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Shackles Tonight

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by John A. Shows, Sep 8, 2004.

  1. Sep 8, 2004
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    My father-in-law is giving Tyler one of his .30-30's tonight and I'm going to take it to the gunsmith to have the stock shortened and a new scope and sling put on it.

    If I can get back in time, I'm going to try to start the shackle/bushing replacement.

    Since I'll probably do this in phases I need to break the phases down pretty good.

    Should I do both front shackles first then move to the bushings on the rear of the front springs?

    Or should I do a shackle and rear bushing on the same spring and then move to another spring?
     
  2. Sep 9, 2004
    TheBeav1955

    TheBeav1955 Member

    Wyoming, Mi
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    I did the bushings one spring at a time both ends just seemed the way to go since I was taking one end loose.
     
  3. Sep 9, 2004
    manden68

    manden68 Member

    O Fries Country
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    Make sure you soak which ever shackles you plan on doing with PB Blaster. Drive around on a bumpy road and hammer the sides of the bushings and spray them down again. By next day those bushings will pop right out with that tool I sent you.
     
  4. Sep 9, 2004
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    OK I did the two front shackles last night.

    The first one I started on drove me crazy. Took a couple hours for me to figure it out. The tool unfortunately didn't work on it, and I didn't have a hacksaw.

    When I finally went to the neighbors house to borrow a hacksaw and got that one out the other three came out fine with the tool.

    Haven't done the rear of the front springs yet but should get to them next week. Have a busy weekend planned so it might have to wait a little while. I hope the rest of them come out as easy as the other 3.

    Thanks manden68. I'll get finished as quickly as I can.
     
  5. Sep 13, 2004
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    Well...I got all the bushings in and the shackles installed.

    It's a great improvement. Stopped alot of the jarring and now I actually notice some spring in the springs. I'm sure it was there before but I didn't notice it because of the jarring.

    For some reason my springs sort of realigned themselves in the stack...go figure...

    Also, my steering wheel is now ligned up as opposed to being turned about 1/2 a turn. Can't explain that one either.

    One fault is these shackles were sold to fit from '55 - '86 CJ's and there's a spacer between them that is 2" long. I didn't notice it when I was installing them but the spacer is 1/4" longer than the hangers are wide so my "H" shaped shackles aren't perfectly "H" shaped. They're bent in at the top and bottom.

    I might take the spacers out one day and shave 1/4" off them to get them back straight again. Or...should I just leave them alone?
     
  6. Sep 13, 2004
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Uhh...CJ springs changed width in the early 70's. You can't make a one size fits all shackle for that year range.
     
  7. Sep 13, 2004
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    Yeah, I should have caught that but didn't.

    So all I've got to do is cut the spacer down right?
     
  8. Sep 13, 2004
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Yeah...but kinda sucks you'd have to do that.

    Who made the shackles? They ougghta be shot, IHMO....I hate "one size fits all" crap that really doesn't.
     
  9. Sep 13, 2004
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    I agree...and I find it all the time. Each time I think about contacting the seller and asking them to correct their add. Actually I think I've done it a couple times already and it didn't work.

    I got them from 4WD Hardware.
     
  10. Sep 13, 2004
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
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    Strange...looking at their site all the shackles split at 1976.

    Did the packaging actually give that year range? Or did 4WD send the wrong ones?
     
  11. Sep 13, 2004
    66cj5

    66cj5 Jeep with no name

    NorthWest Indiana
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    one size fits none.
     
  12. Sep 13, 2004
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    Dang! you're right....I just checked the magazine and they do have separate set for '55-'75.

    I didn't check to see if they sent me the wrong ones or not.

    They might have and I just didn't notice.
     
  13. Sep 13, 2004
    manden68

    manden68 Member

    O Fries Country
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    Mr. Shows, I'm glad that tool helped out. No rush on that thing. I'll be ln MS this weekend to catch a game and visit the wife. Just send it up to her when you're done with it - unless somebody else needs to borrow it.
     
  14. Sep 13, 2004
    John A. Shows

    John A. Shows Comic Relief

    Mendenhall...
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    On the other hand they specifically state in the add that the shackle kit for '55-75 front or rear are 2" wide.

    Ours are 1-3/4" are they not?
     
  15. Sep 13, 2004
    vanguard

    vanguard

    Yep. 1 3/4"
     
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