Re: Ryan's 4" lift

["T.R.E. Jr." <T_R_E_Jr@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ryan Moore" <baradium@domain.elided>

<snip>
> If you have such long shackles, do you have braces between the shackles 
> (IE
> between the two sides of each shackle) to stop them from leaning?  I've 
> seen
> methods of sticking square tubing there and it seems to work quite well 
> for
> those people.


---Not a method, an actual design for heavy duty shackles. H-type shackles 
are the only thing I would suggest, whether you have a lift, extended 
shackles or stock ride. I have pulled too many of the original shackle 
plates to find that they were twisted. There is  lot of stress on them when 
turning and whipping around a corner does more than destroy the wheel 
bearings. The H-type does not allow that twist and keeps the shackle end of 
the spring straighter by being more structurally stabile. I had all 
intentions of going with H-type even if I didn't buy a 4" lift kit.

---BTW, installing a shackle that is longer than 2" is like stacking 4" 
block to get an 8" lift to me. Key word, unsafe. The longer the object, the 
more torque can be applied, sort of like putting a cheater bar (pipe) on the 
end of a ratchet or using a breaker bar rather than a ratchet. Installing a 
4" extended shackle to correct a 2" lift is just ridiculous TO ME. Might be 
a cheap fix, but undue stress to the frame and shackle is not my idea of 
fixing the problem.

---I'll still stick with what I know from what I originally read from a 
write-up in a tech article, where it was said that the main objective is to 
keep the original horizontal position of the drag link when the lift is 
complete. Common sense tells you that if you change the caster by rotating 
the axle, then you don't change the toe or camber, you rotate the axle or 
the knuckles to bring the correct caster back. Bump steer cannot be that 
hard to fix, it wasn't there to begin with, so whatever steering attributes 
that were changed need to be corrected (period).

---A z-bar or dropped drag link may work for one, but as we know and from 
what we read on Tom M.'s site, every lift is different so what is good for 
one may not work for another. Ryan, you say your Triangle is a 4" lift, but 
more like a 2" now? The bar that you would create for your lift now would 
not work for mine. My Skyjacker system after 2 years still retains 90% of 
it's lift, if not 95%. Two more years and I would think that I can find a 
medium and install components, to correct the drag link angle and length, 
then when I replace the springs, bumpsteer won't be noticeable and if the 
springs settle from the weight, it won't be negative. Then again, by then, I 
will have the S-OC rather than cradled springs. Hmmmm, maybe a bus gear box 
to replace the Scout box, giving me a larger and possibly longer shaft. I 
think I could create a mounting plate that would work to protect the frame 
from undue stress, just have to find a box that will fit in the area... or 
maybe go to hydraulic steering... is that legal for roadways?

---Thank you,
-T.R.E.Jr.
-`73 Scout II (StoneThrower)
-`51 Farmall H (Heinz)
-`49 IH fridge (presently unnamed and in need of a compressor)
-`49 Plymouth Special Deluxe 4-door Sedan (Papapalooza)