TOY: Re: Double Shackles, Missing Links, 1/8th elliptic, etc.

["Erik Bibelheimer" <thebeebs@xxxxxxx>]

Here's a couple of things you might have missed...

You're right, there may not be any spring pressure on that drooping tire,
but there is downward pressure exerted by leverage of the axle from the
other side's tire being "stuffed."  And the leverage is greater as the axle
(and/or wheel/tire combo) gets wider.  Whether this pressure is enough to
give you usable traction is debatable though.  Sometimes all you need is
just the *tiniest* bit more...

The other thing is that if you are in a "teetering" situation, that tire
maintaining contact with the ground can add a lot to stability... (or at
least the feeling of stability...?) by keeping the truck from teetering
back and forth.

Also, with the 63" Chevy spring swap (which it looks like what was done in
that picture), its actually easier to simply bolt a Toyota style shackle to
the Chevy shackle using the stock shackle hanger than it is to move the
shackle hanger back or weld on a new one to use a single shackle.  Less
work and a gain in performance, IMHO.  No strange street behavior
whatsoever either, in my experience.

Here are a couple of pictures of one I did on a buddy's truck:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/chevyswap/double_shackle.jpg
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/chevyswap/edge_droop.jpg

The article is here if anybody's interested:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/chevyswap/

- Erik Bibelheimer, Auburn, CA
'86 44Runner, '97 T100
http://home.off-road.com/~bibelheimer

----------
> From: Thom Singer <ntsqd@yahoo.com>
> 
> Perhaps somebody can explain this to me because it looks like some work
> for no gain to me. I don't see the point of drooping the tire past the
> point where the spring is unloaded. If there is no spring pressure on
> the tire then the only weight on the tire is that of the axle itself
> and the wheel/tire combo. Keeping the tire in contact with the ground
> is good if there is some vehicle weight on it. Bryond that point I
> don't see the need. Am I missing something ?
> 
> 
> > Before you go, check out the awesome dual shackle setup pic at the
> > bottom.
> >
>
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/b4xforeplay/vwp?.dir=/My+Photos&.src=ph&.dnm=Dual
+Shackle.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/b4xforeplay/lst%3f%2
6.dir=/My%2bPhotos%26.src=ph%26.view=t