Leaf springs shackles

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Superbond

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2017
Messages
130
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Location
Thunder Bay
My Car
72 mustang
Hello
What is the max length shackles you can safely use in a 72?
Bought new leafs but the ride height is not exactly what I wanted. Would like another 2”
Thought maybe if I put taller shackles I will get the desired ride height
 
Hello
What is the max length shackles you can safely use in a 72?
Bought new leafs but the ride height is not exactly what I wanted. Would like another 2”
Thought maybe if I put taller shackles I will get the desired ride height
You must have went with the stock replacement leafs. That's why I went with the 5 leaf. If you want 2" in height you'll have to raise it 4". The rear of the car reacts about 50% of what you use to lift it. I'm surprised you need that much with a standard eye spring though. If you plan on changing the front of the car it will effect the rear a little. The front-end inversely effects your stance If you give it 1" it will give you 2"
 
so I did go with the 5 leaf and it made my car look level. Which is fine but I want just a little rake in the back. You know. lol. It’s not a fast car but make it look fast 😉
 
so I did go with the 5 leaf and it made my car look level. Which is fine but I want just a little rake in the back. You know. lol. It’s not a fast car but make it look fast 😉
Ye the std eye 5 leafs don't raise it but @ 3/4" You'd probably get a better result with 1" lowered springs in the front and minimal shackles on the rear. I found it was a tetering process of getting my suspension right. I r&r'd the rear leafs then did the front then added spacers and shackles after to get what I desired. I didn't want a heavy rake on mine. The rake - raising the rear too high in comparison to the front ruins your ride. You'll be putting all your weight on your front suspension while the rear end especially with the heavier 5 leafs will act like a "unloaded" truck and tend to bounce.
 
On a couple of cars a friend had, we installed taller shackles with polyurethane bushings. The thought was that longer shackles would work the rubber bushings more and have a little more movement side to side. So, longer shackle with poly bushings equals a little less compliance and movement.
Front bushing stayed rubber.
 
Hi Superbond,
Ive been running 6 " shackles on my 71 mach for about year and a half. Ive put 6,000 miles on the new restore. They have been working great with NO issues including several burnouts :)
I purchased 5" long ones from Jegs installed and they wasnt long enough. So I went with 6" long.
If 5" will work for you? I have a new pair heavily chromed as pictured I would sell for 45.00 plus ship. They are very heavy duty.
The black shackle is 6 inchs and extra for me as well. I will sell those also.
When you look these up (chrome) on Jegs they are sold individually. Weird they don't come as a pair.
email [email protected]
 

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Ye the stock ones are something like 5" in appearance I think they are only 3" from center to ctr on the holes. You'll want double the amount in inches to get your desired effect. So, you may want to consider the 5" or 6" the other poster has. I personally went 1 1/2" over stock for the desired effect of 3/4" more than what I had. That would put them @ 4 1/2. I made them from old stock, chop saw and drill press.
 
I also made 6” but then I installed the new 5 leaf leaf springs. I could just put the home made one back in
 
ride on these old cars are horrible to begin with. lol. And I know that. If anyone says anything I just tell them it’s a 52 year old car what do you expect! They normally agree.
I’m gong to run her for the summer, let the new leafs settle and decide my next course of action if any
 
If you must raise the back end, consider these options; sell your existing springs and have a set custom made. I think Eaton might be able to increase the arc to add the height you're looking for, OR take your existing springs ( provided the spring steel is the correct grade), to a spring shop and have them re-arced.
There is another option I really don't want to mention and that is buy a set of 4 1/2 leaf Grab-A-Track and I guarantee you'll have that extra 2" wheel arch height you're looking for. They might not last too long, but they'll look cool.
As rcadd1ct mentions; watch your pinion angle.
 
Now I'm going to give away my age......I grew up in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, to be exact. I've messed with cars ever since Jr. high School. Lots of old Ford restorations. There used to be a business called "Hollywood Spring and Axle", in Hollywood. It was a real old timey kind of place, with faded, dusty black and white photos all over the office of cars they'd done . Not that any of this will do us any good now, they're long gone, but you could just unbolt your springs from your car and bring them in to them, and tell them what you want......softer ride, harsher ride, more ride height, whatever. They would take your rusty crappy old parts and tell you to come back next week. When you did come back, your coils or leaf springs were re-arced, re-heat treated , ground smooth, and painted, and always cheaper than sourcing new. I feel privileged to have known them and had visited them many times back when, mostly because I worked at a shop that restored and did maintenance on early Fords. years later I visited them again when having Triumph and MG springs re-done for a man I worked for, on his car collection. Those were the days when real craftsmen still toiled at their trade, they didn't get rich, but I gave them all the business I could. As I read various peoples ride height issues here, I wish I could just give you their phone number. They always came through with the answer. And yes, you might guess from their name, they also "dropped" axles for the hot rod crowd. It was like a blacksmith shop.
 
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I think you’re correct with your story. Nothing is like it used to be. This spring shop in my town would have been like that 30 years ago but now no way. I called them and you said he’d have to source the parts else where. I could tell the guy didn’t know how to deal with an old classic car
 
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