Topic: Rear Shackle Angle

[dweinberg01]

Ok, so I added a leaf in the rear of my 4runner and it did lift it and give me a bit more shock shaft exposed.  Now I am looking at everyone's rear shackle angle and I notice that they sit like this /    My rear shackle angle has never sat like this but instead it sits almost straight up and down.  This did not change after adding the leaf.  Is there any way to fix this or am I going to have to cut off the shackle hangers and move them forward? Would moving the axle back do anyting?

 Ride height:




Full droop:

[emsvitil]

What's it like at full droop?

As long as it's not possible to flip inside after full droop, I think you're fine.

[Nimyad]

I'd definitely move that hanger forward a little bit, or move your front spring hanger back, looks like it could invert.

[dweinberg01 [OP]]

I was thinking of moving forward about 2", the length of the hanger. Too much? Which would be the better way to go, front hanger back or the rear hanger forward?

[BigMike]

Your only options are to use shorter shackles or move their hanger forward.

Once you do this, you will immediately notice the following:
- Improved ride
- Smoother suspension cycling
- Increased droop / down travel (pending the spring rate)
Increased compression / up travel
- Increased brake stand (apparent brake dive)
- Increased wheel hop
- Increased pinion wrap
- Increased squat when loaded
- Accelerated spring wear

Don't take the negatives at face value because they really aren't negatives, they only seem negative because you don't have your suspension set properly. They are normal characteristics of a leaf sprung rear axle. Therefore, the benefits will reveal themselves to you like a knight in shining armor. You'll wonder 1) why you never did this sooner and 2) how you ever managed to live with your harsh riding and minimal travel suspension.

BTW your Runner looks cool The 2nd gen 4Runner is my 2nd favorite style and it's white which is undebatebly by far the most superior automobile color.

BigMike



Sent from my iPhone connected to the BigMike Network using Tapatalk

[mudaddict]

Dangit beat me to it mike. Buti agree with mike fully change the angle and you will be happy. Try and set it around 20-30 deg angle. Should be about correct

[4-lo]

wait what springs do you have?  how long have you have them on the rig, any trail ride yet?

you might not have to move it if its newly put in.  once it settle or have weight on it, it should sit just right on after a couple trail rides.  i notice that on one of our 3rd gen runner with trail guers springs it was  sitting like yours at 90* when we finish and after a couple runs it was sitting at 30-40 just rite were you wanted to sit.

[dweinberg01 [OP]]

I have all pro springs on the back. They have really 3 runs on them ( a couple easy runs through the desert in Johnson valley with no crawling, just driving around, one trip down Cadillac and one trip up Cadillac from the round up this year) and a big bear gold mountain run.  I added a leaf to them a couple days ago because the rear was sitting really low, about 3" lower than the front and I only had about 3" of shock shaft showing. That didnt change the shackle angle at all though . (I pulled the shock from the frame at the roundup). I'm getting bumpstops for it also. Would boomerang shackles help in the rear?

Btw, thanks for the compliment Mike. I'm also building an 82 short wheelbase pickup for my son and using ur thread as a guide. That 2nd gen runner you guys had at the marlin camp at this years roundup was awesome.  Low ride and the 80 front axle was definitely an eye catcher. I'm guessing you know that guy, let him know I dig the build up.

[emsvitil]

It seems like the spring is too short.............

[mudaddict]

It seems like the spring is too short.............

springs are not to short the 2nd gen runner didn't have leaf spring in the back from the factory so the rear hanger was set up for a different spring.

get some flex on those springs and break them in a bit more and see where they sit. With the weight of the 4runner the spring sags about 2in more then normal. the angle should be close to where it would sit.

[dweinberg01 [OP]]

This is the marking on the spring:



Shackles are 6.5" from center of hole to center of hole.  I have some boomerang shackles that are 5.5" center to center.

[BigMike]

Btw, thanks for the compliment Mike. I'm also building an 82 short wheelbase pickup for my son and using ur thread as a guide. That 2nd gen runner you guys had at the marlin camp at this years roundup was awesome.  Low ride and the 80 front axle was definitely an eye catcher. I'm guessing you know that guy, let him know I dig the build up.

Don't look too close at my build And as for the white 4Runner we had camped with us, it belongs to zembalayan. I don't think he has an official build thread, but here are some recent pics on his FJ80 axle install (see replies 18- & 19): http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=89511.msg1012653#msg1012653

Also he has misc pics of the 4Runner in his 1980 build thread, such as reply #8 here:
http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=62991.msg774797#msg774797

BigMike

[mudaddict]

This is the marking on the spring:



Shackles are 6.5" from center of hole to center of hole.  I have some boomerang shackles that are 5.5" center to center.

5in spring with 2.5 over shackles gives about 6.5in of lift on a normal truck on the 2nd gen 4runner its about 4in of lift due to the weight of the top on those. bumper and everything else on the back can lower it even more.

You can change to those shackles it will lower the truck some but can also change the shackle angle slightly. Honestly as much of a pita as its going to be i recommend moving the shackle hanger forward. Move it about a inch tack it in place put the shackle in and weight down see where the shackle angle sits if ti still needs to go more break the tacks and move it forward a bit more.

[4-lo]

agree cut the shackle hangers off and move it 1 inch you should be right on. ill measure mine eye to eye and let you now later.

[4-lo]

are you running 14 or 12 shocks in the rear. plus you have to note that on the runner the back do look like is sagging but actually its not its just that runners front wheel cut out sits higher then the rears about 1-2 inch so it will make the vehicle look like its sagging in the rear.

[dweinberg01 [OP]]

12" shocks. Right on, I try and figure out a way to measure to figure out if its sagging.  It just threw me for a loop when the shock ripped off. I only had ~3" of shaft showing, now it's about 5-6 inches. Would measuring at the frame rails work? Behind the front tire where it drops and then behind the rear tire.

[dweinberg01 [OP]]

agree cut the shackle hangers off and move it 1 inch you should be right on. ill measure mine eye to eye and let you now later.

I am at 55.5" from center of front hanger hole to center of rear hanger hole. 

[4-lo]

mine is at 55 1/4 eye to eye. i have a block welded up to the frame for lifts and the angles sits just rite where i wanted to plus when loaded with gears its still at a nice angle. ill take one when loaded.

[85Flatty]

How far forward did you end up moving it to get that improved angle?