Damn, I sure am glad I don't live anywhere around you, some of the dealerships I have worked at wont even take east coast cars in on trade. Sucks you didnt get the springs on though.

 

I'd be willing to bet, that the guy who repaired my frame 2 years ago right above those mounts had the same issue. There is two different bolts on each side. OEM one looks to still be in the drivers side. But not in the passengers side. He never did mention any problems though. And cutting the mount off to make it easier to free the bushing wouldn't have been an issue for him has the had to reweld that mount on anyway because it was already separated from the frame to begin with.

This is one of those reasons why I want to learn how to weld. Can't afford the $300 for the course though. Nor the money to buy a welder.

 

I am in the same boat, every time a welder comes up at a decent price the wife has other plans for the money like stuff for the kid.

 

True, Mr. Woods, ...and, even when they're 'EX' status.....they're still trying to take every spare dime you have for 'this or that'.....I SURE WISH most of it had gone to my kids! Grrr! hahaha.

Ok, so, DANGIT, BRANDON! Sorry to see you got hung up man! Glad you are getting it figured out though.

 

went something like "i don't want your truck on fire in my garage".

even though i'm the one saying it, i wouldn't call today a dry-run at all.....we did alot of figuring out......1s and foremost, that the stands do need to be THAT high (i have tall stands) to allow the droop.

secondly.....pretty much perfected the technique for those u-bolts

3rd....probably should find some bump-stops ASAP.

4th....need air tools

5th....need it to be about 72 degrees out

so anyway.......yeah....as is my nature lately, i chickened out when it looked like this was gonna end up as you beached at my house or my house burning down.

anyone who doesn't live near us should just assume it's gonna take 3 times longer with rust on this stuff than it does where you live.

 

and u-bolts in PA are not reusable. lol. Sorry Rob, I know ya said they are but.....

I wonder if I just grind down that tiny bit of a corner on the u-bolt it wouldn't affect the strength?

For the bump stops I had planned on putting them on the stopper that is attached to the frame. Basically upside down. But might after this rethink it. ANd possibly take kiobrown up on those bump stops as well.

 

so here's kinda what i think you should do before we meet again. Now that I've had time to think about it.

short list:

douche those u-bolts off(driver's side)......brush and floss them w/ PB Blaster. I honestly think the threads have changed shape due to corrosion, but in case they are still somewhere near normal, give them the business.

I have an angle grinder and plenty of wheels........but they are thick and the bolts are high.....not sure you can reach them.....1 way to find out. save your discs you have and use mine. i hesitated saying this at my house because of the fountain of sparks it will make. probably will cut like butter, but in this case, is faster better? if the sawzall will do the trick w/o sparks......use it.

cut those bolts, do what you gotta do to get this back out here....safely. i know you can't exactly twirl those u-bolt nuts on and off ....maybe install the other u-bolts in your leisure time.....you've done tougher by yourself.

check out what you can find about the t-bars.......find the worse case scenario too, since we seem to have gotten fairly good at that....."prepare for the worst, hope for the best"...the eternal universal motto of the ER. i think what i said about how to do it is likely the way to do it......to be honest, since cranking the t-bars and pounding the pinch weld are your only 2 options right now up front, it would probably be wise to approach this from the front end 1st.....just to see what we are up against. so i'm saying, see if you can or cannot crank those......and should you or should you not at this point.

cut those u-bolts

try to get a wrench on anything wrenchable.

 

Jason is aware of the PM.....I texted him too......he is knee deep in an alarm install right now and i guess also having a time of it. he said he DOES have them.......and I'm sure they are recognizable......not like what used ti be on your's....he will be in contact wit you

 

thanks. I think the only thing I might get away with in my "driveway" is hacking those bolts off and drilling out the mount for that 3/4" hardware.

I'll look into the whole crank t-bar thing, I know some are against it, but like I said I have no clue as to where the springs are gonna put me in the back as far as height but I doubt it's gonna be to where I have to crank the t-bars that much.

 

I love when I confuse myself.

Now looking at greasable bolts there is only the option for 18mm bolts. Not 19mm. 19mm is closest to 3/4" hardware. Notice how 4craweler mentions the front spring hanger being 19mm (3/4") but also says the rear shackles are 18mm (3/4") hardware? Then also says if you want greasable bolts for the front hanger omit the sleeve and order the 18mm bolts?

Is he assuming the grease will take up the slack of the 1mm off? Or is it enough to even worry about? I bought those 3/4" bolts, but rethinking the whole greaseable bolt thing now and just want to be sure 18mm is the right size for the front and won't be too small.

This is also interesting http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=790316 and a bit confusing as well. I wonder what the real ID is of the Energy Suspension bushings. As it seems to be different between the Daystars and the Trail-Gear bushings. Where TG is 18 ID and the Daystar is 19 ID.

Of course that thread also brings up to debate sleeve or no sleeve a well. Which I know I had said something to Jerry while we were there that you have to be careful torquing the front hanger down because there is no sleeve in there. Which is why I was gonna double nut the front bolts to lock it into place.

The 3/4" bolts I have fit nicely though the ES ones I got so I would assume that they are 19mm and not 18mm. Testing them with the rear bushings is a little tighter than the front bushings and would assume the rear shackle bushings would be 18mm. Maybe I will try to slide the shackle bolts though the front ES bushings and see exactly how loose the 18mm hardware is. I assume the new shackles I got are 18mm.

Dang I make things so complicated. hahaha.

 

truck is coming along real nice

 

THanks man, just too many odd (or not so odd) issues with these northeast trucks.

 

HEY there, Brandon, ,

Sorry man, I HATE those types of decisions as well! I wish I knew more on these, but for now, I slapped in the Zuk, so I'm at least not bottoming out and smashing my kidneys any longer, eh? hahaha. Some day, I'll worry about going "all new" or Modded in the rear.(DEFINITELY NOT OEM leaf pack!!! Something with longevity).....Probably not for a while.

BTW, I twisted my ankle pretty good, so I just gave up trying to keep up or add anything in mine for a couple days, lol. It's feeling better, already, but those, I think it's my Extensor Tendons, HOLY CRAPOLI, THE PAIN!...hahah... Yes, it's extensor, not extendor, hahaha. Anyway, rootin you on from my chair or hobbling around the kitchen! woot, woot!

 

bababahahaha these guys are ruthless. http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=775430 < disclaimer pirate links not family friendly. As if we didn't already know that.

just researching these bolts a little more, came across that thread. I am glad I ain't that stupid to not research and realize these things actually have sleeves in the bushings.

 

......GOOD LORD! lol. Yah, I wouldn't last a day there, ...I can't handle that kind of trash. Sure, the info is REALLY good sometimes, but worth it? HECK NO! lol.

You close to gettin this sussed, homie?

 

Not with 4-5 inches of snow on the ground and 35 degrees outside with wind whipping around.

 

Yeah, I hear ya.... When I lived in Spokane, WA, it was one of the coldest couple winters in decades, and MAN it was NOT fun having to work on the snow mobiles and trucks in emergencies. Neither was septic work! lol. Anyway, I hope it calms down so you can get this done before inspection, etc.! I sure wish I could just ship you my All-weather 14x22 Easy Up with walls, you could pop on a propane heater and get'r'done,.....but alas, it would probably cost HUNDREDS to ship, hahaha. Any plans to get it back to Jerry's soon?

 

only time you might hear me say this, but 8" is too big. I swear I measured and it said almost 7" and it was really 4". That's what I gt for using a digital caliper instead of a tape measure I guess. ANyway, good thing, cus we woulda been stuck at Jerry's. Went back and saved myself $3 and got a set of 5" bolts instead. It's gonna be close to the tank but should work.




On a more positive note. 3 cutoff wheels and I WIN !!!!!! Note if using cut-off wheels 3" is too small as the arbor will hit the brack. Must use 4 or 4 1/2" wheels. This was done with my 18v hand drill BTW and not a rotozip, sawzall, or a grinder.




I kept the tires on for safety concerns but the frame is on a jackstand and the diff is ever so slightly held up with my hydraulic jack. A little pry on the leaf spring and on the back side of the bolt was plenty to grab the bolt from the outside with a pair of pliers to get it out of the bushing.





Still have to drill out the holes in the mount to 3/4" yet.

Now let's just hoe the other side is a little easier and the bolt slides out of the sleeve like it's supposed to. But not counting on anything.

 

Hooray for decapitating a defenseless bolt.

 

Win for XXX!!!

I bet you feel like Charlie Sheen now...You win!!! hahahahahaha