Hey everyone!
I'm new to the forums. A little bit about myself: I'm 18, off at my freshman year of college at Purdue University, studying Mechanical Engineering. I'm from Washington, so Indiana is a long way from home and I miss my truck like hell. I've got a 1993 Toyota Pickup standard cab with the 22re. Of course, while I'm away, I'm still dreaming up what I'm going to do to her when I'm back on break. I've decided I'm going to do a small shackle lift and crank the torsion bars (less than an inch) just to add a tad bit of height and get the leveling set up I want. That's what brings me here. I'll be getting 5 inch shackles, which I understand will lift my rear between 0.75" to 1". Should I go with Marlin Crawler, All Pro or Trail Gear shackles? I'm sure there's not much difference, but since I'm in no rush I want to make the best decision possible. Also, any tips for cranking torsion bars? I plan to only lift the front between 0.5" and 0.75" and get it aligned by the dealership afterwards, so i don't anticipate any issues from that.
A little about my truck
-KO2 31s
-Pro comp 1089s
-SR5 4Runner buckets with 50 cal ammo can console
-Flowmaster 50 Series Delta Flow muffler
-K&N air filter
-Trail Gear rear bumper
-Soundproofed doors and back wall of cab
-Softtopper
-Deezee tool box
-Way too many wax jobs to count.. what else to do when you're bored?

 

Welcome. Clean pickup! I get the sentimental feeling you've got for your truck right now

Personally I would recommend you skip the 1" shackle/tbar lift and put the money toward something else -- rock sliders perhaps. Since it doesn't look like you "need" the lift to clear tires or because of saggy leafs, I'd say the sliders would be more functional for you right now, even if you only use them to step on and get into the truck or protect from door dings on those wax jobs you like to do. BTW - where's the line start for wax job? lol

As for your question about the shackles - I believe all the different shackles available are for the most part the same thing, yet can vary $30 in pricing for the same product at different vendors. Depending on who's selling them (general aftermarket vs toyota aftermarket supplier), make sure you get the bushings and bolts in the correct metric size and don't just pay attention to the size of shackle otherwise you may get SAE setup for a Heep. You can also get gun-drilled/greaseable shackles if you like - but it's not like it's difficult to grease a standard bolt. Other than that, they're all pretty much made of 3/8" steel, some have a brace or dogleg depending on application and size. Oh yeah and observe that not all leaf spring hangers and leaf springs are the same width - so some shackles compensate with a bend, solid spacers or washers.

Good luck becoming a mechanical engineer!

 

Thanks and thanks! All great advice

 

4crawler has very good information about shackles on his website. Pros cons and real world experience.