Shackle extension

[dino]

how long would i be able to make the shackles on my "82 fj40 cruiser without encountering steering problems etc??
i am wanting to run 33"s if this is any help
any advice would be greatly appreciated
cheers

[muddy]

You don't want to make the front shackles much longer - certainly no more than about an inch. It will change the steering caster angle making it wander around even worse than normal, and the shackles will hang so low they'll catch every rock you try to drive over. The rear is a different story - make them as long as you want, as the shackles will hit as you're driving off the rocks, so no real problem. In reality, you don't need any lift to fit 33in tyres, just take to the rear guards with a cutting disc & cut them to the top of the wheel-well, then open them up a little front & rear as well. The tyres will scrub a little on the inside of the guards when the rear axle is twisted up, but it just makes a bit of noise & isn't really a problem. See if you can find some shocks which will extend a little further (but make sure they don't bottom out on compression) and you can improve the articulation quite dramatically. It's a personal thing, but I's suggest you don't try for a big lift - just enough to fit the tyres you want. The FJ40 is reasonably narrow, and can get pretty "tippy" if you lift it without widening the track with deep offset wheels or wheel spacers or 60 series axles. Not so bad if you have the hard-top removed though. You'll find that 33x12.3in tyres give you a real workout without power steering, especially when you let some air out. Manageable, but hard work! Disc brakes in the front are highly recommended - and easy to do with 60 series or Hilux hubs.

[dino]

cheers for all the info muddy
i like the idea of no lift (less to go wrong if im doing it myself)
what sort of shocks would you recomend????
and do you think the fronts will fit as is?????
already have discs in the front so thats off the list already

[muddy]

You may have to adjust the steering stops & reduce the turning circle to stop the tyres rubbing at full lock, and you'll probably get the tyres rubbing on the front lip of the guards when turning with the front suspension compressed. Nothing you can't live with, or trim the lip off the front guards. I found some second-hand monroe shocks with about 60mm more droop for $40 a pair - I don't know what model though - just trial & error. Pull the ones you have, and measure the length compressed & extended. You can get away with about 20mm longer when compressed, and try to get as much extra as you can when extended. It's surprising how much more articulation you can get. Longer rear shackles will also let the springs flex more if your shocks are long enough. Try removing one end of the shocks before flexing it on the ramp and you'll see if they are limiting the travel. And I'd also suggest a lockright in the rear if you want to make it go further. A massive difference & good bang for your buck at around $500...

[dino]

had alook at the shocks on her last night and noticed that the front ones are munroe, can i assume that these will have a longer travel or should i pull them off and measure them??

where abouts would i find second hand shockies?? at a wreckers??

and lastly.....
do you know of any one that stocks lockrite difflocks or will i have to get one online??

Thanks for all the help Muddy.

[SupraLux]

I stock Lokka diff locks, and as for the shocks, Monroe don't make long-travel ones specifically - most all their listings are factory length... so what you need to do is measure them open and closed, then go shopping with a specific length you want in mind... if you're going to extend your front shackles then buy new shocks, it will help with the wandering... Also make sure whatever shock you buy is designed for the front of a heavy 4WD or similar, so that the valving will be stiff enough...

Hope that helps

Steve

[dino]

what price would i be looking at to get a lokka to invercargill???
also what brand shocks would you recomend??
Cheers

[xorph]

I made some 140mm centre to centre one peice ones with a gusset between them.
Theyre still lying around somewhere...
For a totally budget way of getting over terrible guard rub they actually worked.
unfortunately they do make the steering very light because they tilt your diff forward and also scrub your tires out very fast.
For the most kermudgeon way of getting 32" simexes to fit on a stock cruiser then they were a success because off road ability did double.
Unfortunately they have a bad habit of plowing into the ground and eventually I heard a loud BANG and came out of a bog with a front shackle shackle flipped up the wrong way!!! OWWRR!! remeber that every inch of extension only gives about 1/2 inch of lift...
after using them for a month I wondered what I had been smoking and bought some lift springs for NZD 1million.

I would guess they would be much better suited for the rear, and I have seen this heaps.
I doubt if they are actually legal though...

From memory stock cruiser front shackles are 85mm centres and rear are 100mm centres and a lot sturdier looking. I use rears on the front also.

**Importaant note for all owners of leaf sprung vehicles**:
If your vehicle is more than 10 years old and/or you use it offroad take apart a shackle and prepare to be horrified at how little metal is remaining. a front shackle on my 87 cruiser had erroded down to 2mm thick where the bush rubs.
my 96 cruiser was well under way...

[SupraLux]

what price would i be looking at to get a lokka to invercargill???
also what brand shocks would you recomend??
Cheers

Probably looking at the best part of $620 delivered to your door... I'd have to check avail tho as I just used my last one on a cruiser that went out yesterday.

Of course I would have to recommend big-bore long-travel Maxitrac ones... but I'm biased

Unfortunately they have a bad habit of plowing into the ground and eventually I heard a loud BANG and came out of a bog with a front shackle shackle flipped up the wrong way!!! OWWRR!! remeber that every inch of extension only gives about 1/2 inch of lift...
after using them for a month I wondered what I had been smoking and bought some lift springs for NZD 1million.

Yes, the ones I am making now for cruisers have a tab on one plate to stop them inverting like that - but the plow effect is a problem for which a shackle reversal is the only real answer - but that introduces other problems - then you start thinkin... " hmmm, why don't I spring-over as well"... and before you know it you're calling yourself nibby and embarking on a 5 year mission to spend all the money you can get your hands on to build something that never gets finished and... oh, sorry... what were we talking about again? (any reference to a fellow board member who may or may not be called 'nibby' is entirely co-incidental and all persons referred to in this post were completely made up... honest

A 50mm lifted spring set for a 40 is in the ballpark of $1500-1600 from memory... but compared to 8 bits of 40x10 flat bar and some holes I guess thats millions...

Steve

[muddy]

As you'll gather - there are lots of answers... You're probably best to do a few trips with it "as-is" and work out what sort of budget you want to spend and how serious you want to get.. It's a waste of money getting longer shocks to suit a slight increase in shackle length if you later decide on lift springs or spring-over, then need more new shocks. Do you want to keep the truck looking standard? How tidy (rust-free) is it? Are you willing to carve it up with a cutting disc to remove the bits that rub? That's cheap & easy & can get enough room for 33in tyres. Or do you want to spend the cash to move the bits away from the tyres? Then there's the body lift v suspension lift debate. How big will you eventually want your tyres? Again - money wasted if you put in a lift kit to clear 33in tyres, then decide you want 35's, or 37's....etc.

To answer your question about shocks - remove them & flex the srings to max droop & max compression - measure the length between the mounts, & you have your "target" specs. Allow for a bit of extra compression so they won't bottom out when you hit something hard and the axle goes hard into the suspensions stops. If the shocks you have are reasonably close, and still work well, why waste money repacing them?

If you're willing to accept the risks of buying online, you can save a few dollars on a locker. Look at http://www.rocky-road.com/ Around NZ$500 including shipping, but be sure you have the specs right, and accept that you have no after-sales support. There have been mixed reviews on this forum about the service. Alternatively, there have been recent rave reviews about some other sites...

[xorph]

Actually you should consider a 50mm body lift instead, by sounds of things you just want to run some 33s or something
so you can get some bits of HMWPE (?or something?) cut up from a plastics place.
It cost me about $100 with bolts. Technically it needs certifying though... as with any susp mod.

[Engineer]

check your PM.

Ryan.

[dino]

[quote="muddy"]As you'll gather - there are lots of answers... You're probably best to do a few trips with it "as-is" and work out what sort of budget you want to spend and how serious you want to get........ Do you want to keep the truck looking standard? How tidy (rust-free) is it? Are you willing to carve it up with a cutting disc to remove the bits that rub? That's cheap & easy & can get enough room for 33in tyres. quote]

the old girl is suprisingly free of rust (i think someone has done some sort of surgery on her in the past) so i don't want to go cutting bits off here and there. But on the other hand i dont see how trimming the rear guards would do too much damage.
still undecided

thanks for all the info guys