bad/good idea, shackles, no tt | Ford Explorer Forums

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bad/good idea, shackles, no tt

storlied

Explorer Addict
Joined
June 20, 2007
Messages
4,508
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City, State
Anchorage, Alaska
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 5.0L V8 AWD XLT
Would it be a bad idea to get the warrior shackles, and leave the front alone?..

I know you're gonna ask, why would you want to do that.. I don't know, maybe I don't wanna bother with the TT, don't wanna spend the money for alignment.

And in my opinion, it gives it a pretty agressive look. Would it put too much stress on anything? I race also, too much stress on the leaf springs? I don't know.

What about bigger tires in the back, smaller (than back, or stock size) Would that be a problem for AWD? Probably, hm?... Just curious, I've been many sports cars with that setup.
 



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Shackles and no TT would be fine, IMO the back is so low and squatty anyway.

Never, never, never mix tire sizes with AWD, it will burn up the T case. They don't even recommend using different brands of tires, or having unevenly worn tires.
 






Shackles and no TT would be fine, IMO the back is so low and squatty anyway.

Never, never, never mix tire sizes with AWD, it will burn up the T case. They don't even recommend using different brands of tires, or having unevenly worn tires.

Did'nt even think about the tires being worn differently..........got new wheels Tuesday and kept my old tires. Not very worn at all. One tire had a rip at the bead, so I got 2 new, the same, tires & put them up front. I do notice some louder sound from the front, probably the transfer case, as I slow down when coming to a stop. I am gonna have to go back and get 2 more so they are all symetrical.

Thanks Evan! ;)
 






The AWDs will even be thrown off if the tire pressure is uneven...

About the lift in the rear only, I concur with the guys above -- no big deal as long as you don't over-do it... If you go too high, you'll throw off your suspension geometry and driveline angles, but a couple inches either way is no biggie.
 






Nothing too big, just the warrior shackles, then the 31's n then im done.
 






Is it possible to install the warrior shackles without jacking the truck up? n just bolt the shackle to the leaf, n pull it down real hard n bolt it to the frame?

or just use one jack to lift the body? (yea, prolly a tad bit unsafe) but is it possible?
 






Is it possible to install the warrior shackles without jacking the truck up? n just bolt the shackle to the leaf, n pull it down real hard n bolt it to the frame?

or just use one jack to lift the body? (yea, prolly a tad bit unsafe) but is it possible?

I'd recommend doing one side at a time... You'll need to use a jack, or the shackle will get stuffed up too high to install. Remember, that shackle is carrying 1/4 the weight of the truck... Jack the body until the tension is off, then do the install. Also use a block or jack stand for safety. Your fingers are worth it.

You may have problems getting the old bolts out -- I'd start soaking everything in PB Blaster a couple days ahead of time. The nuts will come off easily -- it is the bolt rusted into the spacer that causes the problems. If you can get the bolt to spin inside the spacer you are home free. If not, best of luck.
 






curious, i live in alaska, not really near any salt water... i shouldn't have a problem with rust should i? compared to someone to lives in like, cali or someplace near the ocean, as far as i know, this truck has been in alaska most of it's time
 






curious, i live in alaska, not really near any salt water... i shouldn't have a problem with rust should i? compared to someone to lives in like, cali or someplace near the ocean, as far as i know, this truck has been in alaska most of it's time

Do they use road salt in Alaska? That is generally as bad or worse than salt water from the ocean. If not, you may have it easy. I'd still be squirting it for a few days ahead of time... I live in Kentucky, far from oceans and road salt, and I've seen plenty of rusted and frozen parts...

Big problem is that once you spin that inner spacer that sits inside the rubber bushing, it is almost impossible to remove without torching it. I've sometimes been able to get a VERY SMALL (home-made) chisel in there to split the seam of the spacer and open it up so the bolt will come out, but that is rare... Most of the time it is just cut and replace.

Don't let that scare you from doing the job -- just be prepared. It might take a tad longer than a half hour... :D


http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48965&page=4
 






I'm pretty sure they don't use road salt, the underside of my truck doesn't seem rusty, just dirty.
 






Would it be a bad idea to get the warrior shackles, and leave the front alone?..

I was going to do both until I noticed that the shackles only leveled my truck out. The rear leafs are completely shot. So I concur also that it's fine about the shackles.

-Andy
D.J.O.R. Netzhauptmann
 






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