Metal Made Rite’s Revolver Shackle system

With many 4×4 owners fabricating their own suspension systems to gain axle droop, it’s no wonder other companies aren’t jumping on the bandwagon of extreme articulation. While most are fools gold, there are a few 14 caret nuggets to be found and the revolver shackle by Metal Made Rite is one of those rare little nuggets. Hinged shackles aren’t new to the market, they’ve actually been around in the aftermarket scene for about 12 years but needless to say, they were a bit ahead of their time.

Making his grand debut at the ’99 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, UT., Curt Hildebrand sold six sets of his specialized shackles to folks at the event. With a money back guarantee and free installation on site, Curt quickly sold those six pre-market sets. Since then, he’s had no returns of his original six and have sold hundreds more.

Unlike other hinging shackles in design and workmanship, the revolver is different all around. The shackle’s design allows free movement of the axle in both a vertical and pivotal manner, netting a more comfortable ride both on and off-road. The key to its success is two fold, not including the center hinging point, which allows for increased axle articulation. The important part is the ability for the axle’s leaf spring to rotate away from the shackle in a more natural position. This is accomplished by the shackle’s center hinge section. Secondly, and probably most importantly is that the shackles pivot point faces inward. This was key to keep the driveshafts from separating, while still allowing for maximum axle articulation. With the pivot point facing inward, the axle rotates upward slightly while pushing the axle tube towards the center of the vehicle slightly. This in turn limits the amount of stress placed on the driveshaft u-joints. Some additional benefits of the revolver shackle are the milled Delrin center supports. These center supports allow the shackle to close while on level ground and lock into place giving the rig a secure and safe street driving manner. Lastly, the shackles come with Zirk fittings so that the center pivot point can stay lubricated. The bottom line, these are high quality shackles that will not only increase your axle articulation, but also improve your rig’s streetability if you are upgrading from other hinging shackles.