Skyjacker front spring/shackle problem

[gwinn]

I was out doing some moderate wheeling Sunday and my front springs did something weird. When they flattened out on a bump and pushed the shackle forward, they didn't return to normal position. The shackle stayed horizontal and my front was about three inches low. I'm thinking that the shackle went past the point of no return. I jacked the frame up and the shackle dropped down, but not straight down. I didn't pay close enough attention when I installed the springs to remember the angle of the shackles when resting. Right now they're at about 45 degrees towards the front. Has anybody else had this happen? Would someone with the similar Skyjacker installation check their front shackles and let me know what angle they rest at? I'm thinking of maybe welding in some 1/2" iron to the frame to stop the shackle from rotating that far, but is this common problem? :confused:

[oldyellowwagoneer]

look at the rear hangars on the front springs and see if there are any welds broken or if the hangar has a gap at the rear. I had the same thing happen to me and it was caus the hangar was ripping loose from the frame which mooves the spring further foreward. Also it could be that the springs are fatigued causing them to not return back to their full arch. A flattened lift spring is longer than a flattened stock spring. DENNIS

[macguyver]

gwinn,
I'll check mine when i get off work in the morning. I should post you an answer on the angle by about 8:00 am or so. I have the same lift and I get pretty serious off-road and I have never experienced this.
Chris

[River Beast]

Tom,

This had happened to me on two occasions... both times on whoops in the dunes that snuck up on me...

I never mentioned it cuz of the amount of force it took to produce what we both know now... I presume you understand what I mean.. ;)

One thing I know that will stop this is the install of the 4" bump stops... they will not allow the shackles to over-extend.

A while back I posted about 'preloading' the springs on any lift install...tightening everything up AFTER you bounce on the rig several times with some friends help... well... since this has happened to you..

Loosen your front spring bolts and shackle bolts...put your front end in the air with stand on the from the frame and let the axle droop.

take a floorjack and raise the axle evenly about 2" from full droop and tighten the bots back to specs....this will give you a tigher preload, but not too much.

The force that caused this may have been enuf to rotate the knurled edges of the shackle bushing center pins and/or the spring bushing center pins... not allowing the shackles to return to the proper position... this is what happened on mine...

This has worked for me with non-occurance since

[macguyver]

As always, RB has great advice. I just measured and my shackles face forward at about a 35 degree slant from flat ground(not from the chassis- the front of our rigs angle down at the front)

By the way, where were you wheelin' so I know what to look out for?? :eek:

[ April 10, 2002: Message edited by: macguyver ]</p>