Afireinside
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Denver co
The name! A shackle is what it is. A drop bracket won't move
That's the case with one of my xj's... And if course it's the one ill be fully restoring to brand new in and out in a few years... after 300k of Rhode Island and Connecticut weather I can't even change the power steering pump. Started to try to turn them... well... half of the long bolt would turn... the other half stayed put! I feel your painJust buy them with bushings installed.
That is the easy part!!!
The hard part, almost impossible part is getting the old bolts out!!! :shiver:
All the old bolts, not just the leaf spring ends.
Hand grenades do not work. :dunno:
I've been working on one leaf spring removal since Before Hurricane Harvey.
The trick is shopping for the meanest impact wrench you can find, and grinder-cutting blade tool(s), cold chisel, safety glasses, and a case of PB Blaster LOL
Oh, a 5 foot 1-1/4" ID cheater pipe, hydraulic lift, and a 3/4" breaker bar with 3/4" impact sockets.
And a TORCH!!!!!
I spent more on Tools than I did the leaf spring, LOL.
I left the upper shackle bolt alone because of the hitch being in the way.
I would scrap the bolt in the photo, especially if you plan to reuse the welded nut as its threads probably look worse based on what I found on mine.
Congrats on getting lucky I used a 3/4" breaker bar and a 6 foot longer cheater pipe and a 2 ton floor jack 6 foot from the bolt, and used the jack to push on one end and the jeep weight on the other (bolt attached to the jeep) and nearly bent the 3/4" thick breaker bar. In that case resistance by the bolt was not futile. It took "Fire and Fury" and about 1/2 hour with about a 2000 ft=lb impact to get it out, after days of grinding tours to get everything cut off the bolt so I could torch the bolt for 30 minutes net time.