Do I need to get different shackles???

[jleland]

I just ordered my 4" Rough Country lift for my 91 YJ. I'm on a pretty tight budget and was wondering if the shackles I have on there currently are gonna take the suspension too high. By "too high" I mean, am I gonna hafta get into driveshaft issues and such? The current shackles are 8 inches long. Dustin at RC said that I will probably need to find some stock shackles or change drive shafts.

I am planning on doing the lift myself, so funds are pretty low. Where would be a good place to find low price shackles if needed? Or does anybody here have some they might wanna part with?

 

[Saddle Tramp]

To me 8” shackles are scary any day of the week without a lifted spring and to add 4” of spring is not a wise idea. Think about all the stress that puts on the shackles with side to side movement. I would ditch them as I do not believe in using shackles for any part of a lift; go back to OEM length and put on a good sturdy unit.

Even with 2-1/2” of lift on a YJ you need to lower the transmission by at least an inch.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Find a set of stock shackles and get rid of the fugly long ones.

 

[jleland]

Thanks guys!! Thats what I was thinking. I found some greaseable stock size shackles on 4WD Hardware for $35 a pair so I'm gonna order them

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

That's not a bad price. Take a look at boomerang shackles, used in the rear they help the shackle clear the crossmember, used in the front they help prevent kickback of the shackle against the frame.

 

[jleland]

What are the advantage/disadvantages of having greaseable shackles? Also, on the rear, do the shackles just bolt on to the frame rail? I was sprayin everything down with PB yesterday and noticed the rear shackles were bolted right onto the frame.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Yes, the rear shackle attaches to a sleeve welded through the frame. The front is a shackle hanger attached to the bottom side of the frame rail.

 

[jleland]

I finally got my new shackles today!! Should I use the rubber bushings that came with the shackles or the polyurethane bushings that came with the lift kit? I just have enough rubber bushings for the shackles but the lift kit came with all, shackles and frame. Also the shackles are kind of angled....are these boomerang shackles? Do I need to grease the shackles as soon as I get them put on?

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

I prefer rubber bushings, poly is generally stiff and results in a harsher ride.

 

[jleland]

I guess I will run the rubber bushings on the shackle ends and poly on the frame ends and see how that works.

 

[jleland]

Ok this is what my shackles look like

Should I put the angles towards the axles or does it really matter?

 

[offthebeatenpath]

the angles front and back should point to the center of jeep.

 

[69jeepcj]

If money is tight, you could cut a few inches off of your current shackles and simply drill a new hole. But for $35 you cant really go wrong.