[goose46]

I just installed the superior climax shackle kit to the rear of my little zook, stage one (putting the shock bar in and fitting rancho 9000's went fine and actually improved the ride. Stage two (fitting new springs and the shackles) has resulted in a super bumpy ride. Of course driving a super light rig with lifted leaf springs is always going make you feel like ur in a protien shaker as she has always been a bumpy ride but I wasn't prepared for how dramatic the new set up has changer the ride. I replaced 50mm raised springs with new 50mm raised sprinngs and ran the shackles reverse (because I'm lazy and dont want to trim the STD shackle inversion bracket and weld in a new one as required) and I remember when whacky shackles first came out a lot of hilux's running them this way with no problems. Now I see people running them both ways everywhere. Has anyone else experienced this with whacky shackles? Should I try turning the shackles around? Adjusting the shocks? Waiting for the springs to settle in? Or just ditch the climax shackles and throw in some normal extended shackles instead as I'm sure at least someone here is going to tell me that they are crap and unload on track and unstable and don't make any sense on zooks etc etc. Oh and before it's suggested yes the pins are in locking the shackles closed so that they can't articulate while I'm driving on road any experience would help thanks guys, this is my first zook after owning a pretty knarly gq patrol SWB so I'd like to get it right and keep running with the big boys and showing them up where possible. And please don't flame the shackles too much, I've read hundreds or arguments about them already so I decided to test them out for myself since no one can agree.

[jdk81]

Break up the slab of text please, it isn't pleasant to read.

I would investigate these two things as the reason for the poor ride (well it wasnt great to start with)

Shackle
The stock rear shackle on stock springs is too steep, which makes the ride harsher than it could be.
Whats the eye-eye length of the pinned whacky shackles? If the shackle is longer than stock, it will make it worse.
If you wish to persevere with whackyshackles, you may want to move the shackle hanger towards the spring hanger a little to change the angle to something more suitable

Springs
The new springs will be stiff
How many leaves in the pack? Did this increase?
If the old springs still provided 50mm of lift, why did you swap?

In my experience sagged/semi-flogged out lifted springs with stock shackles, provide a really nice ride.
They are soft, and due to the springs elongating they improve the stock shackle angle.
They flex really well too

[Red89]

What tyre pressures are your running ?

Whats the shackle angle like with the drop shackles in ?

[goose46]

Thanks guys helped me wrap my head around the issue.

Road tyre pressures ( 32psi on 31 inch tyres ) as I haven't ventured off road with the new set up yet.

Angle? Imagining it were a standard or extended shackle its basically vertical or 90degrees to the shackle mount, the spring eye is literally straight under the hanger the shackle doesn't kick forward or back at all to meet the spring eye.

So yes the shackle is too steep making a harsh ride.

The old springs are going to be used in an RUF conversion, and both contain the same number of leaves.

I think after a bit more investigation and head scratching I have discovered the main reason it rides so rough though. It is the way I have installed the drop shackle.

By reversing the shackles I have restricted the way the shackle articulates. When the car hits a bump the spring flattens out as the tyre travels up and the shackle is designed to help this action by flexing as the spring eye tries to push out as the spring flattens out. With the drop shackle reversed this action is non existent, on all fours the top half of the scissor sits hard on the chassis so that when the spring flattens out the shackle has nowhere to go. You might as well have two fixed spring eye mounts and no shackle at all.

After a bit of a play this afternoon I'm positive that flipping the shackles around will help improve the angle and allow the shackle to articulate during up travel.

[Blkfxx]

goose46 wrote:

Road tyre pressures ( 32psi on 31 inch tyres )

Try 20 mate.

[goose46]

Blkfxx wrote:

goose46 wrote:

Road tyre pressures ( 32psi on 31 inch tyres )

Try 20 mate.

Really? That's pretty low on the black top isn't it? How do you go with tyre wear at 20 psi? What about steering, bit hard?

[Marko_SJ]

goose46 wrote:

Blkfxx wrote:

goose46 wrote:

Road tyre pressures ( 32psi on 31 inch tyres )

Try 20 mate.

Really? That's pretty low on the black top isn't it? How do you go with tyre wear at 20 psi? What about steering, bit hard?

I run 19 or so on 30s. If anything its a bit firm as the tire is wearing down the centre. Tire wear is better like that than at 30+ psi because you're spreading the load over the width of the tire rather than straight down the centre.

The steering isn't hard at all.

Well, it is when the locker won't disengage but thats not the tires fault.

[goose46]

Ok sweet, thanks guys, I'll drop the pressures as well as flipping the shackles around

[Blkfxx]

Suzuki recommend 22 for stock tyres. Bigger tyres requires less psi to retain good contact patch with the road because of heavier sidewalls/load ratings

Steering is a bit heavier, IMO it's mainly the wider tread that does it.

I run 20 front and 18 rear, 30x9.50 LWB sierra, 8-10 for offroad.

[goose46]

I have run as low as 7 off road and they barely bag out lol so yeah I'll try running 20 or even lower on road and see how it feels

[alien]

i run 31's on mine, to get a good balance between onroad manners, handling etc i run:

BFG KM2
(On Road)
Front - 25psi
Rear - 20psi

(Off Road)
Front & Rear - 8psi
I'd like to go lower but the beads tend to leak air if i do.

KUMHO KL71
(On Road)
Front - 26psi
Rear - 22psi

(Off Road)
Front & Rear - 7psi
They bag out extremely well, enough that i've felt it hit the rim on occasion.

Basically the KM2 are stiffer than the KL71, and i primarily run the KM2 in winter and KL71 in summer too, so those pressures vary more while driving (due to the tyre heating up more in summer).

It takes a bit of trial and error to get pressures right for your tyres.