leaf spring shackles - weld or pin?

[Petemcc]

I've made extended shackles for my truck as in the photo below. i had new pins made as well which have a step before the thread so that they bolt the shackle tight to the pin. The end without the nut however floats on the pin.

I want to make the shackle more solid to keep both sides parallel.I have seen other people put a bolt through the centre of the shackle with a crush tube. Or a bit of box section with flats on it that is bolted as well. I don't want to weld a section in the middle as it's nice to be able to separate the shackle when changing bushes.

From factory they are a press fit onto a spline on the pin. I was thinking the whole job might be a bit easier if I was just to weld the pin to the shackle at 90 deg and be done with it. Any thoughts?

[Fakey]

If you want to stiffen them up I'd weld a piece of flat bar or box section in between the two plates. I don't think a welded pin would last very long before the weld cracked

[callum007]

Personally I always used to weld a bit of 1" box in the centre, but I see your point about being nice to be in bits aside from when your struggling to get them to line up and trying to hold 3 bits together and a bar and the nut in 2 hands, you get the idea.

Its hard to gauge exactly how long your shackles are, but a piece of 25mm box and a 5/8 cap screw is going to be plenty strong to hold them together as your only trying to limit how much they roll on the pins.

[muddy]

I've used a bolt through the centre with a bit of tube as a sleeve - stiffened it up nicely. But then the only advantage of stiff shackles is for road handling. A bit of movement allows more flex, although wears bushes faster...

[De-Ranged]

legal requirement for road is, if they are lengthed they must have additional support joining the side plates

Me I weld some 50 x 25 x 3 box section to one side and bolt to this

[nizute]

Hey just wondering is the ute road legal?? and as for welding the end of pins solid to the plate a lot of factory utes are welded so i would.

[rokhound]

legal requirement for road is, if they are lengthed they must have additional support joining the side plates

Me I weld some 50 x 25 x 3 box section to one side and bolt to this

This how we used to do them, But after the crush tube is welded to ONE of the sides, then drill through both shackle plates and bang a bolt right through the whole lot.

[Petemcc]

Cheers guys. Have some box section and bolts to do the Job.