Should Shackles Always Angle Upwards And How To Correct If The Angle Is Off

Updated 08/01/2023 | Published 07/31/2023

Products Featured in This Question

Front/Center/Rear Hanger for Double-Eye Springs - 3-1/4" Tall - 9/16" Bolt Hole

(298)

$12.52

MORryde Suspension Upgrade Kit for Triple Axle Trailers - 3-1/8" Long Shackle Straps

(1915)

$202.49

Curved Equalizer for 1-3/4" Wide Double-Eye Springs - 7-3/4" Long - 9/16" Center Hole

(202)

$17.41

Question:

Would the shackle position still be the same if you were using a triangular equalizer rather than a straight equalizer? Are the shackles always supposed to be pointing up in relation to the ground?

asked by: Jarrod T

Expert Reply:

Thank you for the pictures. The shackles should always be pointing up at about a 45 degree angle towards the axle. There is not a specific angle set in stone, but they should should make a "W" shape at all times. They appear to be positioned correctly in your first picture. However in pictures 2 and 3, something is definitely off. The shackle should never hang below the equalizer like that. I have also attached a picture showing an example of how they should be positioned.

Now the shape of the equalizer generally is a non factor. We would just look at the length and height of the stock equalizer, and try to match the replacement as close as possible. When replacing suspension components it is critical that we keep everything as close to stock as possible. Trailers are built around their suspension, and there is not much wiggle room at all. From the looks of your pictures, you either need a slightly longer equalizer, or longer shackle links.

I am not sure if all of this has been replaced recently, or if you are looking to replace now, but we would definitely want to get measurements on the stock equalizer and shackles. The equalizer is measured across from center hole to center hole. The shackles are also measured center hole to center hole. For Example the MORyde suspension kit # MR26ZR comes with 3-1/8" long shackle straps. A very common equalizer is the # TREQE1 which is 7-3/4" long and 3-1/4" tall.

expert reply by: Jesse M