leaf spring

[97splorer]

I'm changing my shackles and I can't get the bolt out of the leaf spring. It is stuck I have hammered the sh-t out of it but it won't budge. any suggestions?

 

[jssong]

liquid wrench?

 

[TarHeel085]

your gonna have to move the leaf spring down because when you took the bolt out from the one side, the spring tried to move up on that one side, effectively wedging the bolt in there. take a bottle jack (or the stock one) and put the base on the spring and the top on the frame. the pump it till the bolt looks like its straight cause right now it looks as though its at an angle but correct me if im wrong. just let me know if im unclear.

 

[97splorer]

the bolt is the only thing in the leaf spring, the shackle is already off, the bolt appears to be strait but wont come out or turn

 

[TarHeel085]

ok how exactly did you get the shackle off when the bolts still inside? cause the bolt holds on both sides of the shackle therefore making it near impossible to take off the shackle without taking the bolt out. in that case take some lubricant put it inside the bushing then stick a screwdriver in one side and pound away with a BFH. if that doesnt work then use use ratchet and try to reverse it out while someone else uses the BFH & screwdriver method. good luck!

 

[Alec]

please don't double post....deleted the other one.

 

[97splorer]

After trying for two hours to remove the bolt I cut the head off with a sawsall, then pryed the old shackle off and tried to hammer the bolt out. no luck yet, but I'm gonna keep trying. Should I heat up the bolt area with a torch? will that effect my springs?????

 

[jeffseal]

did you take all the load off the springs? sometimes if the axles are pulling down on the leafs it makes it hard to remove the bolt

 

[TarHeel085]

Originally posted by jeffseal
did you take all the load off the springs? sometimes if the axles are pulling down on the leafs it makes it hard to remove the bolt

thats what i was tryin to say in my first post, but obviously the point didnt go through (not talkin about you jeff)

 

[becker69]

I cannot understand how you were able to get the shackle off; yet the bolt is in the leaf spring?! However I WOULD NOT use a torch on the leaf!!!! That is, you will smoke and ruin the bushing that is pressed inside it, and I may be wrong but I don't think their are replacement to those bushings... so you'd be hosed... please advise