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Shackles knock while driving

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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:19 AM
  #1  
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Default Shackles knock while driving

Alright, time to address a problem that the Jeep has had since I installed the lift. My shackles in the rear knock as I drive down the road. I'm not talking about a little tap or click... They full on knock. Metal on metal, you can hear it from outside the vehicle. The leaf springs on it are arched so hard I had to install them with two floor jacks. What the hell can I do to stop this? It's driving me insane.


Little info:
4.5" Rough Country lift
Full leaf packs in the rear(No AAL's or blocks here)
NRC9000 shocks
Rear sway bar removed
Stock shackles
1"TC drop
Stock rear bumper is roughly 35" off the ground (To the bottom of the bumper) with about 100lbs in the trunk and 33" tires inflated to 35PSI (Recommended 65PSI max) to soften the ride a bit. **3 ply tires in the pot hole capital of the world.... not so nice.


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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:21 AM
  #2  
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From: Gilbert AZ/Las Cruces NM
Year: 1996
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shackle relocation brackets.


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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:23 AM
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Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
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almost looks like spring are to short
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:27 AM
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I think your lift needs to settle. I would put a bunch of weight in the back of the jeep to get your springs to relax. the relocation bracket looks bad as a mo fo! How long have you had the lift in?
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:37 AM
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Originally Posted by rideordie66
I think your lift needs to settle. I would put a bunch of weight in the back of the jeep to get your springs to relax. the relocation bracket looks bad as a mo fo! How long have you had the lift in?
May 11th will be one year that the lift has been on. Over the winter I had around 200-300lbs of tools in the trunk and 100lbs of sand to keep the rear end stable on the mountain in the snow (And I had nowhere to go with the tools). If that didn't settle the springs I don't think they are going to settle... this isn't a 3/4 ton pickup lol. With the weight of the tools/sand in the back I only heard the knock over hard bumps because it sat on the shackles pretty hard. Now that the weight is out it's about 1/4 inch from the shackles touching when it is sitting and it constantly knocks while I'm driving (without hitting any bumps).


Can somebody tell me more about these shackle relocation brackets (Or lead me to a website/thread with info)? I've never seen them before. Do they have to be welded in? Do they offer any additional lift? Will they take a beating? (A hard beating at that....)

P.S. I'm trying to address everybodies reponses in one post rather than making multiple different posts.
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:39 AM
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here ya go:

http://www.hdoffroadengineering.com/...relocation-kit
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:44 AM
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why should you have to spend more money i would be calling rough sountry and getting new springs
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:57 AM
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Originally Posted by 96_xj
Thanks. Any other options? I don't like the multi hole design... It looks like something that was made out of an old metal shelf. Being that there are very few lifted Jeeps in this area and mine gets A LOT of attention, I'd rather not have people look at it and think it's some hooptie built out of scrap metal. I'm definitely excited knowing that there is SOMETHING I can do about this though. This literally has been driving me insane for almost a year now.

Originally Posted by Freegdr
why should you have to spend more money i would be calling rough sountry and getting new springs
I really don't want to have to cut my floor open again to remove my springs (Weld nuts snapped on both sides). Not only that fact, but I also gained a lot more than 4.5" of lift out of these rear springs. I met up with a guy at sears back around November with an 8" skyjacker kit and 35's and my Jeep sat damn near level with him. I'd rather spend the extra couple of bucks to relocate my shackles and keep the extra lift. (I was going to be purchasing new shackles this summer anyway... the stock ones are bound to break.)
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Kopecki
Thanks. Any other options? I don't like the multi hole design... It looks like something that was made out of an old metal shelf. Being that there are very few lifted Jeeps in this area and mine gets A LOT of attention, I'd rather not have people look at it and think it's some hooptie built out of scrap metal. I'm definitely excited knowing that there is SOMETHING I can do about this though. This literally has been driving me insane for almost a year now.


I really don't want to have to cut my floor open again to remove my springs (Weld nuts snapped on both sides). Not only that fact, but I also gained a lot more than 4.5" of lift out of these rear springs. I met up with a guy at sears back around November with an 8" skyjacker kit and 35's and my Jeep sat damn near level with him. I'd rather spend the extra couple of bucks to relocate my shackles and keep the extra lift. (I was going to be purchasing new shackles this summer anyway... the stock ones are bound to break.)
kool those brackets are going to lift you even higher i think 1.5 inchs more you no

Last edited by freegdr; Apr 30, 2011 at 01:01 AM.
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 12:59 AM
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Originally Posted by freegdr
why should you have to spend more money i would be calling rough sountry and getting new springs
x2!
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 01:00 AM
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relocation brackets are a good investment if your springs "fit" or not. you wanta good shackle angle.

and honestly most ppl know what they are, they are very respected and I have seen them used and positions changed often.

the only way to get them without the holes is to make your own.

I wil vouch for the practicality and durability of them. 3 of my good wheeling buddies use them hard
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 01:01 AM
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Originally Posted by freegdr
kool those brackets are going to lift you even higher i think 2.5 inchs more you no
3/4" at max. you correct the shackle angle and it keeps it pretty level
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 01:02 AM
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Originally Posted by 96_xj
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 01:04 AM
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Originally Posted by freegdr
kool those brackets are going to lift you even higher i think 2.5 inchs more you no

Yea, after looking a little closer at the pics I realised that was kind of inevitable. Sounds to me like an excuse to go bigger. I already have the biggest Cherokee in the area... why not make sure it stays that way? I'll have to look into lowering the center of gravity


As for me though... it's 2am and I have work tomorrow morning. I will check back here tomorrow evening. Thanks for the help everyone!
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 01:06 AM
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upon further review forgot he is on stock shackles not a lift shackle. we got 3/4" lift on the 3 jeeps that they are installed on due to correct angles out of lift shacks (went from vertical shackles to proper angle).

stock may be a different story
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