FST "low pro" shackle relocation installation...
 

Aliright!
I installed my relocation brackets a week ago and have been logging some very smooth miles.

Parts Needed:
FST low pro brackets
JCR Nut strips (recommended)

Tools Needed:
Grinder, Cut off blades and grinding discs.
13/16 socket
7/8 box end wrench
19mm socket

First i would advise before cutting off your stock box remove hitch (if applicable)

Remove bumper to be able to slide nut strips in.

Raise the jeep up, I placed jack stands infront of the leaf springs (under the passenger door on the frame, but you should know this)
Remove rear shackle bolt, and lower the leafs down,get the grinder ready.

Attachment 173276

The top cut ^^^^ doesn't have to be flush with the floor, you can have about one inch down.

Attachment 173281

Heres what i had after my jeep was on a diet.

Attachment 173283

MAKE SURE THIS IS FLUSH!!!! Same with the back side.

Attachment 173284

I had to cut off this nut, But this product was in the "testing" :beta1: stage at this point, this issue has been fixed.

Now line up the new bolt that will be going into the weld nut (old shackle nut) do not tighten down just get it started.
Throw the bolts in from the bottom into new nut strip.
tighten all of these down.

Attachment 173294

Attachment 173295

Here while installing these on mattphillips90's jeep some new nut strips would have been much appreciated.

Now bolt up your shackle into there new home, tricky if alone but possible.

Attachment 173301

Lower the jeep, check the shackle angle, adjust if needed.
Make sure all of your bolts are tight and enjoy the ride.

Barrelmaker's with 1.5" shackle.(NO LIFT!!!!!)

Attachment 173297

Mattphillips90's stock shackle, Better angle no lift.

Attachment 173298

Both of ours before, Rough country 3" full pack and 4.5" full pack.

Attachment 173299

Attachment 173302

just to show clearance above between floor.


:rockon:

Have you wheeled with them yet?

Flexed barrelmakers on my tire haha but hey, they def work

We live in a bad area for "hard core" wheeling, i didn't want to jump my Jeep yet.
Only been on for a week, so my kidneys are still recuperating.
There are 5 others that also have these in there hands, in a little over a month ill be heading to URE. Ill keep everybody informed.

Looks good! Shame these weren't out when I bought my leaf sliders. A buddy of mine bought these too, so I'll have to check his out.

looks great! cant wait to get mine installed. i might have to take a weekend off from college to drive home and install them

I had to look up leaf sliders, those things are crazy

how much are they and where can i get them??

Yeah, they're awesome though!

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f10/lo...n-kits-156665/

Great write up Andrew! Thanks for sharing!

Note that the bolt going into the stock shackle weld nut is not a Grade 5 bolt! It is metric and Grade 10.9, equivelant to Grade 8 in a standard bolt.


http://froehlichsuspension.3dcartsto...-Kit_p_22.html

Feel free to ask any questions guys,

Kris Froehlich

Very creative and interesting, just too many parts for me. Simplicity is key in a leaf spring setup.

I don't leaf sliders at all. I will stick with shackles any day.

Sliders have less moving parts than a shackle setup

What would you say install time is Andrew?

Btw, the low pro relocaters are awesome. Fixes my biggest complaint about them

Lets not make this into a slider vs. shackle thread please.
If anybody else installs these feel free to throw up some pics. I'd like to see the different setups.
shackle and lift size?
Before and after ride Heights?

i am at 7" in the back with 2.5 shackle so i will have a different view

and one thing i am worried about is the area above the box that is going to hold mud like hell bc my corners always have a ton in there. i may box it out just with some 18 ga steel to cover it.

That would be a cool idea.

Umm. Im sorry, but I disagree. Like Barrelmaker asked though, lets not turn this into one of those threads. :)

Anybody need more info?

Still didnt see what your estimated install time was... :)

Yikes! Didnt mean to start anything. I actually almost bought these but needed a fix asap. If I ever do go back to a shackle, I will be getting these. They look awesome!

I think install time is all determined by how rusted and nut strips are. Thats what takes the most time. Cutting out the boxes and aligning and bolting in the new might take 30 minutes. Rusted nut strips and bolts can take a few hours...

With new hardware and old already out, took me only 15-20 min to cut off and install one side.
Trying to re install with old hitch hardware can take longer.

so i went outside to tackle mine today at about 3:30 and still not done. first off everything went well on the passenger side cutting and grinding then when i went to bolt them up my holes on the frame were off i don't know if it was made to sit off the side if the frame were the actual box is but mine is a little. i fixed that with a drill bit. then i got it all bolted up and that is the first two pics.
onto the drove side with the fuel lines. i have one of those fuel line covers that protect them well that was in the way had to cut some of that and smash some of it in to get the box to fit. and also i had to hammer my box in bc the fuel lines were hold it back and i had to slide it past but that got bolted up and that would be the 3 pic with the fuel line guard.
now i tried putting the shackles in still on the leafs. it is easier all by themselves. i also need to grind some of my bushing and sleeve away to make it fit in the box, i have the auto zone chevy shackles. then as i was putting in the bolt to the passenger side shackle it wouldn't go in our out. i need to drill out the sleeve a little bc the blot is threading into the sleeve and making it spin.

i also have a zj gas tank skid that i thought i could just let hang but i had to take it completely off and i need to drill another hole in it to line u the third bolt on each side in.

i also had a problem lining up the third bolt in and needed to grind a little of the frame away and the nut is messed up so i am asking do you think i can run 3 bolts on it and be fine i am thinking about getting a tap to chase it and see if that will work

this is my original shackle angle
Attachment 173543

passenger side cut
Attachment 173544

passenger side box in
Attachment 173545

drive side box in with the fuel line skid
Attachment 173546

this is just the jeep when i was chipping the ice away from around the area i was working
Attachment 173547

I found it easiest to just start all the bolts, first the shackle bolt, then the frame bolts.

I used new nut strips which i think made install easiest, took me hours to get all my old rusted strips out, they were so rusted that i couldn't un bolt them, so i cut them off.
I didn't have my hitch on yet because it was missing a hole, drilled that today hoping to put the hitch back on in the morning.

Dude awesome write up I am definably getting a set but first I wanna see how yours do before I spend the cash for them :)

i have home made nut strips that are only about 6 months old i took a stock one and just flipped it over for the driver side and they work it is just i only had 3 bolts per side bc my holes were off a little on the skid so i need to drill the 4th hole in from the back and i need to tap the same one on the driver side. i also need to drill out my sleeve or take it out and tap it with the bolt bc the blot is a little to big.

i am also worried about the drive side with it pressed up against the gas filler hose i don't want it to rub a hole in it.

and i won't be getting anything done as of now it is pouring out and the jeep is on the jack stands in the drive way bc my garage is too small i will see later it may end by 6 or 7 and i can get something done.

The stock shackle bolt is an M14 or .5511". The bolts I supplied are 9/16" or .5625" So the bolts are 11 thousandths of an inch bigger. Or 1/84th of an inch. It is common to use 9/16" bolts in place of the M14 bolts for shackles or control arms. I would venture to guess that the inside of the shackle dom is a little rusty? Running a drill through it real quick will fix it right up.

We will be offering nut strips soon as well. This way customers can get everything to do the swap all at one place.

Kris Froehlich

it ain't rusty it is threading into the sleeve and i replaced all my bolts when i put the shackles on so maybe i did have a smaller bolt in there but i am going to run a drill bit in there i just don't want to take too much. this is all i can do today since it is raining out here today but i want to finish them so i can flex on some snow piles

@Barrel or Lead,

These are really attractive to me as I want to get a better shackle angle without increasin my lift anymore. For the time being I have OEM shackles; my question is that with stock shackles do you A) achieve the same ~45° shackle angle and B) do you run into any clearance issues on the shackle sides/brackets when fully drooped or stuffed?

Thanks!!

just went outside to see if i can do something and ended up finding out that my driver side shackle is stuck in the box i dont know how but it is not coming out even with the leaf attached to it hitting the leaf down. i can never ****ing win with this jeep

stick a pry bar in there and force it out.

Mattphillip's Jeep is running the stock shackles and he hasn't noticed any issues from full bump to droop. We made the bolt holes far enough down on the bracket that you shouldnt have these issues.

You can get pretty close to a 45* angle between the array of hole options. We brainstormed but couldnt really find a way to add a sliding option for small adjustments between. Depending on your leaf spring length you will have to choose the best hole available.

Cooper has a pic of his driver side with the fuel lines. You have enough clearance, they wont rub but you will have to bend your guard a little bit

Yea stock shackle hasnt given me any trouble yet. Its allowed my leafs to finally settle like they were supposed to

I have JKS shackles and I know for a fact that the 9/16" bolts won't fit; the tolerances are just too exact. I had to get the M14 bolts from the dealer. Just an FYI...

i had to cut my guard and hammer the bracket up into place to get it in and had barely any adjustment room for the frame side it is pushing the hose out of the way by like an inch
you can kinda see it here.

Attachment 173662