83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

Ok did your front and rear springs look like the picture below? I don't think the brackets on the rear spring are stock and are the brackets on the front supposed to be like they are? Looks to me like it can move freely with what the leaf spring does and the metal on either side of the bracket limits travel? All I do know is I'm a noob at this crap lol.

Rear springs
IMAG0134.jpg?t=1331856981

Front springs
IMAG0135.jpg?t=1331856979

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

Nah, they look stock. The shackles pivot to allow the leaf springs to compress. If you didn't have shackles then when the springs wouldn't be able to enlongate when they compress causing the ride to be super stiff. However, the way those shackles look i would try to replace them with new ones-just wait until you see what the bolts look like. Mine were rusted out pretty badly.

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

Yea I'm gonna try and clean those shackles up. I was thinking about buying new bolts at ace hardware cause every bolt is so rusted and weakened.

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

There are no "bolts." The bolts are welded to the outer shackle plate. Your best bet is to just order new shackles. If you get new shackles then you won't have to worry about messing up the threads when you're banging the ˟˟˟˟ out of them to get them out.

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

Ok I got the instructions out and read over them a few times and was looking under the truck and everything seems pretty simple. But I have two questions left. In the pic below there are two sleeves for bushings. Directions don't specify with set of bushing gets theses sleeves. What do you think? Also I was looking at the leaf springs and there appears to be a certain direction of putting them on because the part where where you u-bolt the axle onto them isn't in the middle it looks like. So would the shorter side go the the front or back, if that makes sense?

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

I didn't use the metal sleeves because my shackle bolts were the larger variety. If the sleeves fit over the shackle bolts then you should use them. Either way it won't matter as long as the bolts alone or the bolts with sleeves are snug in the bushings. As for the bushings, the 4 longer ones go in the rear shackle of the front leaf springs. The shorter ones go on all other shackles.

You're worrying too much, just start ripping it out. I'll know when you start because you'll be on here cussing about how much of a pain in the ass it is to get the front leaf brackets on all 4 corners off! LOL

Honestly, the hardest part is getting all the old crap off. If you gave me a truck with not suspension on it, I could put it all on in 90 minutes max

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

Forgot your other question. I didn't do the rear springs since my rears were in really good shape and ride the way I like. But with the front, there doesn't appear to be a wrong way to mount them. There's a driver and passenger side, but I looked at them, compared them to each other, measured them, even tripped over them a few times as they laid in my garage floor and they both seemed the same. I just mounted them on the specified side and so far I see no problems. The rears however, I have no clue. I may suggest comparing them to the factory springs to see if the center pin is offset and mount them accordingly.

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

HOW IN THE DEVIL DO YOU GET THIS LOOSE.

IMAG0140.jpg?t=1331944960

This is the hanger on the front side of the rear shocks. I beat the crap outta the bolt end sticking out the other side and no budge. This is the only part I have had trouble with while working on the rear. Everything else has come loose fairly easy (with my wonderful cheater bar of course). This is the last thing I have to get loose/off before I can put the new stuff on.

On a side note I pulled off the 29 year old shocks off and compressed them all the way and they didn't move afterwards.

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

I wasn't kidding when I told you that you should get new hardware. If you get new hardware then you can beat the living dog ˟˟˟˟ out of it to get it off. Try heating it up, you got to put new bushings in anyway so just torch it. Once it clears the pressed shoulder, it should pop right out.

Try doing this in this exact order:
-Drink a beer
-Drink another
-Hit it with a 16 ounce hammer
-Drink a beer
-Hit it harder with a 16 ounce hammer
-Drink a beer
-Hit it with a 3 lb sledge
-Drink a beer
-Heat it up with a torch
-Drink a beer
-Put out the fire
-Drink a beer
-Hit it with the sledge again
-Drink a beer
-Go get your girlfriend or wife to get it out because if you couldn't get it after all then then clearly you are too weak and drunk to do the job

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

So is it just bolt that comes off or does that small plate come off too where head of the bolt is? I bought some pb blaster to try also.

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

The whole plate comes off with the bolt. Have you got any other of those brackets off yet? There's a shoulder to the plate that recesses down into the mount on the frame. That's usually what causes the P.I.T.A.

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

The rear brackets were a breeze. Take one side and beat the spring off it. One of bolts for a shock had a stripped head but I get off with channel locks. Gonna go to lowes tomorrow and see if I can get another one

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

Ha I managed to get one of the plates to come out a 1/4"!

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

Well my adventure for the day has come to and end. Its getting to late for me to be pounding away at the hangar. Gonna piss the neighbors off. Still at around a 1/4" out. Seems like the bushings are holding it in or something. I put a lot of pb blaster on it so I will let it set overnight and maybe be a little easier tomorrow. I'm gonna go buy a different hammer too. I been using a regular nail hammer but that's all I had. Also would order new hangers from the dealer in case I jack them up bad enough not to re-use them?

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

The bushings will certainly hold you up. Once you get it loose, try using a pry-bar to pry it through the bushings. Or if you're not planning on using the springs ever again then just cut the spring at the mount and at least that way you won't have the weight and tension of the spring holding you up.

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

They got cut off. Ordered new pins/bolts for all leaf springs. Suppose to get them tomorrow.

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

When all else fail, a die grinder and cutting wheel always works best!

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

When say grease the bushings you just the outside of them or the inside too?

kawazx636

iTrader: (3)

I do both. The bushings are inherently going to move in their housings due to flex and torsion so you want to have as little friction as possible between the bushings and their metal counterparts. The bushings will also last longer if you grease them well.

83Toyota88

iTrader: (1)

aye aye captain.