Ok so I have a slight rear shackle issue after my 3" RC lift installation. The shackles are slightly negative now = not good, so my options are to get new longer leaf springs (which I dont really want to do since I just put brand new ones on with the lift) or to move the shackle hanger forward to create a positive angle like 775Toy suggested. I don't think longer shackles or even a boom shackle would help. I was wondering if maybe leaving the old hanger there and ordering two new ones and butting them up in front of the old ones and welding them on might work. Not to sure on my cutting skills getting the old hangers off cleanly lol. Opinions?

 

Likely the angle will improve as the springs settle with time. Looks like they have a good amount of arch and that will cause the ends to pull in towards each other. To speed up the process, either toss a few hundred pounds of weight in the bed or pull the 2nd to bottom leaf out for a few months. As the spring flattens out, the shackle will swing back father.

 

Totally agree. Slap some sand bags or the chubby neighbor kids in there and see how she does

My springs are looking like that, but its up on jack stands w/ no weight on the springs.

These are the old springs btw

I believe the shackle is supposed to be straight up and down when the truck is off its wheels

 

Mine isn't off its wheels in the picture and If I remember right my shackles look like yours when the truck is on jack stands on the frame.

 

Im gonna go by Lowe's today and pick up 300lbs of sand in bags and spread them out in the truck bed. Only costs $21 for six 50 lb bags. How long should I leave them in there? Or do I just periodically take them out and see what the shackles do?

 

I totally braincramped spring settling and putting weight on them. I would leave it in for a couple of weeks and see how they look.
Still vertical after that time, just repeat..

 

I would consider my pic an example of how its not supposed to look when the truck is off its tires

 

I'll buy those springs off of you if you go another route. Just send me a PM if end up getting rid of them.

 

Bought me 300 lbs of sand today to put in my bed to settle these damn springs. After I put the bags in I went from a slightly negative angle to a slightly positive angle. I also have a trailer attached with a honda foreman rubicon 500 on it but that hardly did anything before the sand.

Sand:


Shackles slightly positive:

 

Well i moved my hangers up 3" and it seems to be to much. If i hit a bump or pot hole real hard the shackles will hit the frame and stay there till i jack the truck up and reset the angle. im wondering if getting the 6" shackle kit from marlin crawler would help prevent this. My angle is around 55* right now. opinions?

 

You can punch some numbers in and see:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#Applications
or
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/Shackles.shtml#FAQ3

 

That is a grat article! I will have to do all the measuring when i get home and try this.

 

OK I played with the triangle calculators and it looks like the 6" will be best. See pics below:

6"


5"

 

Yep, longer shackle will move back and forth less for a given spring length change.

 

Well I didecided to not go with the longer shackle and I relocated my hangers again. This time they are an 1 1/8" forward from the stock location. Everything is all good now. Slightly positive angle.