better with some miles on them. You could toss a little weight into the cargo area to speed this process.
 
no_gamecocks said:
Get some br shackles, but also give the springs a chance to break in a little before you write them off. They may flex better with some miles on them. You could toss a little weight into the cargo area to speed this process.

sorry, I didn't explain very well - the springs do flex well but as they flex they flatten, pushing the rear eye further to the rear of the rig, which flattens out the shackle until it (the shackle) hits the back of the shackle pocket. Then the spring can't straighten out anymore and the tire is still well out of the wheel well. I'd like to be able to stuff them more. I found a couple of threads on here of how guys have moved the shackle mounting point out of the pocket - some nice work and good ideas.
 
87manche said:
sure, but look at the spring like it's a semi ellipse.
In order to get lift you have to increase the radius of the ellipse, increasing the radius means that you increase it's circumference. So if you take the new longer semi ellipse and lay it flat, it will be longer.

Picture032Sping.jpg


The spring can be the same distance from point A to point C, as it would be from D to point F.

The spring can also be a different length with A-B-C to D-E-F.


For example, my RE 4.5'' leaf pack put my shackle angle in the exact same position as the stock leaf pack did.
So the eye to eye, strait across is the same measurement. What differs is the measurement allong the pack.
 
fuzzydog said:
sorry, I didn't explain very well - the springs do flex well but as they flex they flatten, pushing the rear eye further to the rear of the rig, which flattens out the shackle until it (the shackle) hits the back of the shackle pocket.

Thus the point of the shackle and the springs... do boomers
 
Starboard M said:
Picture032Sping.jpg


The spring can be the same distance from point A to point C, as it would be from D to point F.

The spring can also be a different length with A-B-C to D-E-F.


For example, my RE 4.5'' leaf pack put my shackle angle in the exact same position as the stock leaf pack did.
So the eye to eye, strait across is the same measurement. What differs is the measurement allong the pack.

Like Piccaso said here...

Dude.. thats modern art
 
fuzzydog said:
sorry, I didn't explain very well - the springs do flex well but as they flex they flatten, pushing the rear eye further to the rear of the rig, which flattens out the shackle until it (the shackle) hits the back of the shackle pocket. Then the spring can't straighten out anymore and the tire is still well out of the wheel well. I'd like to be able to stuff them more. I found a couple of threads on here of how guys have moved the shackle mounting point out of the pocket - some nice work and good ideas.
That is a good idea, but it might be better to get a boomerang shackle like suggested before. It will look something like this:
p23195.jpg
 
DirtyMJ said:
Hack the back end off it...

at least finish the thought.....


....and 4 link it with coils

I was wondering when you would suggest something radical. I see you've moved further up north.
 
A bit farther. I'll go back in a bit. Once it starts getting warm again...


I hacked the back off mine and left it in the parent's garage because I didn't get my 4-link done. I hope it's still there when I go back for it.
 
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