TT/ Shackles

[Jose Ayala]

Hi all and Merry Christmas!!



I have seen many reports on raising the ST and using TT shackles to do the job, but I heard too that when you do the shackles the riding will become stiff, mainly because stress on the front end.



Any pros and cons of using the shackles will be appreciated.



Let me know, thank you.



Jose

 

[Johnny O]

The shackles are for the rear and do not affect the ride. The torsion bars are in the front and turning them to raise the front will stiffen them a little but I've done it on two different trucks (1 Ranger, 1 Sport Trac) and didn't find it objectionable. Just keep it to 1.5" or less.

 

[Dan Long]

The TT doesn't technically "stiffen" or "preload" the bars anymore than stock as you've still got the same amount of weight sitting on them. The difference comes from the increase in angle between the lower control arm and the road surface. When you lift the truck, this angle is increased, making the LCA's more vertical and reducing the amount of leverage they have on the torsion bars. This does give the "feel" of a slightly stiffer bar, but it hasn't actually changed.



Lowering the truck does has the opposite effect. The angle is reduced between the LCA and the torsion bar, which gives them slightly more leverage. On a smooth road a lowered truck will more than likely ride a bit softer than stock. However, the reduced suspension travel and likelihood that a lowered truck will also have lower profile tires and bigger rims tends to harshen the ride a bit when you wind up on bumpy or uneven roads.