Rear leaf spring shackle: When you torque down the shackle mount bolt (The one that mounts the shackle to the body mount)
Does the mount squeeze tight on the shackle bushing sleeve? Holding the sleeve from rotating or does the inner mount sleeve "rotate" on the mount bolt?
Past experience with 70's era cars, the inner sleeve was held "tight" and the movement was in the rubber part of the bushing, is that true with the shackles on the XJ?

Slack

 

Yes, the sleeve should be tight and not rotate

 

That is what I thought,, how does that happen with the aftermarket shackle boxes made of 1/4" steel?
I don't think a 1/4" box is going to squeeze when you tighten the shackle bolt.

Slack

 

That is a good question. You might need to make a spacer out of a piece of scrap metal

 

I see some of the after market shackles have a grease zerk on the "body mount" side, not sure what they are trying to accomplish there.
In all my dealings with pressed in rubber bushings (mostly 60-70's muscle cars), you tightened the mount bolt once the car was sitting on the ground on it's full weight.
I did notice one of the rear shackle mount bolts (from my XJ) was "worn down" where the bushing rides on it. I guess that bushing was rotating on the bolt with the flex of the leaf.

I had to replace my shackle boxes, fabbed up new ones out of 1/8" material. even that wont crush down on the shackle to "clamp" the bushing.
I made the inside of the box 2-7/8" the bushing is 2-3/4" , I'll have to make up a ~1/8 shim. (washer), I'll tack it in place prior to installing the shackle.

Slack