Lift shackles
Fitment: Suzuki SJ and Samurai
Pic: Lift shackles plus bolts and shock relocation mounts.
I would like to write a review on the lift shackles that you see advertised frequently on EBAY from my own experience with them. They claim that no other modifications are needed on standard vehicles but I have found this not to be the case. Just for clarity, I fitted these myself and have used them over a period of approx 10,000 miles and covered some of the harshest terrains in the world, driving through Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
The idea is a very simple one - they replace the existing shackles (the metal clamps that clamp your leaf springs to the body) and because they are longer, they lift the vehicle by whatever the stated amount is (typically 2-4 inches). The idea in itself is great - more clearance for bigger tyres and the body lifted off the ground to give more clearance. You will not need extended brake lines.
Having bough a set, I found the quality to be very good - they are well made out of heavy-duty steel and chances of breaking the shackles is probably quite slim. Fitment is easy and you only need a jack and a few spanners. However, there are inherent issues with them...
1. You will need to adjust the steering geometry and there are no two ways about this - lifting the car 2 inches higher will affect the angles so unless you have the equipment to do it, you will need to visit a garage. Without this adjustment it was very unstable on the road - it would follow every rut and steering was odd to say the least!
2A: Lifting the leaf spring on one side has the effect of tilting the front axle forward - not an issue on the rear, but on the front it again makes the handling very odd. I found that the only way to get this corrected was to have a wedge shape piece of metal between the axle and the leaf - correcting the tilt of the axle. The wedge needs to have a locating hole drilled into it for the leaf to sit on. If you do go down this route, you will need to tighten up the U bolts more than usual
Orignal From: Suzuki SJ / Samurai Lift Shackles
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