Advise

PAB431 · Jul 6, 2006

Shackle_Lift Help

Just recently puchaced a 1985 CJ7, How do I know if it is still original or has it been lifted. Asked a few 4X4 shops names to remain anonymous! They say my jeep is stock! Yet I have had 900x16 tires and wheels installed with plenty of room to spare. The front leafs are installed as follows: Front frame mounts and rear/fronts are 3" center eye to center eye shackles, the rears are: frame/front and 6" rear center eye to center eye shackles. Is this a stock configuration? If not what would be my lift from it's stock configuration?

Patrick

MarcW · Jul 6, 2006

post a picture of the thing on flat ground, that might help.

PAB431 · Jul 7, 2006

Shackle_Lift Pic's

Here are some pictures of the rig's configuration

highood · Jul 7, 2006

looks like maby 1.5 or 2 springs they look newer but who knows nice jeep by the way

JOOP · Jul 7, 2006

Those are lift shackles.. So it has some lift on it. Non stock bumper, Winch. I would say the leafs probably are about 2" lift with 1.5 lift shackles. So about 3"-3.5" of lift.

CrustyJeep · Jul 7, 2006

It's got a shackle reverse on the front... The front shackles were out in front in the stock configuration. That means brackets have been welded to the frame at the very least. Lifted or not, it ain't stock.

Harvester of Sorrow · Jul 7, 2006

CrustyJeep said:
It's got a shackle reverse on the front... The front shackles were out in front in the stock configuration. That means brackets have been welded to the frame at the very least. Lifted or not, it ain't stock.

First thing I noticed as well was beef shackles and RS up front.

Stock jeep shakles are stamped sheet with radius edges, and ribbing for strength. They also do not have a cross bar.

Good looking rig...but not stock.

NotMatt · Jul 7, 2006

Yep, shackle reversal up front and those rear shackles are much longer than stock.

That front shackle angle is pretty horrible though, IMO. It should be pointed back some. Looks like the person that did it didn't measure quite right before the welded the mounts on. If you have occasion to change that in the future, those shackle mounts for the front should be moved forward some.

bobracing · Jul 7, 2006

Like other have said, there is a RS on the rig.
RS is about 1.5-2" lift with stock spring, the shackle look about stock length up front.
The rear longer shackles were probably added to level the Jeep out.

IIRC, stock shackles are in the 2.5-3" range. which would make the back with 6" shackles about 1.5" (1/2 the extra length) taller. I don't see any problem with that rig being on stock springs, but it's still about 1.5-2" over stock height.

As NotMatt said, wouldn't be a bad idea to get the shackles pointed back. This will soften the ride and also won't allow the shackle to flip forward and bend the spring.