Leaf Spring Shackle
On many classic, muscle, and vintage cars, as well as pickup trucks, a rear leaf spring setup (and front for many pickup truck applications) is used. A leaf spring is a long and slightly bent flat piece of steel that connects the body and frame to the axle, allowing suspension movement. Leaf springs are typically connected to axle housings with u-bolts. The ends of the leaf springs are connected to the frame with leaf spring shackles. These connectors are designed to move as the leaf spring end-to-end distance changes depending on how much it is curved or flattened from weight or suspension travel. Bushings are typically used to allow easier rotation and reduce metal-to-metal contact and wear. Over time, from age, corrosion and use, leaf spring shackles will fail, requiring replacement.
When searching for leaf spring shackles, first confirm the year, make, and model of the vehicle. Then, from the remaining compatible options, choose the kit that best fits your needs as well as your budget. For applications where lifting the vehicle higher off of the suspension is desired, longer shackles can be used.
JEGS offers a variety of leaf spring shackles to choose from, manufactured by top suspension vendors including Trail Gear, Rugged Ridge, Rare Parts, Dorman Products, Daystar, and many others. Each leaf spring shackle is built from high quality materials and assembly to provide long service life and a strong suspension connection your vehicle needs.