Inverting front shackles

[ausyota]

Well I have inverted one of the front shackles twice on my zook now.
Both times were from the shackle itself smacking into an obsticle.
I never though I could invert the shackles now that I have rears up front with a lot of angle on the shackle but I did.

So I started thinking how could I make an anti invert setup for the front.

The idea I came up with was to make the ouside plate (10mm thick)of the shackle longer so it can swings around and contacts whats left of the bumper mount tube. See pics below.
Will I need to strengthen the tube so it doesnt bend when I drive the shackle into something?
Is it a good idea or no?
Paul.

[sierrajim]

Have seen these on landcruisers before. Runs three bolts instead of two. The third bolt hits on the frame rail to stop the inversion backwards.

[ausyota]

Have seen these on landcruisers before. Runs three bolts instead of two. The third bolt hits on the frame rail to stop the inversion backwards.

Yeah I thought about that but they wont really work on the zook because the shackle mounts a fair bit lower than the frame.
By the time that pin hits it will be inverted anyway

[Bad JuJu]

I think now your springs are longer you will need longer shackles.

general rule forshackles, if you make em too long they don't flex as well. so a rough rule i've been told is measure the spring dead flat eye to eye. then add about 25mm to that length.

then measure the distance between the spring hanger and shackle hanger

now the shackle length (between pins) should = (spring + 25 mill measurement) - (distance between hangers).

See third post in http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... hp?t=65239 for more detail

[STUMPY]

I'd do it the way james showed with the triangle piece.
Reason being, when your wheel drops away, the shackle will bind on the chassis the way you hav described it. I like the idea though.

[sierrajim]

Have seen these on landcruisers before. Runs three bolts instead of two. The third bolt hits on the frame rail to stop the inversion backwards.

Yeah I thought about that but they wont really work on the zook because the shackle mounts a fair bit lower than the frame.
By the time that pin hits it will be inverted anyway

Just shape the triangular plate to suit.

[alien]

why not for less ugly factor, make the anti-inversion system on the chassis? prolly be easier too...

[grimbo]

I just have a bit of angle iron welded to the chassis which stops the spring inverting

[redzook]

I think now your springs are longer you will need longer shackles.

general rule forshackles, if you make em too long they don't flex as well. so a rough rule i've been told is measure the spring dead flat eye to eye. then add about 25mm to that length.

then measure the distance between the spring hanger and shackle hanger

now the shackle length (between pins) should = (spring + 25 mill measurement) - (distance between hangers).

them shackles are already longer then what they came with from factory

suzuki front and rear shackles are the same length

See third post in http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... hp?t=65239 for more detail

[Bad JuJu]

I think now your springs are longer you will need longer shackles.

general rule forshackles, if you make em too long they don't flex as well. so a rough rule i've been told is measure the spring dead flat eye to eye. then add about 25mm to that length.

then measure the distance between the spring hanger and shackle hanger

now the shackle length (between pins) should = (spring + 25 mill measurement) - (distance between hangers).

them shackles are already longer then what they came with from factory

suzuki front and rear shackles are the same length

See third post in http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... hp?t=65239 for more detail

eh?? You seem to have posted in the middle of mine..

[ausyota]

The shackle length seems to be just fine.
The reason both times they have inverted is from impact direct onto the end of spring/shackle.
Hmm I will play around with a design and post some pics later.
Cheers
Paul.

["CANADA"]

The shackle length seems to be just fine.
The reason both times they have inverted is from impact direct onto the end of spring/shackle.
Hmm I will play around with a design and post some pics later.
Cheers
Paul.

trackbar

[redzook]

The shackle length seems to be just fine.
The reason both times they have inverted is from impact direct onto the end of spring/shackle.
Hmm I will play around with a design and post some pics later.
Cheers
Paul.

trackbar

whats a track bar gunna do

[redzook]

I think now your springs are longer you will need longer shackles.

general rule forshackles, if you make em too long they don't flex as well. so a rough rule i've been told is measure the spring dead flat eye to eye. then add about 25mm to that length.

then measure the distance between the spring hanger and shackle hanger

now the shackle length (between pins) should = (spring + 25 mill measurement) - (distance between hangers).

See third post in http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... hp?t=65239 for more detail

them shackles are already longer then what they came with from factory

suzuki front and rear shackles are the same length

eh?? You seem to have posted in the middle of mine..

sorry fixed now

[DeWsE]

Paul I had this problem a couple of times to, I figured it was because I had the shackles to far forward.

Maybe do something similar to the rear shackle hanger (Flat bar that comes down to stop the shackle.. it's standard on the rear so should be easy to copy.

[christover1]

this works

[Zookified]

I inverted my stock shackle with 2inch springs on the weekend. Hit a rock, smashed the shackle around a bit and then inverted it. Bent the spring and now need to get it reset


Chris's idea looks the goods, can't really notice it either.

["CANADA"]

The shackle length seems to be just fine.
The reason both times they have inverted is from impact direct onto the end of spring/shackle.
Hmm I will play around with a design and post some pics later.
Cheers
Paul.

trackbar

whats a track bar gunna do

its pushing the diff back when it hits the shackle

[ausyota]

The triangle shackles look good but I cant see how they will work in this aplication without making the rear bolt up way high.
Chris wouldnt your shackles be pushed back near paralell with the frame before that rear bolt contacted the frame?

Maybe the triangle idea would work if the looked like this.

[alien]

with a bolt through the extra point too - so the whole bolt contacts the chassis rail... and an extra plate welded to the chassis rail so you dont dent the hell out of it =P

[redzook]

The shackle length seems to be just fine.
The reason both times they have inverted is from impact direct onto the end of spring/shackle.
Hmm I will play around with a design and post some pics later.
Cheers
Paul.

trackbar

whats a track bar gunna do

its pushing the diff back when it hits the shackle

i realise this so what sort of trackbar u gunna do to stop that?

[christover1]

Not my idea, its on me mates zook.
I think since the photo he has moved the position of the 3rd bar, or welded a bar onto the chassis ala what grimbo said.

christover

["CANADA"]

The shackle length seems to be just fine.
The reason both times they have inverted is from impact direct onto the end of spring/shackle.
Hmm I will play around with a design and post some pics later.
Cheers
Paul.

trackbar

whats a track bar gunna do

its pushing the diff back when it hits the shackle

i realise this so what sort of trackbar u gunna do to stop that?

simple 3mount would do?

[DeWsE]

simple 3mount would do?

Um a three mount would have to be on a shackle at the chassis end so the suspension can cycle.

So although the diff won't twist, it won't stop the diff moving backwards.

[lay80n]

How far do your shackles come back at full droop, i know mine come back far enough to point straight along with the spring.
Layto....