5.04 Leaf Springs & Shackles GURU Level Tech!

I learned so much from making this episode. I go DEEP into the tech behind leaf springs, shackle lengths and shackle angles using my homemade Bored o' Leafs. I hope you get something out of it!
Here is the formula I used
H = Sin(A) * L
Or, where SpL = spring length (dead flat), and MH = the distance between spring mount and shackle hanger:
MH = SpL - Sin(A) * ShL

[@legendroman3826]

No one could explain my question but you did . Thanks for that paractical example. With out it i couldn't decide what to do.

[@darwindownhillers9270]

This is awesome. Thanks for making this video. Confirmed a lot of what I was thinking and also learned a lot.

[@jjwatson888]

Solid prep on this bad boy, love it

[@Phoenix88111]

What a great video . Thank u so much for making sense of things most can't wrap their minds around

[@Kactapuss]

Thank you. you really illustrated how the leafs and shackles interact on a leaf suspension. learned a lot

[@jpmc271]

Don't apologize for the color! That pale yellow is rad!

[@11green11]

Excellent presentation and superb demonstration Señor! Thank you for taking out your frustration on camera and sharing your learning journey with us 💪

[@jaydog7024]

I’m not a leaf spring guy at all, but now I feel prepared to become one of the day comes! Thanks professor.

[@dennisbo5004]

Finally !!! Great vid on leaf spring & shackle angles. 👍

[@chadbrown414]

Great subject and good job on the tec talk!

[@isaiahprins817]

Thanks so much!!! I'm doing a solid axle swap and it was very nice to see the angles.

[@evancarignan7603]

Great video, I am mounting leave springs from scratch and this video gives me a lot to think about! Also I love the practical use of trigonometry!

[@tundraspecialops]

Excellent demonstration on how leaf springs and shackles work!

[@Outadoors]

Great info I've been looking for an explanation before lifting my rig. I really want to get it right the first time.

[@matthewmugar]

Matt...one of the best videos ever put out on suspension. It's been such a mind boggle to understand this. This makes it totally comprehensible. thank you.

[@MattsGarage]

Matthew Mugar wow what a compliment! Thanks Matthew!

[@veeraboyinaapparao308]

Good presentation ...Matt I have query about shackle length design. Spring span length 480 and spring height 145 mm,no of leaves 6 May I know what length required for shackle and installed angle minimum.

[@GrenadeMotorsports]

Thanks for helping me understand effective spring rate as it relates to leaf type suspension. Subbed.

[@rakkassan2187]

Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge.

[@opinionsvary3132]

Thankyou for all your effort to help others mate. Cheers. Great vid

[@sincityvogel]

Thanks for the hard work on this video.

[@blaqwize1103]

You did a fantastic job! Thank you!

[@sentineloffreedom]

Thank you for making this video. Very informative and helpful!

[@matthewenloe8760]

Love the info. Just subscribed. OUTTAKES!

[@lewisandrew7]

Phenomenal explanation! Thank you. 👏

[@cdeprima1209]

Great video, I watched it a few times to realize I can change leaves to fix that shackle angle! Great job, thanks! :)

[@harhar4life]

Thank you so much, such a great video. And the bloopers at the end 😂😂😂😂 hilarious

[@opossozoku8005]

Thank you! I learned so much about my favorite kind of spring. Gives me a good idea on what to look for when working on my 73' C10

[@MattsGarage]

Dillon Opossozoku happy to help!

[@sailorsanjoy]

Amazing demo , I concept of shackles is a lot clearer now👍👍

[@NAPAuniversalJoints]

Great video bud. i have always eye balled the shackle angle and run flatter springs. Usually works really well.

[@montanamanbuilds8153]

Thank you for to the point and no off topic ramblings! Logic was telling me that diagram was wrong.

[@gunsofboom7420]

The most most knowledgeable video. 😊

[@dineshkumarhariharan588]

You cracked the real puzzle of leaf spring stiffness relationship wrt shackle angle.

[@muasboy]

Perfect video. Im new to leaf springs. And this was very helpful. Got a thumbs up from me

[@donscott6720]

Excellent video this was just what I was looking for

[@brentspiegel1]

Great visual Matt. Thanks

[@richardrussell1930]

Very informative. Great video. Great explanation.

[@williamburch1321]

AWSOME VIDEO! Thanks so much for making this. I love seeing stuff like this. I’m currently planning out a front a rear axle swap on my Jeep. I’m also putting in a new sua rubicon express lift. This information was hugely useful and encouraging for me. I can give myself an improved shackle angle and stretch my wheel base a little at the same time! Thanks again!

[@MattsGarage]

William Burch happy to help. Just keep it at 90 or a little sharper and you’ll be good. Once you get over 90 the ride quality starts nosediving.

[@AnthonyJ350]

Great explanation, thank you!

[@txobserver4946]

Very, very helpful video Matt. Very easy to follow and you did a great jog. I am one of your slow learners, and I would appreciate it if you could list the steps for calculating shackle mount location.

[@benwillis2748]

Great video thanks for adding the bloopers at the end. It shows how much work goes into making such a good video.

[@MattsGarage]

Thanks Ben! Yes it was a lot of work but it’s also one of my most watched videos so totally worth it considering how many guys have gotten something from it.

[@parkeryj3135]

You did so amazing on this video. I Will save this video to watch multiple times. Lot of work went into this and I appreciate it so much

[@MattsGarage]

Parker Wilstead thanks Parker! Sorry it took so long for my reply. Been swamped lately.

[@parkeryj3135]

Matt's Garage no worries, keep up the good work!

[@vh4266]

Awesome analysis.

[@dan4x434]

The video I was looking for. Thanks 👍.

[@MrFuel2burn]

Appreciated! Only improvement (suggestion) would be to have used a scale to measure the change in resistance (spring rate) between each of the mounting locations. Expressed as a percentage (rather than in pounds for the sake of the model). Great demonstration and the bloopers were cool too!

[@johnk1532]

Thanks Bro, great presentation, easy to understand

[@johnniemeyer3139]

Awesome video !!! Very helpful

[@1186javierzuniga]

Wow!!! Why didn't I find this video before!!! This is gold to me!!! My old F350 rides like an old wild west chuck wagon. Thanks so much for this video!!! 👍👍👍

[@MattsGarage]

Happy to help.

[@austinthornley1272]

Excellent video. Good job

[@dirtytruckinhippies]

“Wait wait, you can do this” xD legend thank you for the informational and emotional support

[@raj6338]

Thanks for the informative leaf spring & shackle video. I dig the color of your scout.

[@MattsGarage]

Thanks, I changed the color and I hate it now. I’m gonna change it back.

[@fidoexpeditions9366]

Watching.... again. Great info. Thx!

[@adambatchelder4121]

Great video, not a lot of people running leaf springs in off-road anymore. Ive got some custom made national springs in my chevy 4wd super long and super soft . I love them.

[@dieselwagoneer18]

Lots of answers, thanks for that

[@hansguymon1254]

Much needed info this video is just what the doctor ordered

[@sampson7941]

I watched this working on a truck. Came back to it while contemplating lifting a firebird for slicks. Im seeing a longer shackle will change my angle

[@kevindegroff7364]

Outstanding video Matt! I have been building leaf spring Jeeps for years and only 'educatedly guess'ed' the shackle length and location. But now I have some good reliable math to use to take out the guesswork! (Yes, I can do math!) Loved the part "but wait!" I have watched this video about 5 times to make sure I understood and laughed every time!!

[@MattsGarage]

Kevin DeGroff thanks Kevin. You forced me to rewatch because I forgot about that part. I appreciate the compliment!

[@merritts3515]

Very helpful! My truck has a front axle swap. And the ride is awful, while the spring may just be too big. The shackle is 90° at ride height. Time to go make some new mounts and shackles!

[@JonCast]

Love this video great job explaining it

[@canadianmarauder1923]

Interesting stuff and ya got me hooked. Subscribed

[@conquest562]

Thank you. This is the only precise video on this subject in the entire internet.

[@MattsGarage]

Wow thanks! Isn’t it crazy? That’s why I made the video. I actually reached out to some TV personalities and asked them to make but heard nothing so I just decided to figure it out myself.

[@RollingColeMotovlog]

Good Video! Go in on the effects on castor angle and steering (old jeeps etc) in the next one!

[@crislangcay2227]

Thanks matt, really learned a lot from your thorough explanation! Planning to build my Jeep Roadster here in the Philippines, your lecture would be a great help for its proper leaf spring mounting

[@cpt.moroni3092]

I have owner type Cj2a with corvette 327 and 4 speed.

[@teiaperigosa]

whole video went over my head. I'll come back to it when I can give it my full attention...

[@MattsGarage]

For sure. You need to grab a coffee and squint real hard, but there’s good information in there.

[@dekebell3307]

Thanks so much for sharing this!

[@shawnmancebo1217]

Hi Matt, Enjoyed the info, one thing to help test spring compression and angles Is to disassemble the both spring packs, using only the main spring and make a small block to replace all the other springs that have been removed, so if it 3 inches of spring that have been remove add in a 3 inch block put your bolt back though the block and main spring mock both springs on the vehicle than with a jack you can compress and release and let hang and get your angles of the shakles and find your bottoming points with your tires on and off as well and side to side relaesd and compressed with out the resistance of all the srings as well as measurements for shocks and brakes line mods, drive line lengths and so on Thanks for the video!

[@theotherguy3083]

Luv the bloopers!

[@magicalempire]

Totally well explained, my shackle angle will be fixed now thx...

[@MattsGarage]

Andrew James thanks Andrew. Good luck! I had a guy pull up in a lifted Scout yesterday to bus some parts I was selling. As soon as he got out I’m like “does that thing ride really rough?” And he’s like “yes, how’d you know?” :-)

[@magicalempire]

@@MattsGarage yep cheers I already have it on CAD and worked out, after your lecture ready to make it... Thx again

[@td3039]

Thank you, very informative 👏👏👏

[@abadlorenzo]

I agree with Matt, very educational indeed, salamat po -from Philippines here.

[@skrtking3512]

This is the best video on KZbin

[@beanz5355]

4am and you just blew my mind

[@GunslingerFitness]

This was awesome!

[@rylanagan]

As long as the information is correct then this is a great video. Gave me a expanded understanding and reinforcement for my spring suspicions. There are still a lot of questions I have about how various leaf pack mods and setup alterations will achieve different application goals. I think the main scenario that comes to mind is how a longer shackle will affect perceived on-road ride comfort when installed on the same leaf pack and using the same mounting points. This would be ideal for a DIY mechanic with basic tools and a limited budget that wants a more comfortable on-road experience with zero to little (driver+personal items/tools in cab=200-300lbs) additional payload. The problem I've been having is trying to get a smoother on-road ride quality out of a 2003 PreRunner TRD Double Cab. It has thick 3/1 two stage over-spring leaf packs. I'm unsure of the spring rates. Every aftermarket suspension component available for this truck is for lift, load, and/or off-roading/overlanding which all seem to equal a harsh on-road experience unless you're willing to drop $3k+ on 2- or 3-way adjustable reservoir coil overs and shocks and another $1k+ on progressive leaf packs, but even then you'll end up with a 3"+ lift with a 500-1klb payload increase which will then require new control arms, brake lines, diff drop kit, panhard correction kit, new ball joints, an alignment...the list goes on and on. You can do all that to this truck, but so far I haven't found one stitch of information about how to improve the ride quality for a daily driver aside from the snarky comment of "leave it factory". I refuse to accept this.

[@CeasarEdroma]

Very good clear explanation. Thank you so much

[@MattsGarage]

Thanks Caesar!

[@ithinkipoopt]

Great video dude

[@spooky8662]

Thank you for this!

[@ellerybice3787]

Since you gotta a IH, I subscribed.

[@firuzeyibeklerken77]

I watched any video on youtube and couldn’t find a more elucidative one.

[@firuzeyibeklerken77]

But I have a question in my mind🤔 ıf we replace the leaf springs to a closer point towards to fixed point ,Will it raise the cars rear because of curve on the leafs. I don’t wanna raise the rear of my car I just want more flexible rear leaf springs.

[@ZJ_Rubicon]

This is very interesting. I am in the process of doing a 63" spring swap on my Tacoma so this information is very useful. Thank You!

[@MattsGarage]

mike diltz cool, let me know how it turns out. Good luck!

[@jesusakadice]

How did it go? I am in the process of doing that on my 1st gen 4runner. What angle did you end up going with? And how do you like them so far?

[@ZJ_Rubicon]

@@jesusakadice sorry but I never ended up doing it. I sold the truck when I saw how bad the frame was rotted.

[@Maui_hilux]

This has been the most educational video I've ever seen about leaf spring tuning and shackle angles effecting the ride. Im running pro comp springs and there isn't enough desired flex i need. Might be i just need to adjust or buy shackles before changing out springs. Thanks again

[@MattsGarage]

ae86mia happy to help! I made this video because I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been made before. It’s now one of my most popular videos. Crazy.

[@davidfaulkner75]

awesome video! thanks

[@Wagenmeister]

Great video, I am watching this from an Scale RC perspective. I bought a 1:10 truck and the leafs arent doing what they should, so will be aplying this. Tip, if cellphone noise interupts the video, put it on silent. :-)

[@jacobchesna2448]

Awsome job, you can almost feel the spring rates as you move the springs. Question everything! Just don't get paralysis from analysis - get out and wheel, when it brakes, fix it and get back out 😉

[@workinprogress5821]

Great video, thanks . 👍🏿👍🏿

[@CAGE-CODE_30LU7]

Well done, thanks!

[@ray8093]

Thanks for the leaf spring demonstration, I just checked the 55 truck rear leaf spring shackle I put on 10 years ago, it's straight up & down, there's another hole on the bracket that will change the angle to more movement. Now I know why I hit my head on the ceiling when I drive over a dip too fast. Thanks

[@kengartner6659]

When you order Dever lift springs for a stock vehicle do they automatically make the leaves longer to compensate for shackle angle?

[@noobgameruaegain]

Great lesson on shackles. I've searched the whole internet to know how exactly these things works.

[@MattsGarage]

Thanks! Yeah that’s why I made the video. It’s shocking how little information there is out there. I was kind of hoping it would spark others to make better videos.

[@kylewbbc]

Very much appriciated!

[@ReshardsAutomotiveWorkshop]

Very cool. Thank you very much.

[@unchained_jb]

thank you for this video

[@officialWWM]

Thanks. I learned a lot!

[@wesrice6542]

Awesome explanation! Thank You!!!!

[@MattsGarage]

You are welcome!

[@nomadih2252]

This is great info as i start plannin out my build. Id love to know more about this using the inverted shackles in the rear

[@MattsGarage]

Nomad IH inverted shackles are a bit of a mystery to me. I understand how they work but wouldn’t know where to to start setting them up.

[@groot_the_xj]

Thank you so much 🙏🏽

[@b.s.adventures9421]

Great video Great info

[@esnevip]

I like the colour.

[@mattembaga]

Tq very good learning session from you bro

[@adamshawtmr]

THEE best vid for understanding that is out there!!!

[@MattsGarage]

Thanks Adam. Very kind of you.

[@neilpage9527]

I really like your video very informative. Wondering what happens to the driving force with the spring above the shackle. One of those HP books called how to make your car handle was very good at explaining changes in the suspension end where the driving force is. Was just a couple of leaf springs you're driving forces heading for the sky. Add some links to it and you can bring it down considerably to where you're getting pushed for words instead of up. Good example would be something like a Chevy Nova where is the rear end lifts up. They spend a lot of time smoking their tires before getting off the line. Another thing that will lower your drive force are having the actual mounted above the leaf instead of below.

[@typicaladamo]

Sub'd just cause the blooper reel... lol... great info man! Thanks!!!

[@prenticeemler7709]

thank you very much, been restoring my 68 scout for a while now, come to this point now ,just want to get it right it will be hard to undo it if it is not right, huge help with the info, please take care .