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Del-A-Lum Shackle Kits: Bushings that work like a bearing!For drag racing applications, there are a lot of good traction kits on the market that use a solid type bushing in the front eyelet of the leaf spring and leave the rear bushings in rubber or poly. Here at Global West we do not recommend using rubber or poly in the shackle for one major reason. Rubber and polyurethane allow the rear portion of the leaf to walk laterally. If the front bushing is solid mounted, the length of the leaf becomes a long torque arm reacting on the forward leaf spring frame mount. The mount is only held in to the frame with three 3/8 bolts. That is a lot of load on the mounts, all trying to control lateral movement. The solution is to install a Global West Suspension Del-a-lum shackle kit. The bushings do not allow the leaf spring to move laterally removing the torque affect of the leaf and they also feature a choice of preloading the bushing for decreasing leaf spring movement or running no preload and increasing leaf spring movement.Installation requires the bushing housings to be pressed into the frame and the leaf spring eyelets. Inserts and thrust washers separate the housings and springs from metal to metal contract and provide total isolation. The inserts and thrust washers also provide a bearing surface for the bushing. This design makes the bushings operate similar to that of a bearing. Grease fittings are installed and the housing is grooved internally for grease penetration. Del-A-Lum bushings also provide lateral control of the leaf springs.NOTE: Del-A-Lum shackle kits are shipped complete with rear spring eyelet bushings, frame bushings, shackles, and related hardware.