Bolting rear shackles together to get more articulation???? anyone

[alaskanbowtie]

as it says I read on here somewhere that someone had bolted 2 sets of rear shackles together to get more drop??? Who has experimented with this and does it work well/safely and pictures PLEASE!!!!! I want to try it but would like some "been there done that" advice first. /forums/images/graemlins/bow.gif

 

[sled_dog]

they won't just bolt together. Have to make spacers and bushings and such. People do similar things. I'm not a total fan of the drop away shackle setup, springs dropping have more control and less just simple drop.

 

[pauly383]

So you want to go from the shackle hanging down like this: 1 , to two shackles hanging down like this: > , or two shackles hanging down like this: < . Sounds kind of like a revolver that doesnt revolve. /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif

 

[sled_dog]

often called a scissor shackle.

this is butch's setup, a local boy running a Ramcharger sitting on 39.5s. His rear springs pretty much don't flex, its all in the shackles. He scores about a 900 something despite the springs. He fabbed that whole setup himself.

 

[alaskanbowtie]

THX for the pic's that's great now if I could get some advice on the road manners when they have the scissor type shackle set up installed? and any more pic's of this would be nice of course...... /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

 

[sled_dog]

ha, well Butch claims his is fine, never gives him a problem, no unloading or anything. Not sure if that has anything to do with his stiff springs though.

 

[cybrfire]

here's my setup. Drop tube not a shackle. The side plates help it hit back on center and there is a bump stop to remove the harshness. They are also pinable for the highway. As far as road manners couldn't tell you haven't gotten that far. I need to get off this computer and get back to work.

 

[alaskanbowtie]

OH YEAH.... I like this creative engineering, why do what everyone else does, I think you have a great idea!!! Where did you get the piece in the middle that drops? did you make it and if so what size material did you use.....if that's not to much info to ask for. THX looks great! /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[cybrfire]

the peice in the middle I made out of 2" square 1/4 wall. cut it to the length I wanted and then hole sawed the holes in the ends and inserted ORD's Heavy duty greasable bushing kit. It came with the tubes required to slide in the hole saw holes. Those were then welded solid. I think I'm going to have to add something that will prevent them from going over center in relation to the shackle itself. won't be hard to add it to there.