[screwloose]

I am wondering about reversing the front springs on my Sierra, so the fixed point is at the front and shackle at the rear.
Is it possible to do? Pro's and con's?
Has anyone done it? The main reason is for approach angle.

[94BAZOOKA]

Anything is possible

And yes it has been done

[alien]

its acutally a shackle reversal - however to achieve one without stuffing steering angles you need to run "fangs" on the front, which often give you a worse approach angle than what you started with.

it is possible to do it without this by having the top bushes of the shackle go through the chassis rail rather than attaching to a mount hanging off the chassis, then the fixed end sitting hard against the chassis on a custom mount, but you'd still experience issues with castor angles.

to see how its been done before, google "calmini shackle reverse" - which is a bolt on kit.

[Ben_Sierra]

http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/index.ph ... l-kit.html

or

http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/index.ph ... ystem.html

May be good places to start...

[joel]

you mean reverse the shackle?
the spring will stay the direction it already is and the shackle is moved to the back?

if thats what your talking about, i have just done it (yesterday)
calmini kit
flexes well and feels very stable on road. its pretty easy to install.
longer front springs will work better.

zookers in the u.s swear by them, a lot here hate the idea without actually seeing or trying it, its a mixed bag.

bad points, calmini 2" shackle reversal kit (including 2" boomerang shackles for the rear) is expensive. if you are on a tight budget you could probably do a cheap RUF for the same price and have a better result. but if you combine the two it is pretty good.

[alien]

the reason most yanks like it is cos they run 35" tyres and bigger on their sierras, so the loss in approach angle isnt as easily noticed for them.

[SierraDan]

Parked next to a sierra with the Calmini shackle reversal on standard OME springs today. I see no benefit..

[joeblow]

Waste of time. don't do it. It has no real benefit.

[joel]

alien wrote:

the reason most yanks like it is cos they run 35" tyres and bigger on their sierras, so the loss in approach angle isnt as easily noticed for them.

i havent lost any approach angle, the towers are still above the bottom of the bull bar. i think mine works well, feels nice anyway.
will give an offroad report in due time.

[86slowsierra]

you wouldnt see the benefit. you'd feel it.
it would soften out the bumps, the tire would move back when it hits a bump with the reversal. this is obviously the opposite of how it is stock.
i recon its better having the shackle up front as it forces the tire to bounce forward and out rather than back and up.
also the 'fangs' it creates are fairly bad for approach angle.

[alien]

spring travelling backwards on climbing can be bad though, you'd have less 'bite' climbing a steep rock for instance as the tyre moves backwards into the wheel arch as it compresses, so the approach angle worsens a touch more.

obviously theres also the whole issue of sierras hitting the back of the wheel arch already as well, aiding that by doing a SR without a wheelbase extension is a recipe for major scrubbing on anything larger than a 28" tyre.

[Gwagensteve]

joeblow wrote:

Waste of time. don't do it. It has no real benefit.

X2 - and there's lots of theory on this thread but very little real experience.

I shackle reversed my car years ago. I had slightly better steering and tracking after the reversal, but approach angle doesn't improve and as the shackle has to run under the chassis at roughly the firewall, you end up with a bigger anchor back there too.

It's also a lot of fabrication.

I wouldn't do it again.

Steve.

[joel]

i didnt have to fab anything. i will see how it goes, meh i will run a ruf soon anyways.

[joel]

who is the bloke on here who has the red ute with the custom shackle reversal? the red mofockle racing thingy? he got some pretty good results from it.

[madmacca]

joel wrote:

who is the bloke on here who has the red ute with the custom shackle reversal? the red mofockle racing thingy? he got some pretty good results from it.

this one ?


http://www.auszookers.com/index.php?nam ... ic&t=14204

[joel]

yeah that one, i love that build.

[skyman]

It works well for specific reasons.

Weigh the pros and cons, fab a shackle reversal yourself to negate some of the cons (like bad approach and fangs).

If ride is more important than approach, you want to extend your wheel base, you like to drive fast on whoops, then it may be for you.

For others it has absolutely no use. Myself I am getting older and I like a nice cushy ride. I may try to favricate my own one day, if for anything a better ride.

[atari4x4]

ever bolted the front truck of a skateboard on backwards & tried skating it?

[joeblow]

atari4x4 wrote:

ever bolted the front truck of a skateboard on backwards & tried skating it?

edzackery.

[kenn]

Just ask Moose what happens when you do that.