Boomerang Shackles

[tweakeyjeep]

I just put some Boomerang Shackles on the rear of my YJ. I did it at the same time of the axle conversion... But now my ride is extremely rough and bouncy... I can feel the front flex and move and be soft, but then the rear is all rough and doesn't "feel" like it is flexing when coming out of driveways etc...

Let me kind of explain what happend... At the point I was at in the axle conversion I forgot to put the weight on the springs and tighten the bolts to correct ft pounds... Drove it, and wow, that was insane for the ride.

Then I loosened them all, put the weight of the vehicle on the springs and tightened them down to spec (eyeholes on frame 100 ft pounds, shackles 80 ft pounds) that made the ride smoother, but still rough... Then I put my Rancho shocks on the softest setting and that made it a little bit more smoother, but it is still rough...

I remember driving down to little moab and having my shocks on the softest setting and on that road I would almost bottom out... So I put it up to 3 and I could handle a lot better on that road.

I remember no matter what setting the shocks were on the suspension was still soft and springy... Now I have to have it on the softest setting and it is worse than before... I am guessing it is the shackles, because that is the only thing I have changed for on the suspension...

Before I only had a straight lift shackle.

What do you guys think? Anything else I can do? Or is this just a side effect of having the boomerang shackles?

What should the center pin on the boomerang shackles be tightened to? I put that at 80 as well...

Thanks

 

[Caleb]

IMO the bolts are WAY too tight...if you have nyloc nuts (which if you dont I would highly suggest getting them) then I just snug mine down till they touch the shackle...I once heard (cant remember where) but you should only have them to like 25 ft/lbs...the only other thing is that maybe those boomerangs are putting you shackle angle too steep because they were made for the monoleafs...and when your bro tried to buy other boomerang shackle he was told that they had to be those specific ones so may they are a different length than normal Just another idea...but my bet is your bolts are too tight...

 

[Shawn]

I second the bolts being WAY to TIGHT!!!!!

80lbs??? That's what I torque my heads bolts to
Tighten them until they touch and them another 1/2 turn and yes NyLoc's are you friend

 

[Hickey]

another possibility it that the shackles are so long, that they are mounted straight up and down, with no angle to them. On the rear axle, the top of the shackle should be leaning toward the front of the vehicle.

 

[Caleb]

Originally posted by Hickey
another possibility it that the shackles are so long, that they are mounted straight up and down, with no angle to them. On the rear axle, the top of the shackle should be leaning toward the front of the vehicle.

thats what I was also sugggesting...but with the boomerang shackles the top of the shackle should be facing the rear or the Jeep...like this...

 

[tweakeyjeep]

Okay, thanks for all the input... I went to AAA Springs and got the bolts for my jeep, but they were not nylocks, they told me the bolts they gave me will work just as fine with a washer which they also gave me...

So I'm gonna head to home depot tomorrow and get me some nylocks... You say 25 pound ft torque?!?! You sure on that?

In my Haynes Repair manual it says to go to 95 pounds on the shackles and I thought I was being a rebel going to 80... Dang....

Thanks again for the input!

P.S. Should I buy nylocks and do the same thing with the front shackles? Would that smoothen up the ride up there (even though it is pretty smooth)?

 

[Greg]

Using Nylocks, I've had shackles that were barley snug against the spring! It's not too bad on the rear axle, I wouldn't recommend it on the front.

 

[tweakeyjeep]

Results:

Well, I bought nylocks and just to be safe I also bought some locktitght as well... I put the locktight on the nuts and tightened them down to about 40 just to be safe...

Well... The ride has improved, but not by much... It is still rough. Do you think this is just a side effect of the boomerang shackles or what?

I am confused though because my last pair of shackles were at 80 ft pounds torque in the rear and they rode better than the boomerangs do at 40... Any info?

My boomerangs are just like yours... The top is facing the back of my jeep.... But they are almost straight up and down... Lets use an example lets say yours are at a 20 degree angle, then mine would probably be at a 10 degree angle... Do you think that could be causing the problem? Does that make sense or not?

Thanks again guys!

 

[I Lean]

The shape of the shackle cannot affect anything--the only thing that matters is the hole-to-hole spacing. Are the new shackles longer/shorter than what you had before?

You didn't change springs from what you had before, right? If they're the same old springs, you should be able to get the same old ride.

I'm still thinking your bolts are all too tight, both at the shackle end and the fixed hanger end.

You probably don't want to leave them *really* loose, but just as a test loosen them all up until there's no real pressure on the bolts at all, but there's still enough thread sticking through the nylock to keep it on there. Then take it for a drive. If your ride has changed, that'll tell you something. If not, you can look elsewhere.

 

[Broncoman]

The tighter the shackle the harsher the ride . for the best flex and the best ride use a good grease on the bolts and the bushings then torque the bolts down tight to seat the bushings then back them off and and retighten to a point where there is no side play but both ends of the shackle moves freely.. also remove any wraparound spring clamps and only use u-type spring guides to keep them from twisting out of allignment . while you are at it drive a screw driver in between the end of each leaf and squirt some grease in the gap where the springs make contact.