We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Automotive

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Spring Shackle?

By Lori Kilchermann
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 30,308
Share

A spring shackle is a device found on leaf-spring equipped vehicles. It mounts to one end of the leaf spring and allows it to flex and move while keeping the tire on the road. Without a shackle, the spring would not be able to move and the tire would be pulled off of the road's surface when a bump or obstacle was encountered. The spring shackle can also be lengthened and give lift or a greater amount of ground clearance to the vehicle.

The leaf spring is attached at the front and rear by a long bolt passing through the spring's eyelet as well as a mounting bracket. One end of the spring is held closely to the vehicle's chassis and cannot move, the other end of the spring has a spring shackle mounted between the chassis mount and the spring's eye. This is nothing more than two flat pieces of steel with several holes drilled through to allow different mounting heights. The shackles allow for movement of the suspension by pulling in or pushing out as the suspension travels through its up and down cycle.

By choosing to mount the spring at the furthest mounting hole from the vehicle's chassis, the spring is lowered and subsequently raises the ride height of the vehicle. While this does not increase the clearance between the vehicle's axle and the ground, it does increase the amount of clearance between the vehicle's fender and the tire. This increase allows for more clearance when the body flexes on the chassis and enables the vehicle to traverse rougher terrains.

Certain spring shackle designs also incorporate a swivel to allow the vehicle to rotate as the spring flexes. This type of spring shackle is usually used in severe off-road applications. This type of spring shackle may also incorporate a hinged set of shackles which when fully flexed, open to give the shackle twice its length, resulting in twice the travel allowed by the spring.

The disadvantage of running a leaf spring mounted at the maximum lift on the highway is that this allows the vehicle to sway on the springs. The leverage over a lengthy time period will begin to pull and push the leaf spring until it becomes loose and sloppy. This in turn will allow the chassis to sway over the springs and lose some of the control that was engineered into the vehicle. While this sway may appear minor, it can have an adverse effect on the vehicle's handling in emergency turning situations.

Share
WikiMotors is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wikimotors.org/what-is-a-spring-shackle.htm
Copy this link
WikiMotors, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WikiMotors, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.