This has been talked about some on here but nothing I could find to fill the hole in my mind. So here goes. What are the pros and cons of the shackles being mounted in the front compared to the rear. I know 99% of everyone doing a gasser sets the shackles up in the front. Issue we are having is the car body. A 41 Plymouth with a stubby nose. The body cuts back in at the bottom and there is no room for springs. Even with very short spring they will fit and the body is fine but if the car flattens out the leaf springs from hard braking or wheels up action and they hit the ground the up and down shackles now push forward into the body. I have seen a few gassers like this and what most do is cut out a section of the fenders so the shackles can come through in case of a kicked out shackle from downward motion on the springs. I hope that all made sense. So what I was thinking on the front of the car was to mount the front solid and use the shackles to the rear. So kick out, if any would not be an issue. Some people say the back is better and some say the front is right. In my mind I see no difference. So school me.
I mounted the shackles on my Chevy II at the rear of the springs. Works fine. Front steer with Vega box and Speedway axle kit.
I built a 48 anglia and installed the shackels to the rear. It works well holding the frontend down on the top end. Good luck
I thought I'd get beat up on here about this. No devils advocate? Why is it that people I ask in person get out of wind trying to tell me they HAVE TO go in the front? Just following the masses? I think it will work well and you guys are saying there are no issues. Anyone else? Trammel I never thought about it being more stable. It makes sense. I was wanting to stick with the shortest shackle I can get away with for this reason. Thanks guys for the replies so far.
I put my front leaf shackles in the rear. I was directed to do this by Fred Frye who was the spring builder at Craig spring in Ballard when he made them for me. He said putting them closer to where the driver sits will improve the ride.
I see them either way. I put mine (48 anglia) to the rear. After much research i decided to do this because somewhere i read that it is possible for the shackle to "flip over' when the front wheels are in the air and the spring is unloaded. If this happened the geomitry of the front end would be wacked and if not noticed then would/could be deadly at speed. If you watch the way the shackle moves you will see this can not happen if they are in the rear. If i get the wheels high i bet a big bounce after it comes down so i know the springs are unloading and with some snap to them as well. A valid argument oppisite that is that you loose caster(with rear mounted) when the spring is compressed. This is true and the compression is also violent when comming down from a wheelie. But i figured that the loss of caster at that speed would not bother anything . I also wonder about the same loss of caster while braking at track end. Never seemed to have an issue, but i also have 10-11 degrees pos caster. Just my opinion
lots of great info! mines in the rear works very well lots of factory trucks/vehicles were set up this exact way, less bump steer, better ride, as long as you follow suspension geometry and steering geometry you'll be fine and happy! look back in my pics i may have some floatin around that'll help if not just ask! thnx Tadd
I've got one of each. My Austin is in the rear, and the Falcon is up front. No difference in ride, handling, or anything else. I've always tried to put the shackles on the opposite side that the cross steering was done on, so it's not pushing/pulling against the shackles. This is even more important the more arc or longer the shackles your car has. Short shackles, and less arc wont matter which side the shackles and steering are on.
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