Stock Scout II front spring shackles have angle brackets on the inner halves that are connected by a flat plate. This plate serves two functions. One is to act as an anti-roll device, like a swaybar. The other is to prevent the shackles from swinging back overcenter. Once the shackles swing backwards they can get pushed up towards the frame and lock in place.
The quest for additional articulation has led some Scout owners to remove the anti-roll plate. Many stock shackles have been replaced over the years by homemade and aftermarket shackles that do not have the brackets for the plate.
Given the opportunity to droop sufficiently, they quickly fall victim to 'Shackle Flip'. Overly stiff, truck-like springs may not bend enough to swing the shackle overcenter. Pliant springs, like those from Skyjacker, especially when combined with heavy steel wheels and off-road tires, will flip back easily when articulated.
This presents two problems. Interference between the shackle and Pittman arm can cause a loss of steering control. It is impossible to steer to the right! Annoying at rockcrawling speed, this is life threatening at higher speeds. The other result is bent spring leaves and spring hanger brackets ripped from the frame as the spring, now fixed in place at both ends cannot flex when compressed.
One solution is to add a third bolt to the shackle, placed so as to stop the shackle from swinging back too far.
I started with a set of Tomken shackles made for a CJ-5. They had a center brace and an extra pin for a tow bar. I cut them as shown above.
The cut is parallel to a line drawn through the new upper & lower bolt holes. The pin that hits the frame is cushioned by a length of heater hose around the bolt. The hose is surrounded by a piece cut from a 1" pipe fitting. This makes for a soft assembly strong enough to survive smashing into the frame. (Visible next to the Pittman arm in the 2nd photo, above)
Dimensions
All dimensions are in inches, bolt holes are measured to their center.
Top (frame bolt) hole to bottom (spring bolt) hole
3.50
A
Top hole to pin hole
2.00
B
Bottom hole to pin hole
3.25
C
Overall height
5.00
Overall width
3.50
Thickness
0.25
If you make your own plates, one dimension is critical.
Excessive width, as measured from the top bolt hole to the rear edge near the pin, will cause interference with the Pitman arm. You should test fit the assembled shackle and pin, without the spring connected, by swinging it through the range of motion to check for interference.
