Suspension Shackles- Everything You Need to Know

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Suspension Shackles- Everything You Need to Know

The shackles can have a huge impact on your jeep’s height.

Up until the 1970s, leaf spring suspension was the most popular form of vehicle suspension. Today, leaf spring suspension has been phased out of compact cars (its capabilities are not necessary on smaller cars and are too bulky), but is still used on nearly all trucks, jeeps, and other heavier vehicles. Leaf springs are great for heavier vehicles because they spread the vehicle’s weight evenly over the chassis, which is great for sway and the smoothness of the ride.

For many drivers, lifting the suspension of their vehicle is a necessity. Lift can help fit bigger tires and make off-roading a lot smoother. For leaf spring suspension, replacing the shackles is an easy and inexpensive way to lift a jeep or truck.

Before - Here, the shackle is above the hanger and pointing upwards into the frame.

What Is a Shackle?

The shackles are what connect the leaf spring suspension to the frame of your truck. They are connected through the eye spring bolt and can be a very inexpensive way to lift a jeep or truck. There are three different ways to lift your truck when it comes to shackles:

Shackle Flip
Larger, longer shackles
Shackle angle

Shackle Flip

Typically, shackles attach to the leaf spring suspension and point upwards into the body as the vehicle’s body hangs down over the suspension and shackles. With a shackle flip, the shackle and suspension are moved downwards and the body is

After - On this picture, the shackle is below the hanger and pointing towards the ground, giving 5-6 inches of lift.

now sitting on top of the two. This can raise a vehicle around 6 inches! (Check out the images to the right).

Larger, Longer Shackles

Shackles are available in a number of sizes. Obviously, putting a larger shackle on your vehicle will increase the lift of your jeep. This, however, may only be good for increasing your lift by an inch or two. In fact, placing a new shackle on a truck will only increase the lift by half the height of the shackle! So if you install a 3 inch shackle, it will only raise the vehicle 1 ½ inches.

Another thing to keep in mind when installing shackles is that longer shackles make for more tipsy and turbulent driving because the spring rate is lowered. These longer shackles can also impact the shackle angle.

Make sure you pay attention to your shackle angle. A bad shackle angle can cause wear and tear that will reduce a suspension’s lifespan.

Shackle Angle

The shackle angle only has a small impact on the overall lift of your jeep or truck, but it’s an intricate part for anybody making modifications. The shackle angle is important and needs to be watched closely. Oftentimes, when drivers replace their suspension, the shackle angles will be increased and decreased, which can affect spring flex (the vehicle is more likely to bottom out), compression, handling capabilities, and comfort.

In order to make sure you have the proper shackle angle, make sure that your shackle is at a 90 degree angle from the spring eyes of the leaf spring suspension.

Understanding the shackles on your vehicle is great because it can help you lift your jeep or truck, and it can make your life easier the next time you are looking for a new suspension system.

By: Tim Snyder

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