Topic: newbie question on shackles

[DiGGeR77]

I couldn't help but notice that every pic of a jeep has somekind of aftermarket shackles, is this for flex, lift, strength, or greasibility?

[chardrc]

the reason that i have aftermarket shackles is becasue my bds lift springs have a full military rap which only have about .5 inch between them and the frame with the stock shackles making the leafs hit the frame whenever you hit a bump... so i got the MORE .75 inch lift boomerang shackles which give me greaseability, more flex and more lift. a win win in my book.

[jfrabat]

I got the rear boomerang shackles to avoid hitting the frame, and it ads greasability and strength over stock...  The front I got to match the rear height.

[Jeffy]

Well stock shackles are weak.  They're made from stamped steel and tend to get wallowed out over time.  On my Jeep, I found 2 sets to have the bolt holes wallowed out to where I didn't like the looks of them.

I'd be willing to say that all aftermarket shackles are a lot stronger then the stock ones.  Most are 3/8th to 1/4".  The stock shackles are 4.5" from eye-to-eye.  Most aftermarket shackles are lift shackles of some sort.  The minimum amount of lift seems to be around 5/8" lift.  The tallest ones are 1.5" lift or 7.5" eye-to-eye.  Really though, less is better.  Anything over an inch is pushing the limits.

The biggest problem being, the pinion angles change because you're only lifting one side of the leaf spring.  This will usually point the pinion up more which brings it out of sync with the other U-joint.  Even though the angle is less, driveshafts want to be in sync so both U-joints are spinning the same speed internally.

The other problem is when you tilt the front axle's pinion up you also reduve the castor on the front axle.  Castor is the amount of tilt the front knuckles have parallel to the frame.  Castor is what makes the steering wheel recenter when you let it go.  It also helps keep your vehicle tracking straight when you let the wheel go.  Reduce the castor and you could introduce wandering in the steering.

There are several different designs of shackles out there.  The standard one is the two-piece plate.  These are the most basic.  The next type is the H.  These have a bar in the center connecting the two sides together, giving them strength at teh cost of flexibility.  There are tow shackles which have a attachment point for a tow-hitch.  There are dog-leg/Boomerang shackles.  These are used in the back of Jeep so the shackle isn't limited by the rear crossmember.  Otherwise, the shackle hits the corss-member, limiting flex.  The last type is the anti-kickback.  These shackles are designed so they cannot, what's called invert. This is when the shackle flips inwards, towards the axle and get stuck, causing a bend the leaf spring.

Everyone does it for their own reasons.  There are many.

That's it in a nutshell...

[jwalls4x4]

Where do revolvers and orbit-eyes fit in?

[Jeffy]

Where do revolvers and orbit-eyes fit in?

Revolvers were the latest and greatest till they weren't.  They're good for a few things BUT they can cause other problems which are more of a problem.  I had them and if properly installed they were great.  You really needed to run a centeral limiting strap to keep the shackles from just unloading when you don't want them to.  Climbing steps is a big issue.  Also, winching can cause the shackles to unload if you don't have the strap.  Really though, you can achieve the same amount of flex with a properly built suspension.  Now, they're considered Ramp Queen accessories.  But again, properly installed they do work.  Problem is 99% of the people out there just slap them on and expect them to work.  BTW: Metal Made Rite was the original company to make them.  They sold out to Currie who didn't have a clue what to really do with them.  Currie still doesn't.

Revolvers with Z-boxes were just scary looking.

Now orbitals are a bit different.  They are not shackles and replace the bushing in the leaf spring.

[DiGGeR77]

I really like the look of the TeraFlex Revolver Shackles, has anybody ever used them? I've read mixed reviews.

[Jeffy]

I really like the look of the TeraFlex Revolver Shackles, has anybody ever used them? I've read mixed reviews.

See the above post.

In short I wouldn't waste the money.  $400 could be better spend elsewhere.

I was jsut looking at Teraflex's site and I don't see the Revolvers there anymore.  They have the Z-boxes though. 

[FourbangerYJ]

See the above post.

In short I wouldn't waste the money.  $400 could be better spend elsewhere.

I agree. If you are going to spend alot of money on suspension. Have some custom made springs built for your Jeep.
If you are looking for an upgrade on shackles there is a number of companys that make them. Don't go longer than 1 inch.