How to: Warrior Shackle Installation (pics)

[KPT]

I found it MUCH easier to get the springs bolted to the shackles after unbolting the U-bolts. you can easily move the springs up and down then with no weight on them....

 

[Paraphoe]

Alright, guys. I need some help. I've spent 7 hours over 2 days, and have been unsuccessful in getting the first damn bolt out of my stock shackle. It's rusted to hell apparently. I've been hammering on it, using liquid wrench, a blowtorch, breaker bar with a pipe on it for leverage, etc, etc, etc. I've only succeeded in cracking a socket and wasting my time and patience. I'm about ready to drop the $100-$150 the guys at the local auto shop want to put them in, and that'd be a shame, because this is apparently a breeze for 90% of you. Can anyone help?

 

[slravene]

grind off the head of it and it should pull right out.

 

[Paraphoe]

grind off the head of it and it should pull right out.

If I'm slamming the nut end with a hammer to push it through and it's not budging, I'm not sure if the bolt head would matter. Am I wrong here?

 

[DeRocha]

The bolt is internally rusted to the metal bushing sleeve within the shackle...I have the benefit of air tools and my air hammer was able to drive them out... I hit the bolts with a propane torch for 10 min each (the hotter the torch the better). How big is your breaker bar? For really rusted bars I would use a 3-4' minimum breaker bar, wear gloves and either free the bolt, or break it trying...

Make sure to lube up the new bolts with plenty of anti-seize so you can easily remove them in the future.

 

[Paraphoe]

The bolt is internally rusted to the metal bushing sleeve within the shackle...I have the benefit of air tools and my air hammer was able to drive them out... I hit the bolts with a propane torch for 10 min each (the hotter the torch the better). How big is your breaker bar? For really rusted bars I would use a 3-4' minimum breaker bar, wear gloves and either free the bolt, or break it trying...

Make sure to lube up the new bolts with plenty of anti-seize so you can easily remove them in the future.

3-4'? Wow, that's pretty intense. Mine is nowhere near that long. But the thing is, by the end of the day today I got the bolt to turn very slowly in the bushing, so I guess most of the rust broke free, but I still could not get it out. I used a propane torch as well. No go.

 

[DeRocha]

3-4'? Wow, that's pretty intense. Mine is nowhere near that long. But the thing is, by the end of the day today I got the bolt to turn very slowly in the bushing, so I guess most of the rust broke free, but I still could not get it out. I used a propane torch as well. No go.

Actually my breaker bar is only 16", but I slip various lengths of pipe over it depending on the situation ... If the bolt is starting to turn then you can use a hammer to drive it out while still turning it...

 

[Paraphoe]

Actually my breaker bar is only 16", but I slip various lengths of pipe over it depending on the situation ... If the bolt is starting to turn then you can use a hammer to drive it out while still turning it...

Oh, of course - the good ole pipe trick. Thats how I cracked one of the sockets.
But yea, I was turning it slowly and I had pops slamming the other end with a hammer and it wouldn't budge. Very frusterating. The nut actually started to mushroom right before I threw in the towel.

 

[DeRocha]

Yes it can be frustrating , but you'll feel great once you get it off. the bolt and inner sleeve are no longer smooth they are probably very pitted over time and thus prone to getting hung up.. I used a "C" clamp ball-joint press (as seen in the U-joint link below) to press out one of the shackle bolts that was giving me some trouble.. You can get one at Autozone (free rental, but you need to leave deposit to cover the tool).

 

[Paraphoe]

Yes it can be frustrating , but you'll feel great once you get it off. the bolt and inner sleeve are no longer smooth they are probably very pitted over time and thus prone to getting hung up.. I used a "C" clamp ball-joint press (as seen in the U-joint link below) to press out one of the shackle bolts that was giving me some trouble.. You can get one at Autozone (free rental, but you need to leave deposit to cover the tool).

The C clamp is a pretty good idea. I'll give that a shot next, although I might wait until spring when I move into a house with a garage. Thanks for the help man.

 

[Paraphoe]

One more quick question - is it possible that I have too much tension on the spring still? I had the frame jacked up until the tire was just about off the ground, and then I played with the jack under the axle at differrent heights to try to minimize the tension. At what position would the spring have the least tension?

 

[ryf]

well, I had alot of binding from only lifting one side, I actually used jack stands on both sides, and lifted on the pumpkin (you shouldn't do that, it can cause leaks, but in this instance its only the axle weight, so I risked it)
this took the twisting out of the bolts and also made lining them up to put em back in easier, I found it easier to remove both sides, then put in both sides, minimizing the twisting.

It was more work, but it worked better for me.

 

[glfredrick]

Probably, what is happening is that the bolts are still frozen to the metal sleeve inside the spring bushing and you are trying to push the entire sleeve out of the bushing. FYI, it will never go... What you have to do at this stage is cut the bolt inside the shackles with either a hack saw or a saws all, so that you can drop the entire unit out from the truck, then drive the entire bushing out of the spring, replacing it with a new one.

I've saved a few like yours, but that is pretty rare... Some guys don't have to deal with rust like you are describing, so they haven't had the same fight, but I'm from a heavy salt state and know how it goes. The price of new bushings is easier to take than the beating you'll give yourself trying to extract the old ones.

If you have to save it, look for the spit in the sleeve and drive a small chisel or screwdriver (it will be ruined!) into the split, widening it. Then use PB Blaster and let it work for a while. Tap on the bolt with a hammer to cause the PB to vibrate into the rusty areas. Then drive the bolt out of the sleeve.

That's the only fix I know, and I've done tons of them in your condition.

 

[KPT]

I have a 95 and the bolts were extremly easy to remove with an 18" breaker bar. The bolt side has a piece sticking out that won't let it turn but so far. I know this is a dumb question but are you sure you are cranking on the nut side and not the bolt side?

 

[slravene]

ahh yea, i didnt know you had gotten the nut off already. I would just try a bigger breaker bar. Go buy a craftsman socket at sears, and break it all you want, they will replace it no questions asked. I have even used lacrosse sticks as breaker bars. (i have lots of access to them as i play in college so i dont mind breaking them).

 

[No1dan2001]

5 months too late, but i orded my shackles and addaleaf today..if anyones still sibscribed, ill keep you posted.

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

I also bout shackels yesterday...i went with the autozone cheapies(they are still pretty beffy though. I went and took a look under my truck to see the condidtion of the old bolts on the shackels and the little peak of the bussing....it scared me(my truck has spend 9 years in up-state NY and one In michigan)......can you tell the condidtion of a bushing by looking at it on the outside......also is the stock bolt size 9/16th's?....what are the bolts dimesions?(so i can go over to home depot and get some grade 8's?

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

^^anybody?

 

[DeRocha]

The original bolts are 14mm = 0.551" so a 9/16 = 0.562" is only a hundrendth of an inch bigger and should fit just fine (see post #2 in Gerald's Herc thread)

 

[glfredrick]

I was going to run 9/16" bolts in mine, but was actually able to find the metric ones locally. If you can't find any let me know -- I have a source.

Otherwise, try industrial fastener places from the yellow pages. It will take you a couple to find them in stock.

Definitely run a Grade 8 bolt (or the metric equivalent) in the shackles!