when installing an AAL how do you get the center pin out?
 

Title says it all, i am stuck. Everything i read says use a vice grip on the head of the bolt and turn the nut, no problem. Only i cannot find the head. All i can see is the nut. Is the head of the bolt hidden somewhere? How do i get to it with the vice grips? Any help is appriciated becuase i would like to get this done with.

noob Q - whats an AAL?

If you lift the spring pac off the axle you'll see it, it just sits down in a little hole in the spring perch. You may need to get a longer center pin anyway, in which case you can just cut the old one off. Be sure and clamp the spring pac together before removing the center pin.

Here's a few pics:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/191135149WHNAHa

When i did my ALL's, I cut the nut end of the center pin off, then beat it out with a bolt pin.

Yep, to get the center pin out, separate the springs from the axle and push the axle forward to clear the perch. Then a pair of vice grips on the round center pin head and a wrench on top and it should come out:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...l#Installation
AAL = Add A Leaf
- http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/Cheap...l#Add-a-leaves

AAL = Add a leaf

Doh

Nice mod - I ran some Rancho soft ride AALs for a while.. they then to um "wear" the main spring funky tho....

I chiseled the nuts off (not the best method), instead of cutting the bolts(worse method), because mine were rusted solid. Though my aals came with new bolts and I didn't save the old ones. A nut-splitter would be the best way to keep cutting tools away from your springs, should you need them.

Thanks all i figured it out and felt dumb after. All the bolts just jump right off with an impact wrench. :D Did anybody else have trouble lineing up the axle with the pin after installation? it was like my axle moved 4 inches and would not go back. Come-a-long made quick work of that tho.