I have a question about drop shackles. I installed the McGaughys 2" shackles the other day but they don't seem to have done much, is this normal? The first pic is before and the second pic is after. Before the shackles the rear gap was 6" and after the gap is 5 1/4". Is this normal? I have been driving it for about 5 days and I figured if it were to settle down it would have done so by now. Am I going to need to just get a 2/4.5 drop to get it low? If so, are there anyways to drop it and keep the same payload without using helper bags? I like a low truck but it still hauls stuff every so often and I am a poor college kid so I don't really have all that much to put into the truck unfortunatly.

 

From my own experience and what I have seen. Shackles usually drop the rear 1-1/2". Post a picture of the shackle you installed. Something doesn't seem right. Dropping doesn't really reduce payload, but does reduce suspension travel. I have had my O/L off for years and still do all my household general hauling. And I pull a 12x6 enclosed motorcycle traile with a 850 pound bike without helper bags. When I get around to installing bags, I will but I don't have to have bags to use my truck. Good luck...

 

I will take some pics and post them a little later (I didn't take any before) but they are the mcgaughys 2" drop shackles from moes. I really want to drop ot 2/4.5 and I really don't do much more than what you are discribing but at the beginning of every summer I do load her down with 3,000 lbs of mulch which makes her ride on her stoppers from time to time, which is when I believe helper bags would be necessary.

 

Red, im actually going to put a Sir Michael's steel roll pan in it and eventually have my exhaust dumped after new bassani mid length headers and high flow cats and a bassani x pipe(maybe i still have not decided.

 

^ hit me up if u get that roll pan. id be interested in the rear bumper u have now

 

You can see the pipes dump behind the roll pan. This is a modified Sir M roll pan. I raised the upper edge 3/4" to close the gap between the tailgate and pan. There is a 5000# hidden hitch behind the license plate.

 

This is a picture of the drop shackle from the flip kit, but the point I would like to make is where the red arrow is pointing is where the shorty shackle was resting against the support. it was really laid back. I ran those shackle for about 5 years. Check yours to see if you have them installed correctly. Maybe switching them will give more clearance to lay back more.???

 

This is the best pic I could get. These shackles are exactly 2" shorter than the stock ones I took out which gave me hope but it looks like I may need to just go with the 2/4.5 (maybe 2/5) sooner than I thought.

 

Silver, ill let u know if i do even tho t does have a few dents,
Red, looks sick man! Ya i actually towed my Honda TRX700XX ATV today and my truck could still clear speed bumps! When i do my exhaust i plan on actually running from Headers-Cats-x pipe- custom turndown. lol Have a true dumped exhaust!

 

It is hard to get the proper perpective, but they don't look like they are laying back quite like mine did. Are the touching anywhere or binding? Maybe loosen them up and retighten them sitting with wieght on them. Good luck...
Update: Look at the bolt at the bottom of the shackle, is it dragging on the frame?