Shackle relocation

Was talking to a guy today that has raced CJ5s for years. He was telling me how on the FRONT diff they switched the spring shackle to the rear spring mount and moved the pivot point to the front spring mount. He said it improved the ride & handling. Has anyone else heard this?

Thanks,
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

 

Only everyone with a M38A1. And a lot of the so called hard-core rock-climbers.

Or anyone subscribed to this forum.

It is one of those improvements some guys do to increase the handling ability of their Early CJ5's. Makes the axle move to the rear instead of the front when you get the front end articulating. You don't have to worry about the front drive-shaft coming apart, because it has been stretched too far.

 

It makes front end dive worse in braking. But it's likely ok otherwise. Personally I think it's not that important for most owners, and I suspect the "improvement" in handling is more about adding new suspension parts at the same time, and paying attention to the caster angle.

Another plus with shackle reversal is you are less likely to bend a front spring if you hit a rock or ledge at speed. Popular with Baja racers in the day.

 

Thanks guys!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico