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Rear shackle help

Kidd7

Well-Known Member
Joined
January 13, 2014
Messages
307
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City, State
RTP, NC
Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 X AWD EB 5L
I’m replacing the rear shackles on my 2000 EB. Drivers side came out fine. The passenger side top bolt is rusted to the sleeve, it’ll spin more but won’t push out. I tried a hammer won’t budge. Tried to force it out with a ball joint press, but there’s just not enough room to get on it straight. Any ideas? I really appreciate it.
 



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I bought an air hammer for that very job. If you have an air compressor, that's the way to go. Air hammers don't cost much.
 






Ok I have an air hammer, how did you do that? Is there enough room between the frame and body to get an air hammer in there?
 






Are you opposed to replacing the entire bushing? If not, a torch can burn up the rubber to a gooey enough charred state to pull the middle out then you can cut the side of the metal casing plus a little chisel action to remove that. There might be youtube video(s) about doing it but I don't have a link, saw them years ago.

Aftermarket bushing part # Dayton RB-131
See picture attached for these dimensions:
A-Outer Diameter:1-1/4 inch
B-Outer Steel Sleeve Length:2-9/16 inch
C-Overall Inner Sleeve Length:3 inch
D-Inner Diameter, Bolt Size:9/16 inch
Original Ford # (D3TZ-5781A)

However, and do double check this, if you burn out the rubber and use the Energy Suspension bushings (kit 4.2124, but it's an expensive way to go if you only want/need to resolve this single bushing instead of wanting to replace all or at least both back bushings), the best I can recall you leave the metal casing sleeve in and just add the two piece bushings and their metal sleeve in the middle. For that info I am also looking at this:

I'm being lazy and pulling this info from notes but there are topics in this forum about the options. Do look those up, my memory could be faulty.

If your bolts are eaten up, what I have in my notes for the replacement is 9/16"-12 x 4.5" grade 8, + locknut and washer, though OE is probably a flange nut?

rb131.jpg


As far as fighting with what you have, to try to save the factory bushing, either carefully spray some acid in to eat up a bit of the rust (wear goggles!!) then penetrant, or just start with penetrant though the penetrant may impede trying to use acid later.

Another option that comes to mind, that I have never tried for this situation, is that since it spins, to take a putty knife and grind a groove in the end of it that is the diameter of the bolt shank, or some metal bladed trim removal tools might have the right sized slot in them already, hammer that up so it's behind the head of the bolt, and then apply power, keep spinning the bolt while applying lube and gentle pressure from the putty knife and eventually the rust will shred apart and the bolt will come out a little at a time, till you can get something thicker behind it like a screwdriver or pry bar, etc. to speed up the process of prying while spinning the bolt.

However, are you certain you are spinning the bolt in the sleeve instead of spinning the sleeve in the bushing rubber? Either way, if it's spinning then patience should cause it to come out, then with the sleeve out, proceed with all the above info... or just ignore this info, there's more ways than one to skin a cat. ;)
 






First off, I didn't replace bushings. Not saying you won't have to, but I didn't.

Second, as I recall, there's barely enough room for the air hammer. The good thing is, you don't have to go perfectly straight at the bolt. It's been probably 4 or 5 years since I did the one I had trouble with, so my memory is a little fuzzy. Even with the air hammer, the bolt didn't just pop out. It still took some work and patience, but it eventually came out without resorting to burning the bushing out.
 






I remember fighting with these. I don’t remember how I pulled it off 😂
 






J_C: great info. I thought about resorting to burning, the new shackles came with new bolts and upper bushings so no need to save those.
429CJ-3X2: thanks for your input also. Both of ya'll give me some good thoughts to try. The bolt is rusted to the sleeve and both are spinning in the rubber, they're just not moving laterally to be able to slide out.

C420sailor: not helpful to the removal process, but it did bring a laugh and glad to know I'm not alone in this. :cool:

There is a hole in the body under the chrome that looks like it would line directly up with the shackle bolt, but since this is an EB I have the fender flares and trying to remove those would destroy way too much.
 












Sometimes that’s the only way. The metal sleeve and the bolt become one
 






Burn baby burn, bushing inferno.
Bolt is out, now onto pressing the old out and new in.
That's the way! Eventually I got tired of asking the shackle, so took the blue flame to it. Orange is when Im asking, blue is a command 🤣
 












What’s the saying? A bolt can’t be frozen when it’s a liquid?
 






Yep
Can’t be stuck if it’s liquid

Spent 7 days fighting one of these 15 years ago
Went to ford looking for the part and they wanted to sell me a frame hahahaha
We ended up torching it out the Bolt and sleeve were rusted together
Not fun
Had to come up with a home brew bushing back then… that truck is still sitting outside

Air hammer and a large ball joint press gets them usually
I hate this design! The leaf springs under the frame rails.. But I love the way the explorers ride
 






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