Rear shackle relocation into frame rail?

[TNT]

Here's a summary...

 

I'm using some 6" long boomerang shackles and some Stanley springs which nets about 4" of lift. I plan on swapping back to SOA but will be replacing my overload leaf with a standard thickness leaf. This will add 5.25" of lift with my new low profile axle mounts. 9.25" of lift is too much.

 

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My plan...

 

I want to plate the sides of the frame, cut a notch out and move the upper shackle mount 2.5" higher so it is inside the frame rail. This way I can keep the improved ride and flex that the long shackle provided after I corrected the mounting angle. I will only gain 4" of lift this way when I go SOA. The front currently has 6.5" of lift which will be changed to level it out.

 

The plates on the sides will also create a mount for the rear bumper I'm building.

 

I my also swap in some different rear springs so it's no so high.

 

Ideal lift hieght IMO is about 6".

[CWLONGSHOT]

Just FYI...

 

A shackle will only provide a 50% lift for its legnth as it is only lifting one end of the spring. A factory shackle is about 5.25 eye to eye, so your 6" long shackles (If thats a eye to eye measurement) will only be netting you about 3/8" of lift from the shackle alone.

 

To attain 4" of lift from a shackle alone, it would need to be about 13-14 inches from eye to eye. :eek: :eek: :D

 

CW

[Pete M]

I think he means that he's doing an SOA and he only wants 4" total. :D

[TNT]

Just FYI...

 

A shackle will only provide a 50% lift for its legnth as it is only lifting one end of the spring. A factory shackle is about 5.25 eye to eye, so your 6" long shackles (If thats a eye to eye measurement) will only be netting you about 3/8" of lift from the shackle alone.

 

To attain 4" of lift from a shackle alone, it would need to be about 13-14 inches from eye to eye. :eek: :eek: :D

 

CW

 

I'm fully aware that a shackle will only provide a 50% lift for its length increase. :nuts:

 

I was mistaken about my shackle length, they are 7" center to center, the rest of the lift is from the Stanley replacement springs.

 

Here is a picture of it with 6.5" lift front coils, the shackles and SUA leafs. The tires are 33x10.5's.

 

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here's a picture of it SOA with stock shackles and the 6.5" of front lift. The tires are 33x12.5's.

 

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As you can see the rear springs are about 3.5"-4" lift springs. The SOA swap added 6" since JeepcoMJ made the mounts about 5/8" tall and left the overload leaf on.

 

So now that the BS is done, how about a response to the question I asked???

[TNT]

I think he means that he's doing an SOA and he only wants 4" total. :D

 

Exactly... :cheers:

 

I only want to gain 4" of lift compared to where it is right now.

[HOrnbrod]

So you installed a set of 4" lift replacement springs SUA w. the longer shackles and your rear end was still too low as compared to the front. Now you want to use these same springs SOA and move the shackle mounting point to give you a net 4" SOA lift, right?

 

Your Stanley replacement leaf pack, is it 4-leaf or 5-leaf? If 5-leaf why not pull a leaf to drop it down? If 4-leaf, maybe your plan to move the mount point will work, but who knows for sure? Can not recall anyone doing this before. Hell, give it a shot.

[TNT]

So you installed a set of 4" lift replacement springs SUA w. the longer shackles and your rear end was still too low as compared to the front. Now you want to use these same springs SOA and move the shackle mounting point to give you a net 4" SOA lift, right?

 

Your Stanley replacement leaf pack, is it 4-leaf or 5-leaf? If 5-leaf why not pull a leaf to drop it down? If 4-leaf, maybe your plan to move the mount point will work, but who knows for sure? Can not recall anyone doing this before. Hell, give it a shot.

 

I know it will work, but was wondering if it's been done before. I was hoping for some technical input from some for mine/everyones benefit.

 

I bought it SOA with the Stanley springs. It had about 9.5" of rear lift and 6.5" of front lift. I lowered it because the driveline was too short and the yoke was binding.

 

The springs have 4 leaf including the overload spring. I plan on replacing the overload leaf with a thin leaf I have and redoing the axle mounts to keep the lift as low as possible.

 

I want to keep the longer shackles, but move the upper mounting point up 2". It will also help keep the springs from dragging as easy. I would gain 5" of lift from the SOA swap and lose 1" by relocating the shackles. Combine this with the lift the springs have and it will be about 8" total.

 

For the front I'm trussing a '94 non-discconect axle, raising the spring mounts 1.5" and raising the control arm mounts 3". This will level it out and improve the control arm angles, but that's a whole tread by itself...

 

I tend to go outside the box when I build. I guess you'll have to follow my build-up tread to see whats next....

[HOrnbrod]

So you installed a set of 4" lift replacement springs SUA w. the longer shackles and your rear end was still too low as compared to the front. Now you want to use these same springs SOA and move the shackle mounting point to give you a net 4" SOA lift, right?

 

Your Stanley replacement leaf pack, is it 4-leaf or 5-leaf? If 5-leaf why not pull a leaf to drop it down? If 4-leaf, maybe your plan to move the mount point will work, but who knows for sure? Can not recall anyone doing this before. Hell, give it a shot.

 

I know it will work, but was wondering if it's been done before. I was hoping for some technical input from some for mine/everyones benefit.

 

I bought it SOA with the Stanley springs. It had about 9.5" of rear lift and 6.5" of front lift. I lowered it because the driveline was too short and the yoke was binding.

 

The springs have 4 leaf including the overload spring. I plan on replacing the overload leaf with a thin leaf I have and redoing the axle mounts to keep the lift as low as possible.

 

I want to keep the longer shackles, but move the upper mounting point up 2". It will also help keep the springs from dragging as easy. I would gain 5" of lift from the SOA swap and lose 1" by relocating the shackles. Combine this with the lift the springs have and it will be about 8" total.

 

For the front I'm trussing a '94 non-discconect axle, raising the spring mounts 1.5" and raising the control arm mounts 3". This will level it out and improve the control arm angles, but that's a whole tread by itself...

 

I tend to go outside the box when I build. I guess you'll have to follow my build-up tread to see whats next....

 

Yeah, definitely outside the box, good stuff for all. I'll have a stock MJ 2WD rear driveshaft available soon, 60" length u-joint to u-joint. Long enough for about any lift w/o an SYE if the drive angles can be corrected. Keep us informed on your progress.

[Oizarod115]

i'm sure burning on perches is no problem for you, but relocating the shackles up further would drop the pinion quite a bit right?

 

another method might be to sell the stanley springs, and buy a set of Xploder leafs or something else that we know will be near-stock manche replacements and use those SOA :dunno:

[CWLONGSHOT]

OK, I think I got ya now....

 

Couple things as I have been here as well. Personally I like the higher rear look on PU's. You could adjust the perches to attain better angles. Or add degree shims.

 

If you move the upper shackle mount up into the frame, with a longer shackle. I don't think this will get you where you want and is IMHO more trouble than its worth. Look at a XJ shackle. They are about 3.5" eye to eye. Anything shorter will contact the frame during articulation. Which is the same problem I feel, you will see if you move the upper mount up too far.

 

Lotsa stuff begins to happen at 6" out front. Steering gets funky, the short arms SUK and your clearances at the back of the front wheels are limited. making BS choices important. The rear is easy in comparison.

 

IMHO, everything is better at about 4.5". you tires will still fit, but overall the truck will look lower.

 

My set up uses Rustys 4" leafs SUA and slightly longer boomarang shackles. Up front, I have 4.5 coils and ACOS set to level out the front LEFT TO RIGHT. So I to am right at 6" up front.

 

 

CW

[TNT]

i'm sure burning on perches is no problem for you, but relocating the shackles up further would drop the pinion quite a bit right?

 

another method might be to sell the stanley springs, and buy a set of Xploder leafs or something else that we know will be near-stock manche replacements and use those SOA :dunno:

 

Relocating the shackles will change the pinion angle, but that will be done before the new spring perch are welded on.

 

The relocated shackles will only cause the springs to sit 1/4" higher then where stock springs sit, so the pinion angle change from stock won't be noticeable.

 

I plan on using 11" travel shocks and need the long shackles for proper shackle angles and full flex.

 

Raising the shackles will also get the springs back out of harms way.

 

I going to try some other MJ springs also. 6" of lift would be perfect.

[87manche]

are you cutting the frame rails?

 

If I were to do something like this, and bear in mind I'm halfway to a truggy, I'd simply remove the old hangers, cut the frame rails so they were just a hair longer than where I wanted to mount the shackles.

 

Then plate the frame rail and run the shackle inside the rail. Let the larger part of the shackle go out back behind the end of the frame rail. That should give you mondo room to let the shackle do whatever it wants back there. The tradeoff will be that you're a lor more likely to back up into something and catch the shackle and bend the main leaf. But hell, that happened to me with the stock shackle location.

[pingpong]

If you move the shackle up.. I would remove the frame behind the new shackle mount and stiffen it up with some 3/16 plate. Maybe even experiment and make mutiple spots at different hieghts (1/2" os so apart) so you can fine tune the setup.

[87manche]

If you move the shackle up.. I would remove the frame behind the new shackle mount and stiffen it up with some 3/16 plate. Maybe even experiment and make mutiple spots at different hieghts (1/2" os so apart) so you can fine tune the setup.

that's a very good idea as well.

like an acos for the rear leaf :)

[TNT]

If you move the shackle up.. I would remove the frame behind the new shackle mount and stiffen it up with some 3/16 plate. Maybe even experiment and make mutiple spots at different hieghts (1/2" os so apart) so you can fine tune the setup.

 

The plan is to cut out the frame where the shackle mounts and plate the area. from about 12" in front of the shackle and to the rear of the frame. I plan on plating the rest of the frame anyway. I might add a cross member also. I plan on incorporating new bumper mounts. I like the idea of the multiple mounting locations.

 

If I mounted the shackle up even higher I could design some angled skids into the new bumper mounts to help protect the springs from getting bent.

 

I'm getting very close to just truggying it. The more I look at the box the more I want to build a bed for it and exo cage it.

[JeepcoMJ]

TNT, don't truggy it.

 

I should be able to get you good inner fenders to put in there, and at that point you just have to trim the bad spot out enough to work on the bedsides...which I think you already have done.

[86FUBAR]

Do u realy need the inner fender wells , is it that big o deal if they are rusted out .

 

 

as a side note how much u think i could get fer califorina rust free inner fenders and :eek: !rockers! :eek:

[TNT]

TNT, don't truggy it.

 

I should be able to get you good inner fenders to put in there, and at that point you just have to trim the bad spot out enough to work on the bedsides...which I think you already have done.

 

The boxsides are rusted badly I have pin holes within an inch of the top of the box sides after checking it closely. Every bubble is a hole....

 

The sides need to get cut off so the outside of the box panels behind the fenders can be sandblasted and prepped to stop the rust. Within a year it will rust threw to the inside of the box otherwise. I should be able to bend up some new boxsides and build inner fender no problem. It's just a ton of work. I will be trying out my sheetmetal brake very soon.

[JeepcoMJ]

go to cocroft and ask about the blue comanche box up the hill.

 

it has rust-free, riveted on OEM bedsides, and I know you can get them for less than $200. it also has the inner fenders intact.

 

there's the answer.

[TNT]

go to cocroft and ask about the blue comanche box up the hill.

 

it has rust-free, riveted on OEM bedsides, and I know you can get them for less than $200. it also has the inner fenders intact.

 

there's the answer.

 

I'll have to check it out. It's still going to need a bunch of sandblasting. At least I found some spraypaint in the right color.

[87manche]

If you have the means to come and get it you can have what's left of my longbox.

 

The inside is in very good shape, it's just the bedsides that are Fubar.

 

Inner fenders and the box itself are mint.

 

It'll probably be off the truck in the next two weeks or so.

[pingpong]

Well you know I would never support cutting up a clean rig :shake: Once you start cutting it gets easier :brows: The only problem is once it starts it don't stop... and legality of driving a truggy on the street plus the cost isn't worth it unless you have a tow rig :D then cut away

 

 

 

In my most rednenck voice " DAMN boys this is gonna be fun to watch"