Scissor Shackles
 

see most recent posts for another idea.
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was looking around on pirate, and didnt find much but pictures and people saying they are good and/or bad.

but why wold they be bad if you designed them with a removable pin, and also made them to place the lower link in the stock location when the upper was pinned in place.

use some delrin bushings inside so they dont move when pinned. then simply unpin when off-road, and apparently when doing hill climbs.

seems like a great way to get upwards of 4" of more travel....

-derek

anyone have good info?

Do you mean Teraflex-like shackles?

I've friend running them in Suzukis and they get a nice drop.

David

I would like to see some pics of them if you build. I've heard good and bad, and plan to try it out myself in the near future. I like the idea you have and think it's worth giving it a shot.

Few years back when I had a jeep these were all the rage (Especially revolver shackles). I've been all but out of the scene since then. But like you, I can't see a big down-side. Especially if you pin'ed the shackle into position when not needed.

QUick google shows shome folks doing this already.

Anyway - if you figure out why they aren't more popular, let us know. (thinking about it, I'm wondering if there's some benefit, but its incremental at best)

the benefit would be like 4" more droop travel.

im also thinking to add a horizontally mounted short travel shock to the joint in the scissor shackle, this would alleviate some of the "jerkiness" and jolts that some claim are damaging when doing hill climbs.

ill probably make some in the fall when im home from school.
just have to find the right shock
-derek

oh the pin wasnt my idea, i saw someone else do that. but i dont know if they mounted it to where when pinned the shackle would seem as though it were in stock location to the spring.

the shock however i didnt get from anywhere but my own thoughts which is why i couldnt sleep last night.

the shock also allows for some force to be placed on the hinge, giving alittle pressure to the tire contact area, so that it wont just buckle up when trying to gain traction when fully drooped.

sounds good to me....keep us updated.

any more input?

-derek

I have not done this personally, so this is all stuff I have read. What I have seen is that the dual shackle can cause some nasty axle wrap/hop, as you mentioned it makes hill climbs sketchy with the rear end bouncing around, but the main thing I have heard is that it is descents that it really kills. When you are dropping into something really steep, the rear end unloads and the back end of the truck wants to go out/forward (causing a rollover end over end). A couple people on Pirate have had this happen. IMO, if you have a locker, you won't really need that extra couple inches of droop and it isn't worth the extra risk. Also, ask yourself, are you really going to get out and re-pin the extra shackle down for a hill climb or drop? I don't think so. I see you MAYBE doing it once, but never again. Do some nice flexible rear springs and a locker and you will be fine.

yeah i have an alcan pack, and im doing a locker and traction bar sometime soon.

what about my shock dampened scissor idea?

I used to run them on my Heep. Pinned up, they were just like regular shackles. Unpinned they were unpredictable and scary as all hell. They would unload at the wrong times with a lurch that threatened to put you over.

They were all the rage for a while, but everyone I knew who ran them, took them off because they ended up leaving them pinned all the time anyway.

cool thanks.

still looking for input on the shock idea, where the shock is connected to the pivot.

the shock idea could lessen the negative effects of it sure, but to what avail? its still more trouble than its worth in the long run. sure you get 4" more droop but does that droop do you any good? there isnt any spring pressure on that drooped wheel so there isnt enough weight on that side to do any good.

as stated before, put a locker in both ends and wheel the piss out of it.

right i wasnt really planning on doing this, i just like to think.
and you could use a small coilover to put force on it if you liked.

how about moving the shackle mount forward and having longer shackles.

this would keep the spring's bolt in the same location as stock, and provide more droop travel?

-derek

That is correct, you would get more droop, although you would lose some lift that way and you risk compressing enough that your shackle easily hits your frame and stops all movement. Have you considered chevy springs with a 9" shackle? That is a long shackle, but between that the the chevies, you should get some decent flex.
If you really require THAT much travel, perhaps it is time to link the rear end? :laugh:

no i just put on a new alcan 8 leaf pack 3 months ago.

i could design my previous idea so there would be no way it would bind on the frame, and no lift would be lost.

its just geometry...

I put double shackles on my rear springs, upper shackle bolted to the frame. I mainly did it as a convenient way to move my shackle hanger back 3.5" for a better shackle angle with longer springs. So far I have yet to unbolt the upper shackle on the trail, but hope to some day. Will probably do so once I get a traction bar added to the rear axle as axle wrap/wheel hop seems to be one common problem with double shackles:

http://www.4crawler.com/Photos/102_pana/p1020675.jpg

http://www.4crawler.com/Photos/102_pana/p1020676.jpg

http://www.4crawler.com/Photos/102_pana/p1020682.jpg

i am doing set up like this on my yota my upper link is about 10 inchs long it will have the shock mounted to the upper link with a pin up feature and i think it will have traction on that side that droops...my yota has an open diff...
ill put up pic and maby a video as soon as its pau...