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Removing leaf spring

98XJSport

98XJSport

Destiny is the rising sun
Location
Western Maine
Im in the middle of removing the leaf spring pack on my 98. Ive gotten the rear bolt out, the u-bolts either out or loose enough to cut, and the front bolt out quite a ways. My question is, does this look like it's out of the nut, and just stuck in the metal sleeve?

P1020109.jpg

P1020110.jpg

P1020112.jpg


Thats the bolt from the rear, dunno if they are the same length?

I have the sawzall ready to just cut the bolt out if it is in the sleeve, I just don't want to cut it and have it still a couple of threads into the nut or something stupid like that. I cranked on it for a half hour or so and it never seemed to move in or out, but spins fairly easily, at least compared to how it did at first.
 
what i ended up doin there was just cutting it out and airhammering the rest back into the frame rail then i welded the bolt in place so i didnt have to cut the frame. probobly not the best idea but it works for now. It lookse like you have way less rust then me though so you might not have to do that but good luck!
 
Use a v shaped chisel on an air chisel and push it out . my brother in laws jeep did this to us.

The problem is that the bolt has siezed to the sleeve in the bushing, and broken free from the bushing. You feel constant resistance because the sleeve is rubbing against the bushing tightly. less than 30 seconds with an air chisel will take that right out.
 
I'd try either a wrench or bar to pry as you back out the bolt.It does not looked seized. It looks like all the threads are out of the nut though.
 
use a long wrench that is smaller than the head of the bolt. put it be hind the head and smack it out with a hammer., it will take you less time and effort than cutting it.
 
Yes, it definitely looks like the bolt is all the way out of the nut and just seized up in the metal sleeve. That's exactly what happened on both sides of my rig. I used a Sawzall with a carbide blade to cut both bolts out.

Your replacement bolts will be 14mm x 2.0. Just to warn you, I had to run a tap through the nuts on mine before I could get the new bolts to thread in. Apparently all the turning, banging, pulling, etc. we did to try and get the bolt out ended up damaging the outer threads of the nut.
 
DO NOT CUT IT. DO NOT TRY TO PRY IT OUT. I did both of these with one side of my brother in laws jeep (even went so far as to put a high lift jack against the frame and jack against the bolt head). After bending the mount instead of budging the bolt, I cut the bolt and ended up screwing up the threads and bending the mount even more trying to get that little tip out of the bolt hole.

Place the air chisel bit behind the bolt head, pull the trigger and watch it walk out in less than a minute.
 
No air chisel. I have a breaker bar and a 15" adjustable wrench. That's about it. Placing the adjustable behind the bold head and putting all my weight on it wouldn't budge the bolt, started bending the spring hanger.

What you ran into with the bolt tip is exactly what Im worried about, it it's well away from the nut Im set, but Im willing to bet it's not...
 
Another thing you migh try... since you don't have an air chisel... is to try either jacking up the spring or pushing down on the spring to releave the tenstion that is apparently on the outer edge of the bolt. Not sure what I'm saying is clear, but I know that it wouldn't take much pressure on that bolt the bind up while you're trying to get it out.

Hard to tell f/the pics of the pressure is pushing UP or DOWN on the bolt hole. If there is NO pressure the bolt should slide right out w/a little lubricant.
 
Redsnake said:
Another thing you migh try... since you don't have an air chisel... is to try either jacking up the spring or pushing down on the spring to releave the tenstion that is apparently on the outer edge of the bolt. Not sure what I'm saying is clear, but I know that it wouldn't take much pressure on that bolt the bind up while you're trying to get it out.

Hard to tell f/the pics of the pressure is pushing UP or DOWN on the bolt hole. If there is NO pressure the bolt should slide right out w/a little lubricant.
Click to expand...

Incorrect, i have run into this problem before there is not nearly enough shear stress on the bolt from the hole it is passing through to keep it from coming out.


Like he said, prying on it will only bend the spring hanger.

You have no air chisel so your options are limited. You may try putting pressure with the adjustable wrench as you were doing and tapping on the end of the bolt with a hammer for a few hours and it may eventually come out. In that situation there really is no substitute for a $15 air chisel. (trouble is you need a compressor to run it).
 
Well I borrowed a sledge hammer, we'll see if I can make it move tonite. If not Ill have to check around with the local clubs to see if anyone local has something I can borrow.
 
Well, no luck with the BFH. I did try moving the spring around, tension no tension etc. Time to beg around for air tools if Im lucky enough to find someone.
 
you could try a slide hammer with gear-puller jaws on it if you can get one that small. it needs to be shock-loaded rather than constant pressure.
 
I had the same thing when I changed my leafs. Ended up cutting the eye off the spring, and cutting the rubber bushing down to the metal sleeve that is seized to the bolt. The metal sleeve has a seam running down it. Stick a screwdriver or something in there to spread it apart and you can then pull the bolt out.
 
I have just ran into the same problem tonight myself while trying to install a 1.5" shackle. 3 days of pb blasting as well. My problem is the bolt that is stuck is the one with the head facing the tailpipe. I am able to bend the stock shackle however, the bolt does not want to come away from the shackle. It appears as though someone had either replaced it with too big of a bolt or that it has been painted to the shackle. Now I am exhausted and have to find a ride to work tomorrow morning since i have half of the back end done and the other half hanging by a thread!
 
two more technics <----- {I don't know how to spell this word} that have worked for me.

a) in bolt the shackle, it should relieve tension.

b) using your wrench pull on the head of the bolt while truning it with a ratchet
 
What I find strange is the bolt turned hard, but it unthreaded itself from the nut. So it wasn't stuck in the sleeve then. If the sleeve is the same size all the way through, as well as the bolt not having a taper, why is it stuck now?

Putting pressure and turning didn't work. Prying didn't work. Getting a wrench behing the bolt head and pounding on it with various hammers didn't work. Lots of penetrating oil used. I would try to cut the leaf spring eye itself, but all I have is a sawzall.

Looks like it's try to rent a slide hammer tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work it's 2 choices.
1. Try and put everything else back together and pay someone to get that bolt out. But Im broke. :cry:

2. Sawzall the bolt and hope for the best. At worst Ill have to cut down both sides and use a drill and screw extractor for the little tapered end or something along those lines.

This sucks. So much for a simple fix the leaf spring project.
 
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