Crooked shackles

I recently gave my '72 Jeep CJ5 a 2 1/2 inch shackle lift. At first, everything was going great. I got the rear shackles installed with no problems, but when I removed the stock shackles from the front springs, everything went south. The springs immediately shifted 1" to the left and refused to move back into their original positions. I tried everything to get them back in place, and was able to get them to move about a 1/2" before slipping the new shackles on - but they still remained about a 1/2" to the left. How can I fix this? I tried loosing the springs (no good) and I tried adjusting the threaded pipe connection from the axle to the frame (no good), but nothing works. If anyone has any experience with this, please let me know.

 

i am not sure on the older jeeps, but on the '78 frame that i am using( and all latter model cj frames) this was normal. it seems jeep had done another weird one, and had the perches on the axles wider then the frame mounts. hence the front shackles look like this / \

 

This doesn't help your problem, but isn't a 2 1/2 inch shackle lift going to really screw up your steering geometry??? Won't shims be necessary to level out your axle???

Just something to think about

High5

 

Anything over about 1/2' to 1" shackle lift they are usually going to splay out / \ or shift one side or the other I have found. Longer shackles just have to much leverage and play due to their length. They act like a cheater pipe when a little force is applied movement is going to multiplied.

 

huh? threaded pipe connection? whats this? I dont recall seeing anything like this on a CJ.

One of my CJ7s had some LONG shackels on it. It handled like crap. the long shackles allowed the springs to shift from side to side when I steered. It made for some SCARY handeling. As mentioned in a prev. post most CJS with shackels longer than about an inch will splay off to one side or the other. Late model CJ by AMC seem to do it more. Maybe the longer springs cause it?

 

sounds to me like a trac-bar I also have to agree anything that long will cause problems.

 

I agree on the trac bar. But I didn't think those were ever put on a CJ from the factory. I thought the first ones on a jeep came on the YJ.

 

You may want to consider replacing the bushings with new poly bushings to help. I fabricated shackles to lift my CJ6 2" and they are a little out of plumb front and back, but I figured this is normal since Flip's CJ5 does the same dang thing. I would not worry about it too much, but if can afford it, new lift springs are the best way to lift your Jeep.

 

Where can you get these shims? I haven't been able to find them locally.

 

I have home-made stiffened shackles on my '74 CJ-5. They are made of 1/4" X2" steel plate & are 4 3/4" bolt centre to bolt centre. I then took a 2" wide piece of c-channel and welded it across the width of the shackles at centre (2 3/8").
The rears act fine, but the front shackles will tend to splay if I don't set up the front u-bolts on the driver's side just right. This is even more limited by a Dana 44 front end & a Rhino truss-guard. The left front u-bolts must be set tight against the truss/guard & a sledge hammer to the left shackle corrects the rest of the splay. Please note that I run HD springs & single military wrap. I also made square u-bolts w/flat plate bottoms with vacuum hose "slips" on the 3 sides to replace the factory spring wraps, which I wiped out jump street.
There is a way to exactly centre your shackles. I've seen 1/4" rod or plate welded from one front shackle across to the other, sometimes (2) pieces in a cross pattern. This will slightly affect your approach angle.

gj

 

It would just move the articulation point from the shackle mount to the stiffener. When 60 miles from nowhere, would you rather cut off a 1/4" rod that broke or try to c-clamp or battery-weld a shackle together?
I honestly don't care for the idea, but that's part of the price of experimenting w/long shackles.

gj

 

Great idea!
I was thinking of a flexible connector myself.
Honestly, I think you'd be surprised how much a common cold rolled 1/4" bar will flex over that distance - the bar would more than likely shear at a weld w/too much penetration, it's still a limiting point.
I still don't care much for limiting the approach angle.

gj

 

My experience with fixing the shackles together like being talked about is that limits the the front end articulation and forces it to "hop" over obstacles and forces them back as a unit when an obstacle is met head on. I tried this before with front and rear shackles to keep them from splaying out and found that shackles are ok for a lift to point, after that invest in springs and shocks.

 

Why not use short Heim bars from the shackles to the outside ends of the bumper? That would leave each shackle independent with full-swing. I would still be more concerned with why you're getting so much splay. Are your individual shackles just separate plates or are they cross-welded for stiffening?

gj

 

Thanks for all the advice! Surprisingly enough, my Jeep handles great even though my shackles are slightly to the left ( / / ). I was just wondering if there was any way to straighten them out if for nothing more than looks. As my steering goes, yeah - my geometry is all screwed up, but that's ok because I needed to replace the old worn out manual box anyway (finally upgrading to power), so this gives me an opportunity to adjust everything.