Turbo4Runner

Hey guys,

I'm trying to swap my leaf springs (amongst other things) but some of the leaf spring bolts are not budging so I was hoping to get some suggestions. Both of these are the front bolts on the rear springs.

My two issues are:
1. On the driver side I was able to remove the nut but the bolt will not come out. If I try to rotate it, it just moves the leaf spring. I have beat on it with a BFH but its not moving.

2. On the passenger side the gas tank is right in the way and I'm not able to get enough torque on there to remove the nut. Its pretty rusty and covered with crud.

I have been soaking everything with PB for a week.

I also have a stuck shackle nut but worse case I can cut that off and just get new shackles. But the other two there's not really access to cut them and even if I did I'm not sure it would help because the bolt inside the old bushings is very stuck.

Any suggestions? I have exhausted myself beating on these things.. I would have just cut by now but I am worried that will leave me worse off..

Thanks!
Ben

Jay351

You will probibly have to cut them off with a torch. I know we had to do that to my leaf spring bolts, soaked them in pb blaster for 2 weeks. After 12 years these bolts are not going to move.

f4stunna

cut them out and buy new ubolts.


i just bought OME leaf springs for my truck along with other things and i got the ubolts with them just becuase of dealing with crap like that.

Turbo4Runner

Its not the U-Bolts its bolts that hold the leaf springs to the frame. I think i'm going to try and grind off the head and punch it out and/or melt the bushings with a torch and see if that works.

Djlarroc

Damn dude, that sucks. Are those the bolts that tc said you might have to cut off anyways? Do you have replacement bolts? ....and have you pm'd tc to ask what his plans were if you woulda made it to HOW?

Squiddy

This is a very common problem with this spring set-up...I faced it too.

I was able to cut the front "bolt" (It's really a shackle pin) with an angle grinder, using a metal cut-off blade. You can do the one near the gas tank the same way as long as you are careful. Don't waste your time trying to do it by melting bushing, etc - won't work. You should order new pins from the stealership or I think Marlin has them.

Basically the same deal with the back ones...the easiest thing to do is get "new" shackles. I got some for about 50 bucks on ebay. The only issue here is that the pin sizes are idiosyncratic. In retrospect would have been better to buy some greasable shackles from ARB, or similar.

Turbo4Runner

Yeah these are the ones.. I'm just not sure I will actually be able to get them out if I cut the heads off.

How does a shackle pin differ from a bolt? Is it tapered or just not threaded all the way down or something?

Thanks!

Squiddy

I actually had to cut the pins on the "inside" in between the side of the hanger and the head of the spring itself. With that, I could torque things enough to get it loose, or break it off. If you just cut the heads off, it won't come out, as the pin is likely frozen to the hanger...I know this the hard way! These pins are a pain in the ass as they are made from very hardened steel, and are difficult to even drill out (near impossible?). They are threaded at the end, and have some degree of taper on them. You could likely use a stock bolt, but the pins seem much more solid and better fitting.

Also, I am assuming you've already removed the axle? Otherwise it's hopeless.

seafarinman

Gas-axe works every time.

Turbo4Runner

Yes the axle is not bolted to the leaf springs.

I'm still not clear how you got "inside" between the leaf spring and hanger like that?

I'd love to Gas-axe it but I don't have one otherwise I would not have needed to post!

seafarinman

I recommend using a grinder with a cutoff wheel if you don't have a torch or plasma cutter. U-bolts and leafspring pins are cheap and easy to find. I actually dropped my 5" All Pro springs yesterday to re-install the overload leafs and swap the sides since I have a weird sag on the truck's left rear corner.

89pickupsr5

ya i just got my leafs off i took my tank off but i'm painting too i grinded the outside of the bolt off (in between the leaf and bracket) with a thin grinding wheel and grinded the other side down right to the bracket(on the outside of the bracket) i was so happy i got it off finally. i got the bushings out with a torch you really have to heat it up and hammer on it but they will come out. hope this helps cause it took my about a week to finally do this

85TurboRunner

thats wierd, when I did my lift my bolts just slid right out no problem?

isaac338

the trick is to take off the nut, cut the pin + head flush with the hanger, then use something to spread the hanger apart and drop the spring out. the hanger will take it - the welds aren't on the corners so you're not stressing it much to spread it the 1/4" it needs. you can get the spring out in 10 minutes using that method.

edit: i should point out that method is only suitable for the front end of the springs. for the rear you should be able to pound off the inner plate and then grind the outer lower pin head - the upper (hanger) bushing, if i remember right, has no metal sleeve so won't be rusted together, and once the lower pin is released the upper pin and outer plate should slide out easily.

the thing is, once you do this you're stuck with a useless half-pin molded to a rubber bushing. to get the bushing out, drill a series of small holes into the rubber from both sides - you want to go all the way through. this rubber is real hard. once you eat out enough rubber with the drill, it should push out relatively easily. if it's not easy you haven't eaten enough rubber. my bushing ate 4 or 5 bits (broke in half) before it finally pushed out. i found i could use a socket that fit on the metal inner sleeve and a balljoint puller or a big gear puller to force it (impact gun helps here).

edit: another method we used was to force a bunch of the inner metal sleeve out and then hack at the rubber with a utility knife. this stuff is pretty crazy.. when we had it really tensioned with the gear puller a few times the puller slipped and got launched across the shop. if you use a puller make sure you've eaten out enough of the rubber that it won't turn into a giant slingshot and try to keep your face out of the line of fire. a 15lb gear puller firing into your eye would probably smart.

once you've got the inner sleeve and rubber out (they come out as one), you have an outer metal sleeve. it'll probably be so rusted you won't be able to tell where it starts. use a hacksaw or a recip saw (waaay easier) to cut a groove in it, looking through the spring eye. once you cut all the way through it'll relieve the tension on the sleeve and you should be able to either press it out with some sockets + bolts, or some sockets + vice, or just pound it out with a BFH and chisel (we used the chisel and it worked well).

edit: i should think of this stuff when i write the original post. sorry. when you use the recip saw to cut through the sleeve be careful to not nick the spring - it can cause stress cracks somewhere down the line. we ended up nicking mine on both sides, but only a bit, so hopefully my springs won't explode on the highway.

then, head down to your nearest parts joint and buy some poly bushings. they're not expensive and you'll never go through this hell again.

another thing - if you don't want to bother with the drilling of rubber, you can use a torch to burn the rubber out. it stinks, causes fires, and takes forever, and is messy as hell - i found the drilling method much more enjoyable.

if you have access to a press this is a very easy job - no drilling or burning required. just press the bastard out.

4runnerchevy

Your best bet, is to cut the whole hanger off, return your new springs, get some longer ones, and weld the new hangers on. Simple!

GSGALLANT

Use a prybar and a friend to pull the leaf over to one side as much as possible. This will give you enough room to cut the pin between the leaf and the hanger with an angle grider and a zippy cut wheel. Do this on both sides of the leaf spring, and it will drop right out. Then, use a punch to punch out both pieces of pin still stuck in the hanger. Get somebody with a press to press out the old bushing and remaining piece of pin from the leaf spring... easiest and quickest method by far.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Here are some other tips in the last Q&A on the following web page:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/TLCA_Tru...ech.04.01.html

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

Another quick tip: If you plan on using a sawzall, dont. Those bolts are made of hardened steel and you will eat up about 6 blades trying to cut throught them.

I had to do that to my 87 when I put new springs on it. I wish the bolts were greaseable. When you get the new bolts, i would say get greaseable. That way you run much less of a chance of seizing it up.