are extended shackles legal?

[big_fyt]

gday i had a quick search and came up with nothing.

i originally wanted to run a 2"BL and 2" susp in my 97 SFA hilux however i have since read that you get the flex from the shackle not the leaf spring.

i am wondering if i ditch the BL and go get some 2" extended shackles and add that into my suspension set-up, i am only new to 4x4 so i won't be playing around to much with the suspension at the start, i am keen to have 4" of lift all up to accomodate 33" tyres with plenty of room for play.

i know that the BL are illegal, however i am not sure what the go is with the extended shackles. also i havn't kept up with that BS law they were trying to pass this would push me 50mm over that limit if i had the shackles.

any thoughts or comments would be great

bigfyt

[granborismo]

yep shackles are definately illegal

[Willy Hilux]

You will only get lift from the extended shackle, not really any more travel as the extended shackle sill sit in the verticle position. You will have to put in a longer main and wrap to get the flex or travel.

[thehanko]

what they said.

few things to realise.

extended shakels alone dont give you flex.

extended shakels are illegal.

2 inch extended shakels can give anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1 inch of lift - not 2 inches.

So to get good flex you need to have springs suitable to your vehicle weight etc and the main leaf needs to be at a length so that when your sitting at normal ride height your shakel is about 45 deg. this gives good droop and loads up the leaf with more force to help it compress = better flex (as long as you shocks etc and everything else are also correctly set up)

if you just throw extended shakels into a normal leaf length they will tend to sit very vertically and offer very little flex as the shakel cant pivot far.

a badly dont shakel lift of 2 inches will lift one end of your spring only - which means it only lifts your diff 1 inch as its half way along the leaf. a well done shakel lift (i.e at 45 deg) will make it more like 1/2 an inch as 2 inches at 45 deg is approx 1 inch vertically = 1/2 inch at the diff.

does that clear a few things up for you?

If you do a rear up front conversion on a lux those springs will be perfect length for some 50mm extended shakels. (the springs are about 50mm higher as well)

if you put rear springs out of a ifs front lux onto the back with 50mm extended shakels again you should get a good shakel angle.

here is an example of a long rear shakle on springs not suited to its use



its too vertical. it was too hard to find a pic with a decent shackle angle.

hope that helps

[craz3d]

Can you make an extended shackle legal through engineering if you have set it up with the right shackle angle, castor etc?

[dans-paj92]

I got mine engineered with extended shackles front and rear in my car a couple of months ago.
Painted black so they don't stand out as much.
Even in the report it says extended shackles have been fitted from snake racing.
Cheers
Dan

[granborismo]

this is taken from the rta website. vsi 06

"note about extended shackles"


Suspension:

Besides assuring a comfortable ride, a vehicle’s suspension system controls wheel movement for handling and road
holding. Manufacturers conduct extensive test programs to develop suitable suspension settings. Adjustments, such
as lowering the vehicle, can upset the suspension characteristics and cause unpredictable handling. Generally, roll
stabilizer bars, axle locating rods, upgraded shock absorbers or upgraded springs may be used provided they are
suitable for the vehicle and are properly fitted.

However, the following suspension modifications are not acceptable:

Welding forged components such as stub axles or control arms.

Fitting longer, non-standard shackles to leaf springs. <---------

Fitting any additional components or altering the suspension so that the wheels or tyres may contact any
component under the full range of suspension and steering travel.

Fitting any additional components or altering the suspension ride height so that any part of the vehicle other
than a wheel or tyre can contact the road in the event of a tyre deflation.

If major changes to the suspension (such as substitution of a non standard front cross member) are carried out, they
should be done under the strict guidance of an engineering signatory.

[big_fyt]

is there alot of work and expense to carry out the suspension mod's to have the shackles at a 45* angle compared to just buying a 2" lift for the specific model.

cheers for the response guys

[thehanko]

is there alot of work and expense to carry out the suspension mod's to have the shackles at a 45* angle compared to just buying a 2" lift for the specific model.

cheers for the response guys

a normal 2 inch lift will use your std shakles. you only need extended shakels if you go for a longer spring. and the normal lift will be legal.

if you re read my other post it tells you how to get springs the correct length for extended shakles, other wise keep them std and buy off the shelf - easier and legal.

[big_fyt]

cheers mate.

i have been looking around and have decided on www.4wd1.com.au the rancho9000/rock crawler combo for my hilux, has anybody used these before? i have talked the the guys down there and they have told me different things which have made me want this set-up.

[ferrit]

I wouldnt waste my money on the rockcrawler gear.

I went OME in my hilux and im extremely happy with it.

Im still ditching it all for coils as soon as i buy a MIG tho

[big_fyt]

I wouldnt waste my money on the rockcrawler gear.

I went OME in my hilux and im extremely happy with it.

Im still ditching it all for coils as soon as i buy a MIG tho

any specific reason you don't like the rockcrawler gear personal experience or just has a bad name for it?

i want to get springs that are not going to sag down an inch and a half on me i have a bugdet of under 2k the lower the better, any suggestions of gear?

[craz3d]

Suspension:

Besides assuring a comfortable ride, a vehicle’s suspension system controls wheel movement for handling and road
holding. Manufacturers conduct extensive test programs to develop suitable suspension settings. Adjustments, such
as lowering the vehicle, can upset the suspension characteristics and cause unpredictable handling. Generally, roll
stabilizer bars, axle locating rods, upgraded shock absorbers or upgraded springs may be used provided they are
suitable for the vehicle and are properly fitted.

However, the following suspension modifications are not acceptable:

Welding forged components such as stub axles or control arms.

Fitting longer, non-standard shackles to leaf springs. <---------

Well, I suppose in the case of trail gear kits and other custom setups with the RIGHT angle, it's a matched shackle thus not non standard length shackle, ie. std for that spring and setup. I'm sure if you used a shorter shackle with the trail gear setup it would be more dangerous if it was installed for the normal 'extended' one.

[Evski]

I just picked up a HiLux kit from suspension stuff using Dobinson Springs and Suspension Stuff Shocks. Has been on the car for 3 months and it is awesome. The flex in the front is so good that I need to cut my guards, and the ride is pretty good as well. I paid $1500 delivered to my door with everything including a steering dampner. It gave me 50mm of lift, has a good shackle angle and hasnt sagged at all. Very impressed with it and would recomend it especially the springs.

[dans-paj92]

dobinson springs in smeaton grange?
yeah i went there for a price on some IFS 2inch lifted rears for mine.
Good bloke that knew what he was talking about and was more than happy to show me the products.
Trail gear suspension kits require you to move the spring hanger to use their springs with a normal shackle, thats how they get away with not having to use an extended shackle.
Cheers
Dan