Hello from Tennessee, CJ5 project

[Harley Jim]

Little update
I dropped the shackles down to the center hole and installed the 3 deg wedges and can run 55 mph up and down hill. The tires rub on the fender lips when cornering. Put it back up on the bottom hole in the shackle and it gets shakey at 50. The shackles are the problem now?????

 

[Hickey]

Little update
I dropped the shackles down to the center hole and installed the 3 deg wedges and can run 55 mph up and down hill. The tires rub on the fender lips when cornering. Put it back up on the bottom hole in the shackle and it gets shakey at 50. The shackles are the problem now?????

Could be a little bit shackle and the mix and match of years leaf springs and maybe the shackle perch. I noticed in one of the pics you posted that the shackle perch is either stacked on a piece of plate welded to the frame, or maybe it's just a super thick shackle mount. All of those little 3/8" and 1/2" details stack up to a caster change from the factory setup.

 

[Harley Jim]

Yes there is a 1/2" plate between the frame and the shackle mount, we have determined the springs and axle are about 1980. I did an alingment last year and the caster was a 2 and a 3 dont know why they are not the same could be a couple of things. Today I added the 3 deg wedges and it worked good for a cj5 with too tall tires. Im still getting a lot of side movement from the shackles. I would like to get it drivable for the rest of the season and this winter cut the knuckles and rotate them to 6 deg. I still need to do something with the shackles. Really considering a track bar!

 

[Harley Jim]

Well I finally got some time to make a track bar. I set the jeep level on the ground, measured and built the bar.

 

[Harley Jim]

Went for a test drive and could not get over 35 mph. I could not controll the steering. I really dont understand what happened. I knew the bar was not the final solution but had a lot of local pressure to do it and I was curious to see what would happen. Any thoughts why it dropped from 50 mph to 35 mph.

 

[Pile of parts]

I'm no expert but I don't understand why a trackbar/panhard would be needed with leaf springs. In a 3 link type set up, the trackbar locates the axle side to side. Leaf springs do that themself along with locating the axle front to back. I'm guessing your trackbar must be fighting the natural movement of the springs. Maybe in the front to back with the way the shackles have to swing.

 

[Hickey]

The track bar and drag link need to be close to the same length and travel in matching arcs. The less they match, the more they will fight each other.

 

[Jay5.9L]

I’m thinking the track bar is too short and the arc is fighting the steering

 

[J Kimmel]

never heard of a track bar with leafs but I put a steering box brace on my old CJ-7 and it went from wandering at 55 to one hand at 80 comfortably...takes away all the play bracing the box off the opposite side frame rail

 

[Jinx]

never heard of a track bar with leafs but I put a steering box brace on my old CJ-7 and it went from wandering at 55 to one hand at 80 comfortably...takes away all the play bracing the box off the opposite side frame rail

Great point.

 

[Jay5.9L]

I think the YJ wranglers came with trackbars

 

[Harley Jim]

I agree with all of you. I should not need a track bar with the dual spring set up but as I was saying earlier in my post that as I eliminated all of the problems I gained speed and controll with the best improvement being the 3 degree wedges. But the shackles were still moving side to side. When I stood in front of the jeep and my brother in law rocked the steering wheel back and forth the body and frame would move side to side. Some of the locals that were looking at it with me said a track bar would stop that movement. I am by no means a suspension expert but being a fabricator and doing this type of work I understand the principals of it. It was an experiment that turned out very bad. The bar will come off before it moves again.

 

[Harley Jim]

I guess I need to look at the shackles again?

 

[Harley Jim]

As always thank you all for responding.
I looked at the steering box mount but I am going to look at it again. Thanks.

 

[Pile of parts]

I think the YJ wranglers came with trackbars

On the rear axle of all places, I believe. I still don't understand the need on a leaf sprung vehicle.

 

[Hickey]

On the rear axle of all places, I believe. I still don't understand the need on a leaf sprung vehicle.

They were also on the front of 90's F-350 4x4's.

 

[Mouse]

They were also on the front of 90's F-350 4x4's.

And the early super duties (1999-2004)

Your trackbar is too short. Your shackles are always going to have some side-to-side movement. It can't be totally removed, but it shouldn't be much.

 

[Harley Jim]

On the rear axle of all places, I believe. I still don't understand the need on a leaf sprung vehicle.

The reason was to try and limit the side movement of the shackles. I have never had shackles move like these do and I have tried 3 different sets. I know the bar is not the solution but at this point I don't know what is. Thanks for your thoughts

 

[Hickey]

The reason was to try and limit the side movement of the shackles. I have never had shackles move like these do and I have tried 3 different sets. I know the bar is not the solution but at this point I don't know what is. Thanks for your thoughts

I'm wondering if your spring hangers and shackles hangers have been modified, and that they are not parallel. I'd measure those 4 points to be sure. Other than that, I would use those panhard parts to build a steering box brace.

 

[Harley Jim]

And the early super duties (1999-2004)

Your trackbar is too short. Your shackles are always going to have some side-to-side movement. It can't be totally removed, but it shouldn't be much.

Hi Mouse.
Yes it probably is too short for off road but this was just to try on the road. The thought was to see if eliminating the side movement would stabilize the steering problem. Kind of like backing into a problem from a different angle. I am a street rodder and 4x4 is way different. The jeep is for my wife she is a real mudder (lol).