Shackles yay or nay

[bruticus]

Hello, my Comanche currently has what looks like 2 inch shackles in the back on stock leafs but the leafs are starting to wear down and I'm looking at getting some heavy duty ones. i found hellcreeksuspension is selling metric ton leafs but ill need to use the same shackles or maybe some heavier duty ones if those exist. any ways I'm debating whether to buy these metric tons and shackles or get full lift leaf packs. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[DJM/78]

A full leaf pack is the way to go , It promotes a smooth ride , good flex and reduces the chance of spring wrap .

 

I don't know if you will need shackles after that , it depends on how much lift you want .

[driggity]

I could be wrong but I thought that Hellcreek had 3 inch lift full spring packs that were rated to the same load capacity as the factory Metric ton springs.

[Eagle]

If you will be replacing the springs anyway, get new springs for the amount of lift you want and get rid of the extended shackles. Extended shackles are what killed your springs.

[mvusse]

I don't see/understand the physics behind your claim. HOW do longer shackles kill springs, and why have I not had that problem even though I've had longer shackles for a year and a half now?

[webbjeepxj]

Longer shackles will place the point of flex out slightly further ...... this will slightly alter weight distribution, and send the stress from the road through the spring and into the shackle ... think of it in terms of triangles.

[mvusse]

And a 4" longer shackle on a 60" long spring makes how much of a difference?

 

Like I said, year and a half with no ill effects that I have been able to tell. And I spend a lot of time under my truck due to more than monthly wheeling.

[webbjeepxj]

lol, yea not much, just drawing it on paper shows that the shackle would probably have to almost droop below the level of the axle, lol

 

by that time the drive angles would be impossible.

 

I had shackles on my XJ and the springs appeared to de arch more, but thats a spring over setup.

 

Best option would probably be Hell Creeks leaf pack since they come set up to correct pinion angle. Shackles would be good, but you would have to shim.

[HOrnbrod]

And a 4" longer shackle on a 60" long spring makes how much of a difference?

 

Like I said, year and a half with no ill effects that I have been able to tell. And I spend a lot of time under my truck due to more than monthly wheeling.

 

:agree: Although I didn't use a 4" longer shackle, I only used a 1.5" (provided .75" lift) longer shackle on my MT springs for two reasons: to make up for leaf springs settling over two years, and they were greasable. The pinion angle basically stayed the same on my SUA LWB and didn't need shims. Longer shackles have very little effect on a LWB SUA MJ, long triangles, and no effect on killing leaf springs in this configuration.

[CWLONGSHOT]

Hello, my Comanche currently has what looks like 2 inch shackles in the back on stock leafs but the leafs are starting to wear down and I'm looking at getting some heavy duty ones. i found hell creek suspension is selling metric ton leafs but ill need to use the same shackles or maybe some heavier duty ones if those exist. any ways I'm debating whether to buy these metric tons and shackles or get full lift leaf packs. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

Just a clarification... Your shackles are 2" eye to eye (VERY SHORT!) or 2" longer than stock MJ shackles? (7 1/2" long eye to eye)

 

If you wanna stay stock length I like to recommend the JKS XJ extended shackle. its good for about a 1.5 lift on a XJ but will do little to nothing to lift a MJ. the advantage is its boomerang style and WAY heavy duty compared to the factory thin units.

 

CW