Installed Coachbuilder shackles

It will probably be fine. I have a full size spare, 32", and it fit with room to spare w/ the CB +1 shackles

 

+2 Shackles on. Love the rake! And my bushings came out easy!

 

Just installed the shackles and the ride is improved, but bed bounce on the freeway remains. Only thing that has ever made it go away was if I towed my boat. I will get new tires eventually, either D or maybe E in a better manufacturer. If that doesn’t help the bed bounce then I’ll just live with it.

 

Perhaps a better shot of the rake.

I lie. Just wanted to share another shot!

 

You’ll get a lot of hate with that rake around here. They prefer front rearward rake when you put a six pack in the bed

 

To the original Op, Huge thanks for the installation write up. I’ve got 1” shackles on order and with your write up I’m not concerned about the install at all.

 

you just unbolt the bottom of the shock so that the leafs can go to full droop. this helps take the pressure off the shackles for easier removal and installation. reinstalling the shock was easy.

 

I need help team! I bought +2 shackles, and can’t get the bolt out where the passenger side shackle connects to the leaf spring. All the other bolts came out fine, but this one seems seized in the bushing. I’ve jacked it up in different directions, pounded with a sledgehammer, took a torch to it to try and heat up the outer part. I tried to cut both ends of the bolt/shackle off, but my sawzall blades died. My plan is to get better blades and see if I can cut them off. I live in Colorado, so not a ton of salt/corrosion. It’s a 2016 with 96k, so a little older. I’m at a loss at this point. I can’t wait to try and press out the OEM bushings... any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks, John

 

Dang. You can’t even get the bolt out? Is it the nut that is corroded to the bolt? Or that the bolt is stuck in the bushing?

 

Thanks for the reply! It’s the bolt, the nut came off no problem. I’ve taken the top nut off the shackle and pried at it, and it comes out no problem. So the top nut/bolt are loose. I’ve had the nut off and also retightened the nut on the top shackle just to see what happened. Just trying any option. Thoughts? Thanks?

 

You can rent a bushing tool from the auto parts store. You typically get your money back once you return it. There are many threads on this on how to use it and ones on how to make your own. Most use a cordless impact wrench (not the ones for driving screws and such); or use a good ole fashion ratchet.

 

So, the OEM shackle is a 2 piece part. One piece is a single side plate and the other piece has the bolts attached to it:






Were you able to get the side plate off as shown in this pic?


In order for the EOM shackle to come off, you will need to take the load off of the leaf springs and the shackle. You will need to drop the axle to full droop. Watch your brake lines when you do. If necessary, you can remove the small bolts holding the brake line to the axle. This will give you more room to drop the axle.
Once the side plate if off and the axle is at full droop, you can tap on that bottom bolt with a hammer. For me, the bolt side of the shackle came right out.

If necessary, you can pull or pry on the bolt side of the shackle while you are banging on the other side with a hammer:


Let me know how it goes.

 

I am not sure how a ball joint press would work in this case. The back side of the bolt is plate where the press would be sitting.

 

Thanks for the replies. The side plate is off. I can slide the top bolt in and out freely. I mean not all the way out, because the bottom bolt is still seized in the leaf spring. I’m at full droop, have used pry bars, heat, and hammers. The bottom bolt is just completely frozen inside the bushing of the leaf spring. I am thinking I will try and sawzall off the bolt (with new blades) on each side so the bolt is flush with the bushing and leaf spring. Then use the ball joint press to push the bushing and remaining part of the bolt out.

Thoughts? I’m open to any other ideas or suggestions.

 

damn, that sucks. yeah, if you cut the bolt, then you could use a ball joint press to get it out. what a pain in the ass, huh?

good luck.

 

Well that was fun. The bolt was completely seized in the bushing. The bushing was completely seized in the leaf spring. If your truck is a little older and has some miles on it, pay someone else to do it! Tonight the new shackles go in!

 

wow... that is crazy. now you can actually do the install

 

Ran into the same issue on my friends Colorado owned 2010 Tundra. Luckily we were also replacing the leaf springs with some Old man emu ones so we didn't have to do more than cut the bolt out and replace it with a hardware store one. What a pain though! What part of Colorado are you in?

 

How did the 33" spare tire fit work out and are you happy with the shackles. I'm looking at a similar setup.
Any driveline vibes?

 

Fit with absolutely no issue.
These things are great. I have them paired with the Falcon leveling system and the ride is outstanding on and off-road.
Blows the 5100s, 6112s, and Fox 2.0s out of the water.
The setup gives just a touch of rake which I like. I could not be happier with the whole setup.
I did the carrier bearing drop and front sway bar relocation kit.
I did not do the diff drop even though I bought it as I got tired of fighting to get the drivers side top nut off.
With only leveling my CV angles aren’t bad at all. If it gives issues which it has not and I don’t foresee I’ll give it another try.
Why the hell Toyota did not use a captured nut there like most other spots is beyond me.

 

Once installed how much extra room did you have on either side of the spare. It appears you have the factory spare installed.

 

Ordered shackles Oct 24th. Have not seen a shipping notice and no answer to an email or phone call.
Anyone heard from them in the last week or so?

 

I ordered shackles a fee days ago and haven't seen a shipping notice. But I also ordered shims a day after that and got a shipping notice for those yesterday. Bet it's a raw material issue.

 

Don’t panic, it takes about 3 weeks to get the shackles but some of the other stuff can be within a week or two

 

yes, it is the factory spare (275/55/20). there is not much room on either side... maybe about 1.5 inches total. i dont think that i could get a 295/60/20 in there.

 

I think you can bend, but or remove the little spare tire holder “arms” and fit a larger spare but not sure how that effects the holding ability or if the tire will move around at all. I’m planning on trying this soon with 33” spare

 

I fit a 33” spare with no modifications at all

 

yeah, if the tire could sit farther forward underneath the truck, then you could fit a larger tire.

 

Good to know! I guess I won't worry too much then and just go for the 275/70/18 spare

 

Good looking rig!