Longer shackles - just fitted

[PK]

Just finished putting longer shackles on my sons Drover. Made them from 6mm X 32mm flat with 25mm square tube welded in the middle (60mm long.
Length from hole to hole is 50mm longer than standard, which has ended up with about 32mm of lift (I was expecting 25mm?).
Total cost inc high tensile bolts, and a can of killrust paint was $43.05

Will post before and after pics asap

[PK]

some pics

[benjamin78au]

i wonder wat the ride differance with , before and after. and what is the legal side of things?


bj

[superzuki]

hey what size are those tyres?

[PK]

30x9.5x15 The rears are BFG A/T, the front are bridgestone..... He's waiting for them to wear out to throw some muds at it...

[PK]

Have also removed swaybar - haven't had a chance to drive it in the bush yet, but on road I can't pick much difference - maybe just on roundabouts?

[ausyota]

How did you go with shocky length?
Were your standard ones long enough at full droop?

[benjamin78au]

with longer shackles, has it improved the ride?

bj

[PK]

can't tell you about shocker length yet - will let you know. Went for a drive (bitumen) on Sunday and I was thinking it felt smoother, but thought I might be imagining it, until my son said the same thing....

[DiddyZook]

I went looking for new shackles, only to be told at one place that you can't get extended shackles for Suzuki's (offensive little wanker referred to them as toys, "they can't go far offroad you can only get them for real 4WDs", I could have hit him, ignorant Prado driver). Fine, they will not get my business. I am now going to look at making some myself.

PK tell us how did yours go offroad, better flex?

I have never made shackles before, can't be too hard (thanks for specs PK). I'll stick to 50mm longer than standard.

What is the situation with changing shackles, do they need to be engineered, inspected by RTA etc

Can you buy extended shackles for Sierra's? Can you buy greasable shackles for Sierras?

[DiddyZook]

I went looking for new shackles, only to be told at one place that you can't get extended shackles for Suzuki's (offensive little wanker referred to them as toys, "they can't go far offroad you can only get them for real 4WDs", I could have hit him, ignorant Prado driver). Fine, they will not get my business. I am now going to look at making some myself.

PK tell us how did yours go offroad, better flex?

I have never made shackles before, can't be too hard (thanks for specs PK). I'll stick to 50mm longer than standard.

What is the situation with changing shackles, do they need to be engineered, inspected by RTA etc

Can you buy extended shackles for Sierra's? Can you buy greasable shackles for Sierras?

[PK]

Still haven'yt had it in the bush yet since changing shackles, but with removing the swaybar, i think we're going to find a fair difference anyway, although with lockers it isn't as crucial - lifting a wheel isn't usually a problem.

You can get ready made extended shackles - Snake Racing etc. They charge around $195 pair - have a look at their website.
Instead of 60mm square tube, give it another couple of mm - the rear ones were very tight on the bushes.

[Liam]

there's about 10 flavours of greasable, extended, greasable extended, climax drop, superior drop shackles, teraflex, warrior, revolver and a few others ALL available for sierras ! What couldn't they get??? Just out of interest what store was this?

[PK]

OK, had the Zook out yesterday, and I am VERY happy with the longer shackles and removal of the sway bar. You could feel both ends working well across ruts and erosion humps, and where the rear tyres used to scrape the inside of the wheel arch before, no scraping now it sits up a bit higher.

All good!

[dazlin]

why did you remove the sway bar, what does that do for you.
I only ask as i am half way through making my own shackles and am trying all cheap options to increase my wheel travel and ride height. Any tips would be appreciated.

So far my extented shackles are about 50mm longer than the standard (hole to hole) would i need to change anything else on the zook suzh as steering or is extented shackles just an easy mod?

[nicbeer]

steering should be ok.
check you shock lengths after fitted and ditch the sway bar (you don't need it).

Undo shocks and ramp it. then check the lenghts available for the shock you have.

Also the bar is limiting the flex in that pic.

cheers

[dazlin]

i'm only new to all this, can you help describe the sway bar as i'm not 100% sure its what i'm thinking.

[lay80n]

The sway bar is the bar that attaches at each end to your front axle, and in its middle it will bolt to the chassis. It is designed to stop body roll, but by doin this it reduces articulation. Removing it makes bugger all difference on the road, but will allow much better wheel travel. As for extended shackles, THEY ARE ILLEGAL. In NSW deffinatley, and i think most other states. You can get them engineered, but they will still be illegal! Just a point to think on before you fit them. Not sayin dont do it, i run them, but its worth knowing first.
Layto....

[nicbeer]

On yours - looks like a narrow track.

It is a U shaped bar with a bolt at either end and mounts onto where the tie down point is in rubber mounts.

In some states it is illegal to run without a swaybar i think also but you can always put it back on when you need it. Only takes 5min.

[derelict_frog]

Not anything to do with shackles but if some one pulled you out of deep mud by that hook on the bull bar your bullbar would rip right off or bend all the bolts at the least.

Unless the bullbar is held on than more than the 4 tiny bolts they originally come with.


Is the winch bolted onto the chassis too?

[Gwagensteve]

not all 1.0 litres are equipped with a front swaybar. Some LWB 1.0litres have a rear swaybar.... freaky!

[muppet_man67]

freaky but kind of cool.

[spamwell]

my 1 litre does not even have mounts or anything for the swaybar

[dazlin]

i had a look for the sway bar and i cannot seem to see it, i may have been taken off allready before i got it. The only thing that connects near the diff is the steering arms.

[Gwagensteve]

I seem to recall that hard tops had swaybars and soft tops didn't. as to teh swaybar in the rear thing, does anyone else have a 83-84 1.0 LWB that came with a rear swaybar? or even odd looking spring plates on the rear that look like were for a swaybar? Christovers car can't be unique, his looked way factory.

[christover1]

Christovers car can't be unique, his looked way factory.

I'm just very special

[ljxtreem]

yes u are

Mock

[zakzammit]

hey guys. i used to have 4 inch extended shackles in my zook and is seemed to wonder on the road. i had to take em out for a road worthy, and could not believe the difference between them and standard? any ideas?

zak

[Gwagensteve]

That's because your crazily-way-too-long shackles are ruining your caster angle (by massively reducing it)

Less caster = more wandering, and that's without taking into account the added leverage on the bushes making everything wobble more, the increased bump steer, etcetc.

What in God's name made you want to run shackles that long?

You had to take them out for a RWC for good reason. Leave them out and enjoy the handling. The 2" of lift they gave you (and any perceived "extra wheel travel") isn't worth the death trap your car becomes with them on.

Steve.


PS a 5 year grave dig? Golly - did you start reading from Page 1? There's an extended shackle thread about every fortnight!

[alien]

PS a 5 year grave dig? Golly - did you start reading from Page 1? There's an extended shackle thread about every fortnight!

LOL - at least grimbo can't complain he didnt search.