Leaf spring shackle

A leaf spring assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• a leaf spring;
• and
• a leaf spring shackle adapted to connect the leaf spring to a frame component of the vehicle, the leaf spring shackle including:
• a stamped steel upper bracket adapted to be pivotally connected to a distal end of the leaf spring;
• a stamped steel lower bracket adapted to be pivotally connected to a frame component of the vehicle;
• and
• a linear dampening member positioned between the upper bracket and the lower bracket;
• and
• wherein, the upper bracket and the lower bracket are pivotally connected to one another and the linear dampening member is adapted to dampen pivotal movement of the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket.

A vehicle having a leaf spring shackle for supporting a leaf spring thereon, the leaf spring shackle including:

• a stamped steel upper bracket adapted to be pivotally connected to the distal end of the leaf spring at a first pivotal connection, wherein the upper bracket is pivotally moveable relative to the distal end of the leaf spring about a first axis, the upper bracket including a first end and a second end, the first pivotal connection adjacent the first end of the upper bracket and moveable in both an x-direction, forward and backward, and a z-direction, up and down;
• a stamped steel lower bracket adapted to be pivotally connected to the frame component of the vehicle at a second pivotal connection, wherein the lower bracket is pivotally moveable relative to the frame of the vehicle about a second axis, the lower bracket including a first end and a second end, the second pivotal connection adjacent the first end of the lower bracket and held stationary in both the x-direction and the z-direction;
• the upper bracket and the lower bracket pivotally connected to one another at a third pivotal connection and pivotally moveable relative to one another about a third axis, the third pivotal connection located between the first and second end of the upper bracket and between the first and second end of the lower bracket and moveable in both the x-direction and the z-direction;
• and
• a linear dampening member positioned between the upper bracket and the lower bracket and including a steel coil spring and a dampener positioned within the coil spring;
• and
• wherein, movement of the first end of the upper bracket away from the first end of the lower bracket moves the second end of the upper bracket toward the second end of the lower bracket and linearly compresses the linear dampening member, wherein the linear dampening member is adapted to linearly dampen movement of the second end of the upper bracket toward the second end of the lower bracket, dampening movement of the first end of the upper bracket away from the first end of the lower bracket.