shackle angle/steering clearance (SUA YJ)

[Stokes]

so i hate to admit it, but i miss wheeling enough to push my CJ project off to the side and am attempting to slap together a decent wheeler out of my wife and I extra 95 YJ that we have had. up till now it was a bone stock YJ with 250k on her 2.5l of monster squirrels under the hood. the idea was light lift and proper gearing to run my 37" MT/R kevlars that i have just sitting around. I found a HP D44/9" combo out of a bronco for a price i couldnt pass up (keeping the D30/D35 just seemed stupid since gears, wheels, locker are needed anyways) For suspension i bought the 2.5" OME springs and Highline fenders off of RusM, Currently Re gearing the axles to 5.38s/5.43s. well anyhoo i have finnally set the frontend under the jeep with the new springs and when i put weight on them they hardly moved :booo:so im left with this horrible shackle angle probably due to this jeep weighing practicly nothing

full weight is on the springs in the pic
any hope on it just needing to be driven and then it will settle some?

Second question:
The steering comes alot closer to the springs than i had first thought. the picture below doesnt show well how close it is, half due to the fact i havent reemed out the knuckles to have the tie rods ontop yet, but the tie-rod is roughly 1.5" ontop of the spring with the steering being roughly 7/8"s higher than it will be when its seated into the knuckle so alittle over a half inch of clearance give or take. too close? I could move the axle back to the center of the perch (its bumped 1.5" forward on the springs) and it might give alittle more clearance. thoughts?

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Nice jack stands... :awesomework:

They should flatten out once you get it on the wheels.

 

[zukkev]

For some reason, even with the weight on them they look like the angle will still be too steep...

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

Keep adding weight until it levels out.... :redneck:


The springs look short when measured eye to eye....

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

You have tried it with the maple jack stand out from under there, right?

 

[Fordzuki]

Move the axle back to the center holes, and either redrill, or make new spring hangers forward more. That will leave your axle where it's at in the wheelwell, and give you a better shackle angle. I wouldn't run the shackles any less than vertical to start out. I'd think right about vertical would end up with a decent shackle angle when the springs settle.

 

[Stokes]

haha yeah the maple log might not be OSHA approved. the log isnt supporting the weight at all in the photos. after lots of googling and seeing the shackle angle alot of other YJs look like in mock up im hoping it might settle out some. haha even the wife just said hey why dont ya put one of the winches ya have on the front. I just have a hard time believing that the stock leaf hangers would be too far away :eeek:
i think your totally right about the putting the axle back on the center, ill maybe exstend the wheelbase at a later date i suppose.

 

[Stokes]

I jumped up and down on the front under weight and now they seem to sit 90, acceptable maybe? haha i cant tell you how much i dont want to re work hangers right now as im hoping to have this together to play in the snow this weekend.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Is the rear on jack stands? Are they under the rear axle or under the frame?

 

[Stokes]

oh good point, rear is on stands right before the rear leafs.

 

[CHOP SHOP]

oh good point, rear is on stands right before the rear leafs.

That has ALOT to do with it being stiff.

That close to the mmiddle on a jeep.

Put those stands under the rear axle and then it will put the weight on both axles properly.

 

[jake90]

Chop shop had my idea too... We ran into that same problem with my buddies Toyota last night horrible shackle angle. Took it off jackstands an put the truck on tires an it ended up being fine :awesomework:

 

[Stokes]

thanks guys :awesomework:
one last thing, how close is too close for between the top of the leafs and the tie-rod? it seems like it really doesnt need much, but non the less i tacked my perches on tonight with it all bolted up and the top of my knuckles where the tie-rod will bolt up is actually flush with the top of the leafs, so maybe will be 1/4" ish clearance? i suppose i could cut spacers to go between the perches and leafs if needed be to make more room but id rather not.

 

[Jokenring]

I have around an inch of clearance on mine (YJ springs sprung over on a CJ with high steer) At full lock to the right that squeezes down to around a 1/4" on the passenger side. Driver side is no issue.

Make sure when you check for clearance you run lock to lock with weight on the axles.