Lengthening shackles?

[lenny]

I want to get opinions on lengthening my rear shackles. With the Xterra, I am going to lift it a little (1.5 inches) by turning the torsion bar adjusters and adding a shackle lift on the rear.

This is a picture of the aftermarket shackles that are available to purchase

But I have a bunch of scrap metal that I can use to lengthen my stock shackles, I attached a shot of the stock shackle

The wider part is the frame side, fyi

I want to cut the shackle at the bottom of the bend on the leaf spring side and extend it out 3 inches for the 1.5 inch lift I want. I would weld the new section in and add a center brace like the aftermarket shackles and then add and additional plate on the outer side of my added section for additional strength

Thoughts?

 

[Gravy]

Do it. Add another crossbrace in the center.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Aren't new shackles pretty dang cheap? Not worth the effort and risking liability if you ask me.

 

[lenny]

Aren't new shackles pretty dang cheap? Not worth the effort and risking liability if you ask me.

New shackles are $65 + shipping

I can't imagine that I would have any recourse with the company that sells them if they were to fail and cause and accident, I would assume that they would be sold under the clause of "offroad use only"

 

[jackjoh]

Do it. Add another crossbrace in the center.

X2

 

[I Lean]

I think it'd be more work to modify stockers than to make them all-new. (if you don't want to spend the $65)

 

[Tacoma]

bad way to get lift. plus, messes up pinion angle. small lift blocks would be a better idea, Teraflex even sells angled ones to keep your driveshaft joints happy.

 

[sixstringsteve]

if possible, I'd put the blocks between the shackle hanger and the frame. But that still messes up your pinion angle like tacoma said. Although on my rig it actually helped my pinion angle.

 

[Too Far]

To get 1.5" of lift you are going to need to add at least 3" to each shackle. It ends up being a pretty long shackle at that point.
I have done this before and it works ok, but a strong cross brace is mandatory. If you don't add one the shackle will be very unstable and will want to flop over to the side. If your rig is spring over axle I would go with a lift block intead.

 

[Raleigh]

I think you'd be better off with something like this from Ruff Stuff. 3/8" thick and beefy, no twisting here and at $10 each you can't go wrong!

Stick a 3/4" bolt in the center and you are good to go.

 

[Milner]

Damn, Pokey, spend the $65,

 

[lenny]

bad way to get lift. plus, messes up pinion angle. small lift blocks would be a better idea, Teraflex even sells angled ones to keep your driveshaft joints happy.

I know, sadly there are not many lifts available for the 1st Gen xterra's. It's either add a leafs for 3 inch lifts, or shackles for less than that. It's a spring under set up so lift blocks are not possible.

Nobody makes a full replacement spring pack for the X.

 

[lenny]

I think you'd be better off with something like this from Ruff Stuff. 3/8" thick and beefy, no twisting here and at $10 each you can't go wrong!

Stick a 3/4" bolt in the center and you are good to go.

Those could be a good option. Thanks!

Damn, Pokey, spend the $65,

I'm cheap. plus if I can build it, why buy it?

 

[lenny]

The way I want to lengthen them sounds do able as long as I make a strong center bar to tie to two together

 

[Raleigh]

Give AAA Spring a call, they work with stock springs mostly but they can build a set to do exactly what you want. They won't be cheap though!

 

[Gravy]

bad way to get lift. plus, messes up pinion angle. small lift blocks would be a better idea, Teraflex even sells angled ones to keep your driveshaft joints happy.

Xterra= spring under
Want him to lower it Nooberoni?

Crank the bars+ longer shackles + body lift is the legit way to lift a 1st gen. I did this with Les and Dallas to their 1st gens.

 

[lenny]

Well I dove in tonight on it. Got the shackles extended three inches, now I've got a stink bug Xterra! I am going to bring the front up tomorrow night.

I did have a minor issue that I still need to resolve. I can't weld a brace into the middle of the shackle. The leaf spring bolts and shackle to frame end bolts are pressed into one half of the shackle. So if I weld a brace in, I would have to cut it in half to take the shackle back off.

What I think I will do is cut a piece of tubing down, and then drill a hole in the center of both shackles and run a bolt through it with the tubing acting as a spacer in the middle. Does that sound ok?