I see that all the SAS kits are with a shackle reversal. Is there one without the shackle reversal? There is the huge debate the pros/cons between the both. If you do not go for the shackle reversal it looks like it would be easier to do a SAS without having the kit since you are just adding a rear spring hanger and a front shackle mount. Are there any here who have done it without the reversal?

 

I don't know if it is actually considered reversed since that is how toyota mini trucks with live axles came from the factory, but i understand your point.

The answer is yes. Steve Schaefer did his that way. Spring under, d44. Its sick.

Here is his site: http://www.sonoransteel.com/4runner.html

 

But then the shackle would be in the front and exposed to obstacles wouldn't it?

I would much rather hit the solid perch than the shackle...

 

I had the same thing questioned in a Spanish Toyota 70 series forum. Those had the shackles in front of the axle and the axle above the springs. What are (If there's any) the benefits of running them in the front? Let's say SPOA in both cases but shackles in front or rear of the axle.

David

 

Here is one of the pros and cons bout it

http://www.jeeptech.com/susp/elkcahs/

I debated it for a while and decided to go with a standard shackle in the front setup. As for a rock hitting, i dont think it would be that bad, i ahve done it a few times and never had issues.

 

It isn't that bad.

All Leaf sprung LC's have shackles up front. Nearly all leaf sprung jeeps do, as do scouts. Its a pretty good way to go.

It has to do with the arc of the axle when flexing, pros and cons to both ways.

*edit* yeah, so the link above is what I was talking about...Look there.

 

Yup it does boil down to preference. I want to do my SAS swap without the kit, and by do the shackle front way it would be a bit easier since there is no frame sleeving. But i havnt checked on the yota to see how the front frame horns are for strength.

 

A shackle up front makes for less driveshaft extension when the suspension droops. Shackle in back handles better on the road. I have seen more than a few Jeeps (shackles up front) run into problems related to the front shackles. One guy pushed up into a rock he didn't see and that folded the shackle back and the spring on that side was bowed out so far it took about an hour to pry everything apart to get the shackle off the frame. Luckily the spring was not damaged but it is easy to kink one like that and that will be the end of that spring. Another guy had the shackle and spring get pushed back to the point the main leaf snapped back at the spring hanger (Jeep was being towed off the trail due to an engine fire). At that point, the thing was not even towable so I ended up having to weld the spring back together to get the Jeep 10 more miles to the end of the trail:



With the spring hanger up front, any impacts to the front end put the front spring in tension off the hanger so you never see any issues like that where the springs fold back and kink/break. Sure, springs can fail for other reasons unrelated to front or rear shackles, but I have seen many more break due to shackles up front.

 

Those were the scenarios I was thinking of 4Crawler ...

 

Very nice explanations and link too.

I've arrived to the same conclusion, reversed shackles are better for me hehe

David