Ok, I just "finished" my rear leaf spring conversion. How tight do I need to tighten the shackle bolts? I'm using the Trail-Gear kit and the top mount bushing are wider than the mount. Do I tighten really well to "press" them in or tighten until there is a slight firmness against the bushings? Are the shackles commonly angles in toward the frame like this | \ or / \ or / |?

 

Not sure exactly what you are talking about but shackles should run parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground like this I I.

You might compare old bolts and bushings to the new for some insights but shackle kits come wrapped with the parts assembled like they go together as far as I have seen.

Bolts have stover nuts and should be snug and tight with no slop horizontally in the shackle/bolt.

 

Just tight enough to compress the bushing slightly. As far as angle, they shift back and forth with the weight of the vehicle in corners or off camber. I don't think it matters too much. Ideally, I would want the shackles straight up and down, but a little lean on either side shouldn't affect the shackles performance.

 

Shackle side plates should sit flush against he bushings top and bottom. If your spring eye bushing and shackle hanger bushing are different widths, then you may need an offset shackle or spacers to make up the difference in width, for example on the Tacoma, the top and bottom bushings are different widths and the spring is not perfectly centered under the frame bushing:



http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...shtml#Shackles

And yes, with poly bushings or with no sleeved bushings, you just want to tighten until the bushing is slightly compressed, With sleeved bushings, like stock, you want to tighten down the nut until it hits the sleeve and you reach the specified torque (without a lock nut).

 

Thanks, I just didn't want to tighten the bolts too tight and damage the bushings.