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Shackle Construction

R

ReftonsRed

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Pennsylvania
I'm planning on getting rid of my OEM shackles soon and would rather fabricate than buy. I am looking for about extra 1.5'' overall. My question is has anyone fabricated there own shackles and if so could you provide a discription how this was done, dimensions, and picture(s) if possible.
 
I haven't made XJ shackles, but have made them for a CJ. XJ shackles are more complicated, having a tube at one end and a clevis at the other. Unless your fab skills are solid, you'd be time and money ahead buying a pair of lift shackles.

That said, if you still want to build them, use your stock ones as templates and cut. fit, and weld your material to match the width dimensions but make them longer. You'll also likely want to incorporate a "boomerang" shape into the side bars to account for leaf stuff to avoid hitting the "frame". Remember, the amount of lift will be half of the shackle length increase, i.e 3" longer side bars will net you 1.5" of lift.

Good luck either way.
 
Hey thanks I forgot to take into account the tubing which makes the project more difficult. I'd still like to make an attempt though so any more info would be helpful.
 
The best thing you could do is get ahold of someone's lift shackle and copy it exactly. And like I said, your fab skills need to be solid, as there will be welded structure literally supporting the ass end of your Jeep.
 
Do I suggest what the PO did? No. Did it work? Well; yes but I'm pulling it out to put a normal extended shackle in.
Sheild the eyes of the easily impressionable. It hasn't failed for my; Yet...
Stock Shackle (mj) Extended
ExtendedShackle0042.jpg

ExtendedShackle0052.jpg

ExtendedShackle0092.jpg
 
rsquirt83 said:
Do I suggest what the PO did? No. Did it work? Well; yes but I'm pulling it out to put a normal extended shackle in.
Sheild the eyes of the easily impressionable. It hasn't failed for my; Yet...
Stock Shackle (mj) Extended
ExtendedShackle0042.jpg

ExtendedShackle0052.jpg

ExtendedShackle0092.jpg
Click to expand...


Boy, Great flix i bet
 
that's kinda scary lookin..... looks like it worked though...
 
I must be easily impressed because I don't get it... What's so scary about those?
They seem basically the same as any other basic non-boomerang lift shackle... ???
 
ReftonsRed said:
Hey thanks I forgot to take into account the tubing which makes the project more difficult. I'd still like to make an attempt though so any more info would be helpful.
Click to expand...
If you can gat ahold of a spare set of stock shackles, you can cut off the original loop and use it. It would be the perfect size, and cheap.
 
i was going to fab my own up, so i did some trig out (ME major... what do you exect :lecture:) and a 4.5" long shackle will get 1.25" of lift and sit at 34* from vert and a 5" long shackle will get you 1.75" of lift and sit at 30* from vert. note that lengths are center to center. make sure to use a cross brace when you fab them :twak:. good luck!
 
Twicepardoned said:
I must be easily impressed because I don't get it... What's so scary about those?
They seem basically the same as any other basic non-boomerang lift shackle... ???
Click to expand...

it's just looks a little how he just welded tabs, and a small brace on his stock shackles... I'm sure they work perfectly fine, and hold up fine, it's just that if I was going to lengthen chackles, I'd cut it down to the eye first... I dunno, it's just a little disconcerting to me.
 
I was thinking of doing something similar to what was/is on rsquirt83's jeep but using alot more bracing to the point of ridiculous overkill. If you can weld good it should hold up just fine.
 
that would make me feel more comfortable :)
 
broqenjeep said:
what about bolting another factory shackle to the first one then welding in a stop to keep it from going backwards.
Click to expand...
Been there,done that!
s2.jpg
 
No,that was about 5 years ago when I was at about 3" of lift.
 
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