H.D. Offroad no lift shackle relocation install

[BRIANHO13]

Best shackle angle I could get with the stock shackles..

Any suggestions on lift shackles to improve the angle?



I welded the shackle boxes to frame inserts I made to beef up my cracked frame. I'll be posting a writeup on that at some point for anyone else interested.

I would try the hole that is up and back first.

 

[HobHayward]

Thanks Brian, My concern with that is that the shackles would have even less travel than they do now. The leaf bolts were resting on the shackle boxes when one they were one hole further forward, is that cutout enough if I was running different bolts on the leaf side of the shackle?

This was the middle hole on the bottom:

I kinda wanna replace these rusty bastards anyways so a set of lift shackles seems like a reasonable idea?

 

[BRIANHO13]

Lift shackles will definitely help, with travel

 

[travisk]

I just got a set of these no-lift shackle brackets installed and I'm pretty stoked about the results.

The shackles on my 6.5" RC lift were just about vertical before I installed these. Now they're at 45 degrees. I'm pretty sure I picked up a few inches of down travel now that the shackle has a full range of motion. You can kind of see it in the photos.

Ride height dropped about 3/4" with the bolt hole that I selected but that's just what I was hoping for.

Removing the stock shackle boxes with a cutting wheel is difficult. Next time I would find a plasma cutter. Also, make sure you have both nut strips before you start. These fit nicely even with a hitch/bumper and a ZJ gas tank skid.

 

[Mntnresq]

So, I got a set of these to fix the broken shackle mount on the pass side of my '00.

Description of why below, but a couple questions- The kit comes with three plates per side. I will be mounting above the hitch against the frame, but should there be a plate between the body and the mount, on the top of the box in that configuration? Mine kinda looks like the angle is a bit off and could use it, but seems Brian would have made the box the right height to begin with, and one would only use the plate if going below the hitch.

Just need to know, as I am going to weld them as well as bolt. Its not mentioned in his instructions, and his pics don't show the right angle to tell. I'm also thinking of cutting the frame side ears off (the chunk with the bolt holes), and welding the mounts and my hitch together. Other than now having a perma-hitch, anyone see an issue with that?

The Problem- The rig had an RE 5.5" short arm, with springs and extended shackles on it when I bought it 9 years ago. I drove the crap out of until last summer, when the handling got so bad I had to park it. On inspection, and attempts to disassemble it, I found that the shackle bolt had frozen into the bushing sleeve, and the outer hole in the stock shackle box was ovaled to about 1.5".

Twisted the head off the bolt trying to get it apart, and now have shackle abandoned in the stock box. So, I just started cutting the stock box out around it. Got the outside of the box off, and the shackle fell out. Turns out the bolt was also frozen into the nut, and together with the ovaled outer hole, allowed enough vertical movement to basically rip the whole center of the "nut hump" off the body. No wonder my handling was wonky, but one of those things you can't really see when it's together.

Thanks.

 

[BRIANHO13]

So, I got a set of these to fix the broken shackle mount on the pass side of my '00.

Description of why below, but a couple questions- The kit comes with three plates per side. I will be mounting above the hitch against the frame, but should there be a plate between the body and the mount, on the top of the box in that configuration? Mine kinda looks like the angle is a bit off and could use it, but seems Brian would have made the box the right height to begin with, and one would only use the plate if going below the hitch.

Just need to know, as I am going to weld them as well as bolt. Its not mentioned in his instructions, and his pics don't show the right angle to tell. I'm also thinking of cutting the frame side ears off (the chunk with the bolt holes), and welding the mounts and my hitch together. Other than now having a perma-hitch, anyone see an issue with that?

The Problem- The rig had an RE 5.5" short arm, with springs and extended shackles on it when I bought it 9 years ago. I drove the crap out of until last summer, when the handling got so bad I had to park it. On inspection, and attempts to disassemble it, I found that the shackle bolt had frozen into the bushing sleeve, and the outer hole in the stock shackle box was ovaled to about 1.5".

Twisted the head off the bolt trying to get it apart, and now have shackle abandoned in the stock box. So, I just started cutting the stock box out around it. Got the outside of the box off, and the shackle fell out. Turns out the bolt was also frozen into the nut, and together with the ovaled outer hole, allowed enough vertical movement to basically rip the whole center of the "nut hump" off the body. No wonder my handling was wonky, but one of those things you can't really see when it's together.

Thanks.

I include extra plates just incase a frame has a little damage (maybe bent just a little). If you a plate go ahead and use it.
Thanks
Brian h

 

[yossarian19]

It looks like the kit includes SAE hardware, while the factory nut strip is M12. If this is the case, do you have a favorite supplier of nut strips in SAE? Any plan to sell them or include them as part of the kit - or am I wrong, and you send the kits with M12 hardware?

 

[BRIANHO13]

I do not supply nut strips or hardware for them, I only supply the hardware for the shackle