i did the 52" swap up front with 2" lift 52's and my shackles are 7.25" eye to eye out of 3/8" plate ... i have the ord poly bushings in the spring and in the shackle hanger ..... i looked under my truck cause somthing did not look right and when you look straight at it the left shackle hanger is leaning in towards the center of the frame so its like this" \\ "but not as bad of an angle ... and i looked at the other side and it is angling towards the outside of the frame and i could see it rubbed teh shackle a litle bit .. but the shackles are still parallel ... what is my problem how can this be fixed?
CK5
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shackles angled but parellel??
- Thread starter basing110
- Start date
BigCountryx
1/2 ton status
Is this a common problem? I've never heard of someone running into this. Looks like something is tweaked. 
Dumb question, but are your 0rates installed the same? Just trying to think of a reason the axle may be cocked, and maybe causing the lean. Or, could your front hangers be off slightly from each other?
Dumb question, but are your 0rates installed the same? Just trying to think of a reason the axle may be cocked, and maybe causing the lean. Or, could your front hangers be off slightly from each other?
What kind of axle is under that truck?
What is the spring pad spacing in the axle itself? If it's non-standard, it could cause the leaves to sit crooked under the shackle-side of the frame.
It looks like the spring pads are too wide.
What is the spring pad spacing in the axle itself? If it's non-standard, it could cause the leaves to sit crooked under the shackle-side of the frame.
It looks like the spring pads are too wide.
pvfjr
1/2 ton status
I don't think I'd want that shackle riding on the framerail like that. 
it is a 8 lug d44 under the truck.. as far as i know the axle plates have not been modified .. after work today ill get some measurements and im pretty damn sure my zero rates are in the same.. also i have to be angled to get up teh curb usually when i park it .. but when i back up straight down the curb and go back up it it straitens out... but ill get measurements todat after work to see how straight it really is haha
BigCountryx
1/2 ton status
OK, so it doesn't stay like that, it just seems to be moving around on you. Did you check torque on all spring bolts/u bolts?
bolts?
yeah, if its changing its definitely time to torque every related bolt to specs... spring center pins, spring eye bolts, shackle bolts, spring hanger mounting bolts etc. Sounds like something is just loose.
j
j
basing110 said:
ARE THERE ANY BUSHINGS IN THE UPPER SHACKLE MOUNTS?????
Looks like just the metal sleeve....????
lol! heck of a good point.. some some of the pics (first one) it does look like a small (1/2") ORD bushing... but in others it doesn't look quite right. Bushings would definitely help!!
j
j
haha yea their are bushings in it .. i have the ord poly bushings in all the spring eyes and i have the shackle hanger bushing in poly from ord also.... anyone know what the tourque specs are on all the bolts?
This is a very simple problem, with no real easy solution (unless you can weld) because of the shackle length the whole axle is moving side to side, thats why sometimes its like this and other times not.if you just weld the shackles together (each plate with some tube) then it would greatly reduce it, but the bushings flexing cause of the increased leverage of the longer shackles is prolly another prob. trac bar would do it but has anyone do this and kept flexability to A MAX?
BigOrange90Jimmy
1/2 ton status
unless it's an optical illusion, you could REALLY use some longer brake lines!
on my freinds ramcharger we made the uper shackle bushing mount out of some 3/8" plate and used some dom tube and bigger spring eye type bushings ,when we did his 52" swap,i did notice the ord bushings are cone shaped so i assume that will allowsome more shackle flex than flat ones, so if i it comes down to it ill try that .. but tonight im gonna recheck my bolts and do some measuring.. ill have to check out teh shackles on flex because they might come close enough to teh frame where an "h" shackle might hit the frame ... ill keep you guys updated on what i find ... im suprised no one else has really ran into this im only using 2" lift 52's up front ... when i had 12" superlift my axle didnt wander at all
sled_dog
1 ton status
why are so many rigs running this shackle setup without panhard bars if he needs one? (aka I do not believe he does in fact need one)
Check the shackle bushing condition and the shackle holes themselves. I wouldn't be surprised to see egg shaped holes(would help that happen with improper bolt torque).
Check the shackle bushing condition and the shackle holes themselves. I wouldn't be surprised to see egg shaped holes(would help that happen with improper bolt torque).
basing110 said:
excellent point... if you made a custom hanger you could use the same type of bushing that goes in the spring eyes... the ones that have huge flat ends... prolly help. Those 1/2" ord ones don't really help align the shackle plate at all. Not that they were meant to... but still, a different bushing style would help.
j
well i backed the truck out of teh driveway and backed it up so i can install the new gears this weekend and sure enought it straigtend out and i measured outside of spring to outside of spring in teh front and back and i got 34" and the springs at the spring hanger was 34" also.. so im gonna hceck bolts which i tightend them pretty damn good to begin with and then flex her out and see if it is possible to make my shackle to an h without hitting the frame
