MTFCA Forum

Nuts or shackle forward?

I wondered the same thing, and have been going to look through the Ford service manual to see which way they show them there.

Shackle forward, nuts behind. Thats what the service manual depicts.

If it is a 26 or 27 the MTFCA Technical Drawings link shows shackle to front.
https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/app.php/gallery/image/667

My 27 Tudor Sedan has shackles to front on both front and rear axles

Todd

I believe they will function equally well in either orientation. So if it isn't a show car, does it really matter?

It only matters to a purist. I’ve seen cars with them both ways. I have a feeling that in the late 20’s and on till the 1940’s people would take their T to repair shops to have them repaired by mechanics who weren’t T purists. Thats why we see barn finds and survivor cars that have repairs that were completely functional and worked fine. The vendors sell replacement shackles that work just fine but don’t look exactly the same. Having the nuts to the back gives a cleaner look and it’s up to the owner how he wants it.

My earlier photos prove I have done it both ways.
I like the look of shackle forward. The way I did it this time.

With our Canadian sourced cars, most came with forged L shackles, two pieces exactly the same. The question then becomes is the one nut at the front of the car at the spring eye or the perch?

Allan from down under.

Good thing nobody asked if the top one has the nut to the back for L-style, Figure 8 and Mae West.

Frank

on early shackles with the twist oiler, there is in fact a correct and an incorrect way to install them. Not just aesthetics, but right and wrong.

I turned mine around from how they are in this picture because I read on here the oiler facing the rear is supposed to be on top so you don’t have to climb under the car to put oil in.
Maybe a close up of a factory photo would show how the later style were installed originally.

From what I've seen on early brass twist oiler cars (my '14 included) is the oiler is on top at the rear and towards the bottom in the front so as Corey alluded to that makes oiling easier.

I install the shackles with twist oilers whichever way puts the oil holes on top. Sometimes it's "correct" and sometimes it isn't.

This is how the Model T Ford Service manual shows them. A photo of the rear axle shows the nuts toward the rear also. That makes the nuts more accessible to the mechanic that does the front version. I would bet than more than one car came out of the factory the other way. Even more from out of the dealer after repairs.
While it might be nice to establish a correct direction for reference I hope nobody loses too much sleep over it.
Fun to discuss.
Rich

Steve

think about your reasoning on the oil holes being on top. If the oiler is on the centerline of the shackle bolt, oil will never exit the hole to lubricate the joint.

Wiil oil get around the red grease eventually?
I put the nuts where they are hid from veiw front and back.Never thought about a "correct" way to do it.Just makes it look neater.

...think about your reasoning on the oil holes being on top.

I was thinking of the oiler holes, not the shackle oil holes. Yes, those should be on the bottom. I guess I'd better check that and reorient the oilers that need it.

I am thinking that with the nuts to rear, it might be safer? You are driving the perches into the shackles all the time. If reversed you are driving the shackles out of the perches. That is why I decided to orient mine with the nuts on the rear.

I think on any car with a nut and bolt application, where ever practicable, the nut should be to the rear.

The service manual illustrations show the nuts to the rear on both axles.