Ray is right, no doubt about it, however we as a group are just as much to blame for playing "follow the leader". One owner buys an item, or tries a new mod of some sort and posts about it. Within a few days, everyone is trying it, no matter what the outcome is.

An example are the Cobra owners who are flocking to their local tire stores and buying up the Nitto drag radials (315's) and mounting them on their stock 9 inch wheels. Even Nitto says they only belong on 10.5 inch to 12 inch wheels, but because one guy did it, they are all doing it.

Never mind they are having clearence problems and run the risk of scoring the side walls on suspension bolts. All it will take is one high-speed blowout or tire failure to wake them up, but until that happens the buying frenzy will continue.

 

Besides the fact that they are outrageously expensive, a set of 4" shackles will give you insanely high rear end slop. Imagine the leverage of a longer shackle. It may lower your centre of gravity, but it kills your overall stability.

 

No chit....

Where do I sign up for my "Tuner Bitch" t-shirt?

 

Yeah, and there's a good reason that the torque reqs
for that spring bolt on is like 132 ft lbs ... "Give me
a lever long enough and a place to stand .... "

 

SH30972 2" Lowering Shackles • 1997 - 2002 Ford F-Series(Light Duty)
DJM Suspension $29.95 Pair


You didn't think I was gonna get ripped off did you.





Maybe I should re-phrase that, I did go and buy a Plasma Booster

LIVE AND LEARN

 

Jeez those look like the same DJM shackles that came off the ups truck last thursday from stylin concepts.............Im waiting for my wheels to get back from santa ana wheels on wednesday and I am installing my new chrome 02s,valvebody,DJM shackles and BOP metco air intake.

 

It is Lightningquick, thats where I got them
http://www.stylinconcepts.com/parts....categoryid=206

 

Thats what i figured cause of the part # you listed

 

Ray, I know we've butted heads in the past but you have just earned all the respect you'll ever need from me.

Right now, you're right up there with Flying ****, Sonichog, and a couple of others that tell the ***** like it is. No Team JDM/PSP/JLP BS! I love it!!

If I showed you guys the price I paid per mod versus what most Lightning owners pay through JLP, JDM, PSP, etc., you'll hate yourselves for having spent double the money.

Maybe with enough education and common sense from our Lightning community we'll see prices start to drop as vendors begin realizing not everyone is stupid enough to pay X amount for something that's worth X / 2.

 

Hey, no one has butted Ray's head more than me..........Back in the day I had a flat spot from all the arguements we had.....Don't even remember why anymore


Gotta say though, back in '99, there were not very many of us 2nd generation owners, and very few mods. So, we all hung out here and burnt alot of time giving each other grief..........

 

t

 

Didn't you purchase and install a plasma booster on your L?

 

Everybody bumps heads sometimes.Thats what makes this site fun.When it comes down,We all stick together.

Mark and i really had some fun.If you were here to see the wrath we put on each other,You would realy chuckle.Now we have much more respect for each other and get along great.We even have similar opinions most times.I think our only problem is both of us are very honest,outspoken people which is a good thing but can make things interesting.

I still like to get into the fire with some,its kinda fun.But even then ,When it comes down,We all stick together.

Anyway,The reason I started this thread wasnt to knock Johnny and other tuners as it may seem cause I just bought a pully from him and i wouldnt buy from someone who i dont trust.Its just with the Lightning specific vendors,They know we if we have $33k to spend on a truck and want to mod it.They might figure overcharging is no big deal.To most it seems as long as they have what you need,Youll pay any price.We just need to look around other than this forum like evrybody else does when modding cause a simple chebby can be modded for far less.granted they dont react to mods as well but thats really the nature if OUR beast and the vendors shouldnt capitolize too much on it.All shackles are is bent steel you know.........At one point,i was buying the DJMs for $18 a pair through godfather customes back in 99 .We all might as well drive

 

jegs has belltech hangers and shackles for $149 (146-6419 part #)

thats only 40 or so more then 4" drop shackles, and no slop to the rear end is added


edit: AIM has them for even cheaper

 

Guys, I dont usually hang out here, I have a f250PSD, I want to lower it for say...traction amounst other things...

I have those exact set of shackles for the F150SCREW, I would not use them on the 250...

Heres what I think...The first place is you are only lowering the rear of the leaf, so to get it to lower 2", you would have to use a 4" longer shackle, then kick in the leverage affect and you have problems, that would fold over like a wet noodle...Then take the fact you are changing your pinion angle extremely...

In my shop, to get the full effect you have to relocate the front mounting point as well as the rear mount or shackle...

The way I am going to do it is use the stock parts, and just relocate them on the frame rails, up 1-2"..This way it will not effect the geometry of the rear suspension, or add a leverage effect to the leafs, nor change the pinion angle...

By relocating, you dont lengthen the shackle, causing induced sidewards thrust in a curve, something important in the handling of the truck...

Dont know if this is good information or not, but it does make you think about the consequences of changing the rear suspension geometry...Gook Luck...