Removing Shackles Any tricks

I've soaked them in PB Blaster. My big air wrench will sort of get to the bottom bolt but not the top one. These suckers are TIGHT! I'm thinking I may need to go buy a 3/4 inch drive socket and break bar. This is a West coast truck so no rust. Is there a nut on the top bolt or does it just screw into the frame up there? I can't find a nut but it sure isn't budging.
What tricks are there or is it just a tough job?

The top bolt has a nut welded inside the unibody so you dont have to worry about that. I just redid my shackle last friday and it wasent as hard as I thought It would be. All you really need is a breaker bar, and I think I had to use a 13/16 socket. I cant remember. But get a buddy to help you, and put a wrench on the lower bolt and you take the breaker bar as break the bolt. Then Break the top bolt. Make sure you break both the bolts with the jeep on the ground. I made that mistake and Its alot easier to break them on the ground. The only problems I had was getting the shackles to fit around exhaust.

Heres my write-up if you want to-
http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=999353http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=999353

Heres what a guy told me to do-

Yeah, that upper shackle bolt threads into a nut welded inside the unibody - ya can't get any spray to it easily. If it's been a Colorado rig all it's life, then it won't likely be a problem.

Loosen the front spring eye bolts so that the leaf packs will easily hinge up/down when the shackles come off.

Loosen both shackle bolts (upper and lower) first. Don't remove any yet.

Now jack the jeep up supporting it from the frame just ahead of the front of the leaf packs. If you have short jack stands, you'll need to remove the tires so that there's enough movement for the axle to drop.

Put a floor jack under the axle differential and take the hanging weight off the axle. Remove the top shackle bolts.

Lower the jack and the shackles should drop out of the shackle boxes. Now remove the lower shackle bolts and remove the shackles.

Loosely install the new shackles to the leaf packs - do not tighten the lower shackle bolt at all, just spin the nut on it a few turns.

Jack the axle up and guide the shackles back into the shackle boxes. Loosely install the upper shackle bolts - thread them all the way in, but just until the bolt head touches the shackle box.

Re-install tires/wheels, remove jack stands and let the XJ sit with it's weight on the shackles.

Now tighten everything up. :thumbup:

WOW, Thank you. That is just what I needed to know!

be careful though. My top ones were a pain to get off also and I actually broke a weld nut.

My front spring eye bolts, and lower shackle bolts were completely covered in some sort of thread locker-every single thread was packed tight. 1/2" breaker bar and lots of sweating/swearing got them all loose except for the uppers, which I was concerned with breaking off. We had to back them out, spray, run them back in a little, back them out some more, spray, rinse, repeat. Time consuming, but we didn't break anything for once.
It took far more torque to get them loose than I expected- even the impact wasn't particularly useful, especially in close quarters like that.

Ya He was alot of help when I did it. Made things alot easier. I just wish I could find something like that for when I do my leaf swap, b/c I havent found anything like that lol. But Ill just play it by ear like I did the shackles.

Hope that helped alot. and good luck. Just take it slow and dont rush things. If the top bolt wont move dont keep forcing it b/c like BlgDaddyChia said, you will break the nut welded to the inside frame, then you have a PITA.

Haha Look at this www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=988610 You will see it all inside.

'92 XJ

wim hoppenbrouwers said:

Haha Look at this www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=988610 You will see it all inside.

'92 XJ

Click to expand...

Wow,. That will make you be careful!