Shackle reversal

[Rosey55]

Hi Guys,

shackle reversal on a mighty MQ/MK... whats involved? Cut mounts off and swap? how careful do you have to be lining them up before welding again? Is using your eye good enough? or do people make special alignment tools? I was thinking of getting a long piece of tub to put through the mounts once tacked in place, this should magnify any deflection. Thoughts?

cheers

[grimbo]

By eye won't be good enough as you are playing with some serious problems if you get it wrong. If you are out by too much you will have a dangerous and badly handling vehicle. If you are thinking of doing this and think by eye is good enough maybe you should be talking to professionals about this. Anytime you do major mods that involve changing thhe geometry of the vehicles suspension, steering, welding chassis etc it certainly pays to know what you are doing

[Rosey55]

plenty of people on here have done this, how have others done it? ant tricks?

[MARKx4]

When i did mine i cut off old mounts and threw them away. Put a cross member across the front, ii used new hilux hangers, shackles and mounts. Looks heaps neater the using old ones and you dont have to worry about how careful you are when removing the hangers. Take as many mesurements that you think are critical at the start, write them down and use as refrence. Make sure your leaves are parallel when finished (Internal mesurment between leaf packs should be the same at mounting points). Make sure your front hangers are straight with each over not offset (very important). Other then that it should be ok. Best to talk to screwy he did his himself. I had assintance along the way. Best of luck, its well worth the conversion.

[Screwy]

i re used the old mounts to do mine.

if i was to re do it i would buy new mounts.
looks neater.

my setup will work as well as any other it just doesnt look as neat.

u need measurements as mark said, measuring ur mount locations is critical, they have to very close otherwise ur front diff will crab.

screwy

[Mintoy]

i re used the old mounts to do mine.

if i was to re do it i would buy new mounts.
looks neater.

my setup will work as well as any other it just doesnt look as neat.

u need measurements as mark said, measuring ur mount locations is critical, they have to very close otherwise ur front diff will crab.

screwy

did you have to reverse your springs as well? how long are your new front mounts?

[Screwy]

i re used the old mounts to do mine.

if i was to re do it i would buy new mounts.
looks neater.

my setup will work as well as any other it just doesnt look as neat.

u need measurements as mark said, measuring ur mount locations is critical, they have to very close otherwise ur front diff will crab.

screwy

did you have to reverse your springs as well? how long are your new front mounts?

If your using MQ / MK front springs, leave them in there current position and just change the mounts....

I have IFS hilux rears in the front of mine they measure approx 1300mm long give or take

[Mintoy]

If your using MQ / MK front springs, leave them in there current position and just change the mounts....

I have IFS hilux rears in the front of mine they measure approx 1300mm long give or take [/quote]

thanks screwy for the info. i plan to do the reverse shacle in 2 weeks time will let you know what happens

[Rosey55]

u serious, i thought you reversed the spring???

if you do reverse the spring, am i right in assuming the only difference will be the front axle will be brought forward giving a longer wheel base?

[ozy1]

if you reverse the standard front spring, you will move the diff forward, i looked into it when i had an MQ, and if i remember correctly it was a couple of inches, not exactly sure,

[Rosey55]

by reversing the spring you will still have the large spring eye with the more flexible bush at the shackle end, this is a plus right?

[Screwy]

MQ fronts measure 560mm front to centre pin and 560mm rear to centre pin give or take a few mm.....

u will gain very little if u reverse the front springs..... u can however get an inch or so out of it either way by moving the front dropped crossmember and hangers forward....there is room on the front of the chassis.

i reversed my rear springs for 7 odd inches of gain

[Mintoy]

hi screwy, on the original set up of the front springset the springs move forward when you hit a bump and the spline of the propeller shaft moves outward. in a reverse shackle system the spline move inwards. my question is do i have to set the front mounting a bit forward from where the shackle mount use to be? or can i can weld the new mounting on the exact place where the shackles mounts were? thanks.

[ozy1]

hi screwy, on the original set up of the front springset the springs move forward when you hit a bump and the spline of the propeller shaft moves outward. in a reverse shackle system the spline move inwards. my question is do i have to set the front mounting a bit forward from where the shackle mount use to be? or can i can weld the new mounting on the exact place where the shackles mounts were? thanks.

a mate of mine did his shackle reversal, swaping the mounts, but welding them so they were in simila locatins, he found, when the front end flexed, down, the shaft became to short, and had to modify it, if you get what im saying,

[Screwy]

hi screwy, on the original set up of the front springset the springs move forward when you hit a bump and the spline of the propeller shaft moves outward. in a reverse shackle system the spline move inwards. my question is do i have to set the front mounting a bit forward from where the shackle mount use to be? or can i can weld the new mounting on the exact place where the shackles mounts were? thanks.

move the rear shackle mounts forward about an inch from standard location. having straight shackles there... u will have little flex and big shaft angles.....

basically do the front mounts and then set the rear shackles to the angle u want them at at ride hieght.

screwy

[pongo]

I realise that a shackel reversal needs to be engineered. But i am wondering how easy it is to sneak past the pink slip brigade. I am considering putting it on the to do list but dont want to get it engineered.

[Screwy]

I realise that a shackel reversal needs to be engineered. But i am wondering how easy it is to sneak past the pink slip brigade. I am considering putting it on the to do list but dont want to get it engineered.

u should get it past a pink slip easyily as long as u set ur pinion properly and dont make it look obious, so do it and do a coupla mud runs so it looks like the rest of the underside of the car

[pongo]

thats how i professionally fixed the floor rust in my jag. pity some bog fell out when they went to put it on the hoist. Thats what i thought. Most mechanics would be too busy/lazy to notice shackel reversal as long it appears normal