Shackle help needed.

[BlackOmega]

Hey there Jeep Gods,



I need your help. So I'm redoing the suspension on the '84 Jeep as part of this project and want to get some new shackles. We bought some of the Crown replacement ones off of Quadratec, however, they're junk. When I was torquing down the nuts on one of the shackles, the nut with the threads snapped off. So these are not heavy duty enough for the intended purpose of this vehicle, in my opinion.

So now we need some heavy duty shackles. I'm a newb to Jeep and need some suggestions on a good, yet (relatively) inexpensive set for the front and rear. It doesn't have to have bushings since we already have poly ones.

One more thing, what with all of the varying heights of the aftermarket shackles. It seems as though they all lift it somewhat. Are there some that don't?
And if this CJ already has a 2/5" lift on it, what's a modest lift on the shackles without compromising driveability?

 

[Gclyne]

Check out these, the greasable ones are supposed to last forever but are a little pricey.
Warrior Shackle Kits for Jeep CJ5

 

[Gclyne]

Regarding the lift that shackles provide ....the warrior shackles that say they give 1/2 of lift is nothing to worry about. Stock shackles are 3 inches from bolt to bolt. Shackles only give you half of what the extended length of your shackle is from stock. You want to stay away from shackles bigger then 4 inches because you compromise driving and handling at high speeds especially.

I would get the 1/2 greasable shackles if I were you, they have great ratings.

 

[Posi]

When I was torquing down the nuts on one of the shackles, the nut with the threads snapped off. So these are not heavy duty enough for the intended purpose of this vehicle, in my opinion.

Sounds like you may have over torqued the nut, it's not typical to snap off a shackle nut at 20-24 ft lbs. I set mine at 20 ft lbs, much tighter they won't function as they should.

 

[BlackOmega]

Sounds like you may have over torqued the nut, it's not typical to snap off a shackle nut at 20-24 ft lbs. I set mine at 20 ft lbs, much tighter they won't function as they should.

Perhaps, I did over-tighten them. I was having a hard time finding an exact torque spec. I searched and searched and the only thing I found was a torque spec of 45-55 ft. lbs.
The one that broke was on the front. Of the 4 nuts I tightened, only 1 broke.
For what it's worth, the shackles have a shoulder on them so you can't really over tighten them.
Regardless, we need new ones and I think the Jeep would be better served by having more heavy duty shackles on there.
This thing is primarily going to be used off-road and probably put through its paces regularly. So I'd rather have the peace of mind knowing that I'm not using some inferior part.

 

[PaRenegade]

All shackles are not created equal and the bad ones contribute to the bad rap that all shackles get. Theres a lot of misinformation out there as well as misperceptions.
Most likely you over-tightened them. Shackles bolts do not need to be torqued down because you end up pinching the bushings. This is why the stock shackles had a shoulder bolt. The shoulder stopped the other side at the required distance and allowed the bushing to rotate freely on the bolt. This contributes to a smooth ride and greater flexibility. Pinching them will restrict this. The nut and bolt are not in a position to resist tensional force (pulling apart) but rather are in a side loading position where the force is pulling and pushing in a slightly rotational manner, perpendicular to the shaft. So the nut is just holding the bolt from falling out and the nylok nut keeps it from vibrating loose. About 20-25 ft/lbs of torque should be plenty.

A quality shackle will have a sleeve or better yet a welded block in the middle to keep the spacing right and also eliminate racking of the two sides. And you can go longer than stock but the shackle must be built beefier than stock, such as with 3/8" sides to resist bending and flexing. Longer shackles are fine if they are quality built and you also address one of Jeeps weak spots, and thats the shackle to frame mount. The stock ones tend to unwind, crack, or twist; and that can and does happen with the stock setup too.

As for any drivability issues. These are easily addressed by using caster shims. I had 5 3/8" bolt to bolt shackles on for years without problems. But once I added 2.5" lift springs then I developed steering issues. Since you already have a 2.5" lift spring setup you can either stick to near stock length (3"-4") or go longer, but check your caster with an angle gauge and see if you should install shims. Caster should be 5-7 degrees positive. You could be fine at 4 degrees but you'll probably start noticing some issues less than that.