2001 XJ, 6.5" of lift on 35s

I'm running OME 4" lift springs and BWE Comp Shackles. With my current setup, the shackle is almost vertical (rather than the ideal 45 degree angle) and the spring is pointed "up hill" towards the front. This makes the ride rougher and severely limits my rear drop.

I'm contemplating making a "drop bracket" for the front mount (which has been reinforced with plate). This would flatten out the spring and allow me to get the shackle to 45 degrees. Problem is, I've only ever seen on write up about someone doing this. Is this a bad idea?

I could always remake the rear drop bracket but seem to remember somewhere reading that it's best to have the spring parallel to the ground.

 

Not necessarily a bad idea if you know how to fabricate. Chevy did this with some of the pickups between 2 and 4wd models

 

Why not just use the next hole in the shackle relocation brackets? Seems you might be overthinking it. Just changing the shackle position that one spot should drastically change the feel in the rear. Just an opinion of course.

 

You haven't seen a write-up on it because there are much easier ways to soften the ride....like using the forward hole in shackle relocation bracket.

A front drop bracket will not help with droop at all....the only way to improve drop is to get the shackle angle closer to 45 deg (or even farther back if really want droop).....even longer shackle won't really help much if it is vertical.

Droop is the combination of how far forward the shackle can swing and how far the spring will flex. You can't change spring flex without changing springs, but you can change shackle swing by changing the angle it starts out at.

All a front drop bracket will do is hang you up off road.....that's why so many don't like the control arm drop brackets they make for up front, they can act like a boat anchor if you aren't careful.

I think you rough ride is mainly the shackle and the stiffer lifted springs.

Also, this 'uphill' thing you mention....actually that is helping the ride. With normal shackles and a 'level' spring, you must have a vertical force to flex it, which means the tire must hit something while moving forward, and that force then has to be converted from forward (horizontal) movement to vertical movement to flex the spring. Now, with an 'uphill' spring, that horizontal movement doesn't all have to be converted to vertical before the spring flexes, as some of the horizontal angle will flex the spring.

Kinda like this......

 

If I move my shackle forward in my current shackle relocation bracket, the rear sits lower than the front. I need to remake the relocation bracket to keep my lift height and still move the shackle to a 45 degree angle.

 

It shouldn't make more than a 1/2" difference

 

Yes my thoughts too. If you really want to change up the front mounts Ironman makes a quality adjustable bracket that takes the place of the front leaf spring bracket. Sounds like some backyard gofunkary waiting to happen, you can always buy a 1" add-a-leaf if your leafs are new to help level out the suspension.