superior shackles

[brad75]

has anybody out there witnessed these in action first hand?Are they as good as they say?

[beebee]

That is a matter of opinion and there are people on this board who have definate beliefs on this. Previously, things have got a little heated regarding this topic. To answer your question - no they aren't the be all and end all of leaf spring suspension. Even the manufacturer recommends a host of other modifications to accompany the shackles. Going by the fact that there are differing opinions must tell us that they are not perfect.

[beebee]

Look for posts by realux - he is the manufacturer

[-Mick-]

The travel looks sick on the ramp for sure but I've watched a mates lux run with em and it looks like they unhinge to easily (when not pinned). My major concern is steep descents where unpredictable unhinging might make a rig do a somersualt I've only seen them in action briefly though and never driven a rig with em so it's JUST my opinion

If I don't say that I'll get lots of angry responses PS couldn't find a link but i'm a spaz so no surprise

[fatassgq]

Brad,
As far as superior shackles go I think that I am one of a few people here that have actually run with these. I have used them in a large variety of situations and have not had any dramas. I have set them up properly with a ladder bar on the rear though.As far as 'flex on the ramp' goes mine is shit compared to what it actually does offroad. See pics on superiors website. As far as 'unloading' down steep declines etc... I am not into full on hardcore fuck your car up 4wding, but the steepest decent I have probably done saw the ass end of a suzuki lift off the ground and only just make it back down the right way. I never had a problem.
Everyone is different in that they do different things with their rig, and they are all set up a little differently even down to weight etc. In my case I am sure that I would not be getting anything near the flex I am now without the shackles. If you want the most out of your shackles there is a few other things you have to do.AS WITH ANY CUSTOM SHACKLE. Once again I am extremely happy and they have never had any adverse effects for my truck. If you talk to realux at superiorengineering he will give you any info you need, without the bs

[brad75]

fatass75,how are ya.Thanks for your comments on the shackles.Im in a situation where i have already got lifted tough dog springs on my 75.While im very happy with the articulation it has got,i just want more(i guess the more we get,the more we want).I have seen in 4wd monthly these shackles and am led to believe they give 100mm more travel.What is this ladder bar set up youve got?is it neccesary?do you know any other possibilities to get more out of my already capable 75?Do you run them front and rear and what other mods do you have to do to apply custom shackles? cheers,Brad[/list]

[fatassgq]

Hey Brad75
I think that is a little of the problem with these shackles etc. It is presumed that you can just bolt them on and get some full on flex machine straight off the bat. Wrong in most cases. Some people bolt them on and get good results for what they want without too many mods. Others like myself have chosen to set up the truck to get the most out of my suspension/shackles. The only reason I have a ladder bar on my truck is cause my rear springs are 8-9" longer than standard and are therefore quite soft. The torque from the diesel wanted to twist them whenever I took off and the pinion angle would kick up rather badly. Ladder bar solved this while still alowing flex.
Once again it all comes down to what you want to do, how far you want to go. There are some who say flex is overated and in some cases I agree. Without flex though my truck would be very unstable offroad. It is not the be all and end all of 4wding but in my mind still very important.
I have the shackles all round and now have a shackle reversal on the front and for me they are great. They take a lot of stress off the spring when flexing, allow a lot more travel than a normal shackle without trying to rip itself out of the bushes and mount,and once pinned you don't even know the difference.
By the way a lot of clowns say they (superior shackles) are the same as climax and revolver etc. They are not.
see www.superiorengineering.com.au for some of the mods to my truck
catch ya round
Brian[/url]

[beebee]

Have you actually spoken to Superior yet? That would be a good place to start. Whether or not you actually like their product, I have always found them to be very helpful and informative.

[brad75]

What is the difference between the superior,climax and the revolver?I havent as yet decided which path to take as yet,just looking all avenues before i decide.

[beebee]

If you do choose to go with a hinged shackle - go with the superior. I believe that they are the best example of this design. They work on a whole new level to the others. I don't know the price difference though

[brad75]

Are these shackles commonly known for "unloading"on steep declines ? ta Brad.

[NICK]

Are these shackles commonly known for "unloading"on steep declines ? ta Brad.

yes they are.



The thread that everyone is looking for has been deleted due to the above reasons, heated arguements.

NICK

[killalux]

i also run these shackles and on very steep dropoffs the will open up, but if you run a centre limiting strap that will limit the amount that the rear diff can fall away from the chassis, i just havent fited mine yet.
have a look in the members section under killalux, there is some pics of them on my truck.

[fatassgq]

Yep I have a limiting strap also (up pretty tight) and the big weight of my truck all probably goes toward helping the shackles work right.
Once again if you are looking for something to just bolt on and turn into a huge flex machine it is not going to happen. They do help a lot though when you set them up right. In saying that if you bolt them up to a standard leaf pack you will still get more flex than a standard shackle but there is a lot of other things you could be doing at the same time to get maximum results.
There is always going to be different oppinions on different products available, that is what life is about. In this case however most people are only speculating.

Talk to either superiorengineering or myself or killalux for real experience with THESE shackles.

BTW Killalux I saw your truck the other day the tray looks sweet!

[killalux]

thanks fatass75, i saw your truck down at noosa the other week, its lookin awesome.

[killalux]

What is the difference between the superior,climax and the revolver?I havent as yet decided which path to take as yet,just looking all avenues before i decide.

the climax shackles are only a basic hinged shackle in that they only pivot in one direction.
i havent had much to do with the revolver but that ones i have seen just look to be not real strong.
the superiors allow the shackle to pivot in 3 directions, they open and close, and they also twist from side to side which allows them to let the back half of the spring to swing side to side, so to speak, which means that the spring doesnt bind up as much.
i have also seen the superiors combined with johny joints in the front eye of the spring which lets the whole spring to swing, which would eliminate nearly all the binding in the spring.

i also beleive that they help the springs last a lot longer, as the spring doesnt have totwist side to side. i have had the same springs in the rear of my truck for over 6 months and they have not saged a bit.