No dumshit questions around here Matt! Thanks for signing on with us!
As for the 2x4 deal and the Scout platform...many reasons why those were offered back in the day. And right now...I get inquiries nearly everyday from folks looking for one, especially right hand drive!
There is currently an inordinate amount of interest in the 2x4 stuff (especially s80/s800) for use in building a street rod. Just Tuesday, I saw an exceptionally nice Scout 800 2x4 that was slammed and is being re-born inna "pro-street" mode! They guy even had it painted up like an oem sr2!!!!
And last week, I was discussing this same thing with some friends regarding building a similar rig with a choptop and a weiand blower setup onna rpt aluminum intake sticking through the hood!
Back to your initial concern regarding the reverse shackle deal...IH did some kinda "strange" things with springing/suspension on several platforms, but most notably the sii! And instead of correcting spring rate/ride height on the driver side to make the rig level out, they sometimes used a "spacer" on the spring pack to achieve a level attitude (side-to-side and fore and aft).
After many years of being jacked over by the po virus, there is no telling what any one vehicle May incorporate now when ya start on one. All kinds of homebrew spacers, blocks, added spring leaf, removed spring leaf, etc.,...even longer shackles at only one position!!!
In theory, regarding oem stuff, the shackle lengths do match. The thing to remember is...when doing these suspension mods...we are concerned with making necessary alignment changes with a vehicle inna static, "level" attitude onna alignment rack. But when the vehicle is in motion, with varying loads at all four corners (primary passenger weight/load "imbalance"), the actual geometric relationship of the steering is constantly changing as the wheels deflect from variations in road surface in a dynamic manner. What we try to do in a "static" state is simply achieve the best alignment geometry that we can for the intended vehicle use...and that is always a compromise and always will be!
The original alignment specs for a 4x4 sii were with the intentions of having decent road manners for a leaf-sprung, straight axle that is called upon occasionally to propel the vehicle down the highway. And, those specs May not be optimum as compared to a highway-only passenger vehicle with independent front suspension of any particular design. And...one of the criteria for the sii specs was "light steering" (even with power steering) because of the relatively high vehicle weight as compared with the "competition" of that era!
In my opinion, IH design engineering took that "light steering feel" a bit too far regarding the sii!!
