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Coachbuilder vs Toytec Shackles

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by zcarpenter92, Oct 13, 2016.

  1. Oct 13, 2016 at 7:44 AM
    #1
    zcarpenter92

    zcarpenter92 [OP] Yotas and Yellow Jackets

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    Hey all,

    I'm piecing together the parts for my lift over the next few months, thinking about placing the order for the shackles next week. I have the rear Boss shocks in my possession already (courtesy of Toytec and @Sean266). As far as the shackles go, it appears to me that the main difference between the Toytec and CB ones is the former is adjustable between 1-1.5", whereas the latter is a set height. The goal is 3" in front and 1-1.5" in back, and keep some rake for the times I pull a trailer or have a load in the bed.

    Basically, is there anything else about the two shackle options that makes one a better choice than the other? Or anything else I don't know about going the shackles route? Any advice is appreciated.
     
  2. Oct 13, 2016 at 7:50 AM
    #2
    T-Rex266

    T-Rex266 Elon approved Staff Member

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    @csuviper has the toytec shackels. Solid quality from what I've seen
     
    zcarpenter92[OP] likes this.
  3. Oct 13, 2016 at 8:38 AM
    #3
    Law323

    Law323 it’s only weird if you make it weird

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    I think they're both solid shackles.

    Coach builder is bigger than toytec and forged, toytec isn't. That's the only other difference I can think of.

    I'm still on the fence about that also.
     
  4. Oct 13, 2016 at 9:39 AM
    #4
    csuviper

    csuviper Moderator Staff Member

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    Some Mods :) See build thread for details
    Here is a good look at the Toytec shackles compared to other components:


    Here is stock vs Toytec

    They are solid, strong and welded










     
  5. Oct 13, 2016 at 9:49 AM
    #5
    zcarpenter92

    zcarpenter92 [OP] Yotas and Yellow Jackets

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    Brian, don't you have yours set at 1.25"?
     
  6. Oct 13, 2016 at 10:08 AM
    #6
    TheBeast

    TheBeast The Beach

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    looks meaty :)..look at that little boy next to it.
     
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  7. Oct 13, 2016 at 10:13 AM
    #7
    CaptTyler

    CaptTyler Life’s too short to have an ugly boat.

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    I have the +2 Coachbuilers. They are BEEFY. Wouldn't buy anything else. Call David and talk to him. You'll be convinced. He's a stand up guy. If you have any questions during installation you can simply text him and he'll walk you through anything.
     
  8. Oct 13, 2016 at 10:19 AM
    #8
    louscrw

    louscrw all jacked up on Mt. Dew

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    I've got the Toytecs, I like them a lot. They are beefy for sure, and allows for changes down the road if needed. The ones in the pics above are set at 1". The shackles have 3 holes, the bottom isn't used, the middle one is 1" of lift, and the top is 1.5" of lift.
     
    T-Rex266 likes this.
  9. Oct 13, 2016 at 10:33 AM
    #9
    Relentless

    Relentless Eric @Relentless Fab Vendor

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    Just a few, more to come
    Another option is the TC shackles. I'm running them and they've worked great for me for the past few months. IIRC they're between 3/4" and 1" rear lift
     
    YotaDan likes this.
  10. Oct 13, 2016 at 11:07 AM
    #10
    LiftMeUp

    LiftMeUp New Member

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    Are new bushings a must?
     
  11. Oct 13, 2016 at 11:17 AM
    #11
    Black Wolf

    Black Wolf Bigfoot Hunter, Sasquatch too, but not Yeti

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    I'd go with ToyTec. Solid weld. No weak point where bolted together. Not so sure about them being smaller than CB's either. The ToyTec's are pretty frigging beefy big. Mine are set at 1" inch. At that setting plus AAL I have kept a decent rake. Without AAL's you'd probably have to set them at 1.5" to maintain rake.
     
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  12. Oct 13, 2016 at 11:27 AM
    #12
    csuviper

    csuviper Moderator Staff Member

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    Yes I would say so. Better movement.
     
  13. Oct 13, 2016 at 11:27 AM
    #13
    csuviper

    csuviper Moderator Staff Member

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    Started at the 1.5" setting and dropped to the 1" setting. Going to drop the front 1/4" as well to give a little rake and more down travel on front.
     
  14. Oct 13, 2016 at 12:10 PM
    #14
    LiftMeUp

    LiftMeUp New Member

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    What do you have on the front?
     
  15. Oct 13, 2016 at 2:48 PM
    #15
    csuviper

    csuviper Moderator Staff Member

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    Some Mods :) See build thread for details
    Currently Toytec Boss set at 3.25". Will be dropping down to 3".
     
  16. Oct 13, 2016 at 3:10 PM
    #16
    joem1cha3l

    joem1cha3l New Member

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    Brian, whats your experience at the 3.25" height? The fact I may be able to extend the boss kit a little higher than 3" is a real selling point for me.
     
  17. Oct 13, 2016 at 3:18 PM
    #17
    csuviper

    csuviper Moderator Staff Member

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    They ride just fine at that height. Been this way since I installed 6 months ago. There is a lot more room to go higher on the coilovers. Only a little more room on the UCA. Could get 3.5" easy but wouldn't get much heights without risking CV axles.
     
  18. Oct 25, 2016 at 7:27 AM
    #18
    Texan25

    Texan25 New Member

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    Add TRD Pro grill Add 5100 Bilstein shocks front and back at highest setting Add Toy Tech Shackles on the rear Add Grid GD-1 +15 offset rims Add Toyo Terra Grappler 305/60R18's Add Katzkin leather seats (Original seats were UGLY)! Add rubber bed mat (free from dealership) Add cargo bed lights Add tint (legal) to the windows

    Have you done this yet? Can you show before and after pics?
     
  19. Oct 25, 2016 at 8:12 AM
    #19
    csuviper

    csuviper Moderator Staff Member

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    Have not had time to drop the front down yet.
     
  20. Oct 25, 2016 at 10:12 AM
    #20
    1UPPER

    1UPPER Not A New Member

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    TEXAS
    Flux capacitor!
    I have coachbuilder rear shackles by Ekstrom Design on my 2017 Tundra. David at ekstrom is very knowledgeable and helpful. In my opinion he has worked out the weak links in most lifted Tundras. I would also suggest looking into the coachbuilder steering ends. I wasn't sure how big of a difference the shackles and steering ends would really make until I drove my new truck on 37" tires. Talk to David and ask him for yourself. He also sells shim kits for larger lifts to help correct alignment issues. Here are photos of the rear shackles and steering ends. IMG_4525.jpg
    IMG_4549.jpg
     
  21. Oct 25, 2016 at 10:14 AM
    #21
    TheBeast

    TheBeast The Beach

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    looks meaty..
     
  22. Nov 30, 2016 at 4:00 PM
    #22
    dcsleeper408

    dcsleeper408 BASTRDS

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  23. Jan 29, 2019 at 12:19 PM
    #23
    Coachbuilder1

    Coachbuilder1 Industry Leader Vendor

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    2007 SR5 5.7 Katzkin, LED lighting through out, LED door handles, Color Matched handles & grill surround, CST 3.5" Spindles OME 614 Full Suspension, Coachbuilder +3" Shackles by Ekstrom Design, BHLM,35"/12.5"/20 Nitto Trail Grapplers,BMF SOTA death metal black finish 20"x10" -19 offset.
    I've had quite a few ask the same question and wanted to reply to these threads.. Our Coachbuilder Shackles are quite different than anything else available for the 2007+ Tundra, Back in 2009 We originally built our shackles in 3 sizes and used .50" laser cut steel. Hand welded, sand blasted and then powder coated. Yes they were incredibly strong.. looked great and provided the lift we were looking for but didn't address any of the flaws we all share being Tundra owners. The rear suspension is not very functional nor does it provide much for overall ride quality and allows a huge amount of side to side flex creating a bound up pivot. Myself being a Tundra owner with 20+ years in manufacturing and knowing we were using the same technology from the 70's in our original steel shackle design we had a lot of room for improvement. With strong lightweight billet material and cutting edge finishes available We set out to engineer the strongest most functional and precise product we could dream up. Addressing the flaws the Tundra was cursed with from its factory design and knowing it had to last as long as Toyotas are famous for. I won't go into design specifics but know our Billet Coachbuilder Shackles are specifically engineered and designed for the weight of the Tundra, the amount this vehicle is capable of towing and exactly what was needed to improve ride quality. Keep in mind.. the larger the lift.. the larger the tires and the more power we make the pivoting links that hold our trucks together need to handle this added stress without hesitation. This was also the mind set when designing our Poly bushings. You may ask yourself why we don't build a set of shackles with multiple holes providing different ride height options and adaptors for the hardware? Its simple.. By creating a part that used in a universal application we are defeating its primary purpose all together.

    Hope this helps answer a few questions many have.
    https://shopcoachbuilder.com
     
  24. Jan 29, 2019 at 12:44 PM
    #24
    monaco730

    monaco730 New Member

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    I have the @Coachbuilder1 +2's (wish i got the +3's with the weight i have in the back) but these shackles are a big upgrade from stock. They minimize bed bounce with the added poly bushings. Very heavy duty and very well made. I can't give David (The owner) enough compliments on his customer service. He answered all calls and all texts right away with all the patience in the world.

    IMG-8036.jpg
    IMG-8049.jpg
     
  25. Jan 29, 2019 at 1:07 PM
    #25
    Tundra_361

    Tundra_361 New Member

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    Hope David doesn’t mind me posting our convo, but this also helped me in my decision.A6D59E0A-2239-4787-BC6E-C6D115ACE71E.jpg
     
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  26. Jan 29, 2019 at 1:53 PM
    #26
    Jamart5

    Jamart5 New Member

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    What lift are you running front and back beside the CB shackles?
     
  27. Jan 29, 2019 at 2:21 PM
    #27
    monaco730

    monaco730 New Member

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    I have readylift 3" in the front. Fox 2.0 resi in back. Waiting to pull the trigger on fox 2.5 for front.
     
  28. Jan 29, 2019 at 2:28 PM
    #28
    Rubberdown

    Rubberdown Spilling my guts here.

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    Just a note... a two piece shackle, factory or total chaos, does allow for more binding due to side loads. Is that an issue? I haven't ever seen it to be. Could it be better? Absolutely. Coachbuilder billet shackles, as well as the toytec both address this.

    There is no doubt the coachbuilder product is a good one. Its billet aluminum and beautiful. I have a set currently that I use with factory springs. That being said, there is no noticeable difference in driveabiliity, functionality, or anything else between coachbuilder, (beautiful bling bling you cant see unless you have a giant lift), total chaos (which in my opinion are built very cheaply), or toytec (in my opinion greatest bang for the buck and adjustable which is really nice to have). I have owned all three for various applications on my tundra. Pick based on budget, and go from there. ALWAYS replace the bushings. I did notice a difference in allowing the shackle to move. The factory bushing with the splines on the side keeps the shackle bound which sucks. There are several manufacturers of those bushings as well. Again have not noticed any being better than any of the others. This is being said with fairly extensive on and off road experience with all of them on factory leafs and Deaver K37s with 35s and 37s.
     
    Black Wolf likes this.
  29. Jun 9, 2019 at 6:10 PM
    #29
    Tundra234

    Tundra234 New Member

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    Brian, just reading through some older posts but you seem to be one of the most knowledgeable. I am looking at removing a ReadyLift 3/2 spacer kit from my 13 DC 2wd with the 4.6. I am running 285/70/18 Ridge Grapplers on a 18x9 +1 offset. I am looking at going with the Toytec Boss coils, Boss rear shocks, Toytec shackles at 1.5, and 1/2 block (shim) if needed for final level. Sound like a good plan? My goal is to have a better ride and keep at least the same lift height as the 3/2 kit. Also, why does Toytec say dont go over 3" on the coilovers but a few people are running at 3.5? Thanks for any inputs.
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2019
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  30. Jun 10, 2019 at 6:04 AM
    #30
    TwistedTad

    TwistedTad TRUCK GANG “T”

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    You can’t go wrong with either Toytec or the Coachbuilder shackles. Both are great products!!!
     
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