Improve your shackle angle

I wanted to post up about the brackets I got.

Funny story. I ordered on Sunday and later that evening I realized that I used the wrong card that we were planning to close and cut so i emailed brian about it the next day and asked him to cancel the order so I could re-order. It turned out that he already shipped em Monday morning. (excellent shipping time! :yelclap:) It ended up being alright cuz we got the card thing fixed at the bank and I got my brackets faster than I expected.

Thanks Brian!

Now for the brakcets, I been reading write-ups on them and noticed most of them had to cut the corner of the brackets for the hitch bolt. There's three holes drilled but the hitches come with four. I expected I would have to cut the corner and when I mounted em it was confirmed. So I chopped it...

DSCF7263.jpg


Is everyone else cutting the corners on the brackets for the hitch bolts?

I also decided to use a bolt-on mounting method instead of welding it. I figured i'd test this out and see how it holds up. If it comes loose then I'll have it welded. (it did take 2 hrs to drill those six 1/2" holes!) I need to pick up some grade-8 bolts tomorrow cuz all I had were those regular 1/2"x1" bolts.

DSCF7266.jpg


DSCF7265.jpg


The passenger upper bracket piece would not mount up straight cuz of the way the shackle box was welded on. I pounded it to cave it in as much as I could but ended up giving up and just mounting the bracket slightly crooked, but all the bolts go in just fine. The lower part of the bracket was mounted straight with the leaf spring so it looked a little crooked against the upper piece.

Now i gotta watch paint dry and then mount em up tomorrow. My shackle angle was about 10 degrees FORWARD and when I test mounted em, it was a comfortable 45 degrees backwards. I can't wait to test out the ride.
 
I tried to instal these and they wouldn't work because I have a homebrew bumper that has frame straps that mount to the frame via hitch bolts and my gas tank skid mounts over those...I cut the part off that mounts to the frame and when I got everything bolted up the boxes sit crooked(due to the obvious reason that the frame mount portion wasn't being used)the weight of the vehicle made the boxes bow in.

Interested in seeing pics from those who've instaled these in a similar manner....
 
outlander said:
I tried to instal these and they wouldn't work because I have a homebrew bumper that has frame straps that mount to the frame via hitch bolts and my gas tank skid mounts over those...I cut the part off that mounts to the frame and when I got everything bolted up the boxes sit crooked(due to the obvious reason that the frame mount portion wasn't being used)the weight of the vehicle made the boxes bow in.

Interested in seeing pics from those who've instaled these in a similar manner....
Click to expand...

I did a set like this on a friends rig.

I cut the part off that mounts to the frame flush with the bumper/hitch strap, then welded the the seam and put a "fish plate" accross the joint to strengthen it. That was 2 summers ago still running strong.
 
Here's the results:

DSCF7273.jpg


DSCF7277.jpg


Before:

DSCF7255.jpg


After:

DSCF7278.jpg


The ride quality is night and day difference. My old dump truck style rear end is now old-man-emu quality, nice and smooth. I netted exactly 3/4" lift, which was perfect.

I highly recommend this to everyone with a vertical or worse shackle angle!
 
I just wanted to add that I've had these brackets on my rig for 7months and about 10k miles and I haven't welded them up yet, but the bolts haven't come undone and I've had no worry of the bracket causing any problems.

So for those who can't weld, I wouldn't stress it too much. I abuse my rig on my DD duties too.

~Scott
 
Muddy Beast said:
I just wanted to add that I've had these brackets on my rig for 7months and about 10k miles and I haven't welded them up yet, but the bolts haven't come undone and I've had no worry of the bracket causing any problems.

So for those who can't weld, I wouldn't stress it too much. I abuse my rig on my DD duties too.

~Scott
Click to expand...


x2. i know it is recommended, but it is not absolutely necessary. so dont let the welding part scare anyone from buying these.
 
I cant wait to get these, My ride quality SUCKS in the rear. Hopefully they will be arriving any day:guitar:
 
hey guys, are grade-5 bolts ok to use with the shackles? i was told i need to replace them with grade-8 bolts. should i worry?
 
Got these on over the weekend, but my nutstrips ended up being stripped out and had to order a new set. Now these brackets are strait sexy. My question really isnt about the brackets themselves but with the nutstrip... has anyone put the bolts in upside down so that the theads stick thru the "frame" and then used nuts to install these and their tank skid and hitch?

Thanks.

I hope this isnt concidered a thread hijack
 
Some aftermarket hitches use the bolts in from the top, but they have a large square washer to help spread the load out. Use the nutstrips, much better design. JIM.
 
ILLXJ said:
Some aftermarket hitches use the bolts in from the top, but they have a large square washer to help spread the load out. Use the nutstrips, much better design. JIM.
Click to expand...


Sorry should have been more specific... I meant use the nutstrip still, but instead of trying to thread up into them, run them thru the nutstrip and then thru the "frame" and then put everything into place and secure with nuts.

With stating this, I have not pulled the rear bumper and looked down the opening, so I dont know if this is even a plausible idea.

Thanks for the help
 
jonesinxj said:
Sorry should have been more specific... I meant use the nutstrip still, but instead of trying to thread up into them, run them thru the nutstrip and then thru the "frame" and then put everything into place and secure with nuts.

With stating this, I have not pulled the rear bumper and looked down the opening, so I dont know if this is even a plausible idea.

Thanks for the help
Click to expand...

It might work as long as the nutstrip, or shall we say boltstrip, can fit inside the opening on the framerail.
 
do you have to cut those slits and hammer them flat to install? or is that optional?
 
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