Started my lift

Well, after a year and a half of waiting for the right time to start, I finally just went ahead and started. A few things happened to make the story interesting and I will update with pictures tommorrow since I forgot to bring my camera to work.
I started fri after work. Eventually I got out the driver side leaf pack. Those mounting bolts are a pain in the you know what! Especially if you have a stuuborn reaciever hitch.I was able to get the rear shocks out (breaking 3 bolts out of 4) and installed the new ones. I have a VERY interesting picture of this process and I am sure it will give alot of laughs to you all!
I worked most of Saturday, stopping a1 1:30 to play paintball with my buddies and have venison beef barbecue. Got back on it at about 6:30pm

Worked on it some more on sunday afternoon. SO far I have the rear drivers side done and am trying to remove the passenger side leaf pack. THey are more of a pain than the shocks!!! I hope the front is much easier! Luckily I don't have to have my vehicle to get me to work everyday! SO there is no rush other than I WANT IT DONE!

Is there any advice on a better way to extract the front mounting bolt of the leaf pack? The drivers side came out once I got it started, but the other one seems to not want to come out even though I have it unthreaded about an inch. THe bushing seems to bind up with it as I try to loosen it.....

try (you probably have already) spraying a deep penitrating lube on all the bolts a day before you go to wrenching on them.

(wd40)

cherogeek said:

(wd40)

Click to expand...

No use PB Blaster. Works much better. JIM.

When I replaced the leaf packs om my '92, the bolt in the front eye on the driver side wouldn't come out. It had unscrewed from the frame rail, but was rusted inter the steel sleeve in the center of the spring bush, which was spinning inside the rubber.
Eventually I cut the spring pack off at the eye with a 4"cutting disc, then cut the bushing's steel casing and rubber away to reveal the center sleeve which is rolled from flat, so has a split which can be opened up to eventually release the bolt with the aid of loads of penetrating fluid and a big hammer.

Well folks, I know about PB< I have been using it . I started spraying PB two weeks before I started. It definitle helped on most bolts. But these leaf spring bolts are a bear! I ended up using a metal cutting sawzall blade and cutting the bolt in the fron and rear. THe bolt had unscrewed from the weld nut inside the framrail and was rusted to the metal sleeve in the bushing.

I am starting a new thread for the pics of my progress, and that funny incident that I ma sure is unique only to me! Because I am a :moon:

aardvark4x4 - thats exactally what i had to do....on ALL the bushing points springs, control arms, etc