Outer Limits 4x4 Board

would adding 2inch extended shackles to a vehicle require modifying anything? i.e. is it the same as adding a 2 inch suspension lift? or could i put them on without worries?

It may cause the shocks to over extend and damage the piston(pull it off) best to ask this question in the section for your make of 4x4. People there will know.

should be fine, an 1" won't damage shocks

Extended shackles will only give you half the lift. Eg 2" extended shackles wil give you 1 " of actual lift. Things to note: they hang down and get easily caught up on rocks. Also changes steering geometry.
With that said its cheap and easy way of lifting the vehicle.

ripping my shocks out aint a worry, as atm they have already bin ripped outa the front... so i need new ones neway

sanger wrote:Extended shackles will only give you half the lift. Eg 2" extended shackles wil give you 1 " of actual lift. Things to note: they hang down and get easily caught up on rocks. Also changes steering geometry.
With that said its cheap and easy way of lifting the vehicle.

I wouldn't worry bout the fact that they hang down... that won't be an issue for 2" extended...

They are cheap and will allow more wheel travel due to the greater pivot they will have, and as steering geometry goes... just get a couple of castor wedges...

Its not hard to make the shackles... i think there is a post in the bible in the toyota section.

Brad

They won't make any difference to wheel travel without you change the shocks also the mounting eye on the chassis should be moved to allow the spring and shackle to flatten out properly. This will maximise the potential travel of the spring and help stop the shackle inverting.
The correct way to set up leaf suspension !!!
You measure the flattened length of the spring(centre of eye to centre of eye). Then deduct the shackle length + 15mm. This is the distance you should have between the spring eye mount and the shackle mount on the chassis. On the rear 200mm long and front being 150mmlong custom shackles are a good length and after moving the upper mount they should give you about a 2" lift.
After you have set up the shackles you can then set up the springs.
Cross flex the vehicle in a deep gutter on flat ground with the front of the vehicle being no higher than the rear , You should have the normal amount of gear in the vehicle that you would take off road, (and no shocks in). If the gutter is deep enough both opposing wheels in the gutter should be in the air and you should be able to rock the 4by front to back easily. the front and back wheels being compressed under the guards should be on the bump stops. If not you will have to remove a leaf off the offending pack or add a leaf to the opposing pack if it has compressed to easily into the bump stop. If you put a leaf in or take one out you need to do it to both front or both rear spring packs.
The idea though is to set up the springs so with a normally loaded vehicle the springs can just compress to the bump stops at the same rate balancing on two wheels.
Then comes the shocks.
1. Using the STD mounts... compress the suspension as previously described and measure the compressed shock length then deduct 25mm. Then buy the longest shock you can find that will compress to that length.
2. Buy the longest travel shock you can find and custom build mounts to suit.
YOU WILL THEN OUTFLEX MOST
If you set up leaves correctly without lengthening the shackles and fit shocks to suit you will still outflex most [/b]