Another Leaf Spring Thread.Long.

[BIGSLVRXJ]

I know this topic has been beat like a dead horse time after time, but I feel like before I take this on I need to know some more. I plan to do my leaf springs on Saturday. I'm going to take off my old ones(which are stock and 15 years old) and put on ones pulled from my brothers '01. I have been soaking the bolts and as much of the threads as I could get to with PB Blaster since last night.(I hear you should start soaking a week or so before you plan to pull them) Here's what info I have gathered so far and questions I have.
1. If I break the front bolt I am screwed(more or less)right? I really don't have any specialty tools except for a drill and taps.(Which I had to use for my rear shocks, so I got pretty good at it.)
2. If I break the back bolt can I just push the rest out with a hammer and punch or would it require drilling and such?
3. Does the whole process only require taking 6 bolts off each side? Just the two eye ones and the 4 U-Bolts?
4. Should I put a coat of paint on the "new" ones or just leave them be?
5. I've also heard a yes and no on air tools. Bolts that haven't been touched in 15 years I would say might snap at the first contact of an impact wrench but...any opinions.

My plan right now is to continue soaking the bolts every day until Saturday. I will start with a 1/2" socket driver and if that doesn't work I will move to a 1/2" breaker bar, unless I hear good things about air tools. I apologize again for posting about something that has been posted sooooo many times.
Thanks for reading,
Collin

 

[Gil BullyKatz]

If you can, try to borrow a sawzall or a torch...

Just in case

 

[davidt]

I would use air tools, I did on a yj and no problems. If a bolt breaks, no problem, just go buy a new one, no special tools required. Air makes life 100 times easier, use it if you have it! Good luck.

 

[Rocketman]

NOT trying to scare you but my leaf eyes had to be cut into pieces and the bolt cut and pulled out in pieces. Have a MAPP gas torch handy and heat it and if necessary burn out the bushing. The biggest issue is the metal bushing sleve seizes to the bolt. Use heat, a breaker and a cheater pipe on that if necessary. The front bolt has an internal weld nut in the frame and is almost impossible to access. If you break a front bolt, start cutting and get as much out and you'll have access to the piece in the frame. You can vice-grip it out with some heat.

 

[wcbuyer]

I like to break the bolts free by hand then use air to remove the bolt or nut. You will also need to remove the lower bolt for your shocks to lower the rear end enough to get the springs out.

Charles

 

[Urban Redneck]

Take out the front bolt until you can get a sawzall blade in there, then cut the bad boy off. Pull leaf off and soak it with PBB or torch it to get it hot and hopefully losen up. Crank it off with a pipe wrench or vise grips. You don't want to bust the weld nut off or you are going to have to torch the pocket and re-weld a nut on there. If you feel any resistance, back up the bolt, resoak or heat and then proceed. Don't hit it with an impact because you probably will spin the weld nut. HTH

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

NOT trying to scare you but my leaf eyes had to be cut into pieces and the bolt cut and pulled out in pieces. Have a MAPP gas torch handy and heat it and if necessary burn out the bushing. The biggest issue is the metal bushing sleve seizes to the bolt. Use heat, a breaker and a cheater pipe on that if necessary. The front bolt has an internal weld nut in the frame and is almost impossible to access. If you break a front bolt, start cutting and get as much out and you'll have access to the piece in the frame. You can vice-grip it out with some heat.

That scares the crap out of me but thats part of the reason I made this thread, so I would learn what has happened to people and what COULD happen to me. Thanks.

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

Take out the front bolt until you can get a sawzall blade in there, then cut the bad boy off. Pull leaf off and soak it with PBB or torch it to get it hot and hopefully losen up. Crank it off with a pipe wrench or vise grips. You don't want to bust the weld nut off or you are going to have to torch the pocket and re-weld a nut on there. If you feel any resistance, back up the bolt, resoak or heat and then proceed. Don't hit it with an impact because you probably will spin the weld nut. HTH

Can you elaborate a little more? I hate to sound dense but having never done this, I'm not really sure what is where. I know how the welded nut works because that is what happened on my rear shocks. However on those I just tapped back through the nut to make new threads after I drilled. I do have an 18 volt DeWalt sawzall so that may get me someplace. Are you saying take the front bolt out and when I have it part way out cut off the leaf? Thanks to everyone that has posted so far.

 

[Gil BullyKatz]

PM GusDaDog and ask him about his leaf bolt ordeal...

his took days to resolve... had to cut and weld nut/pocket

mine took 1/2 hour per bolt max using the sawzall and torch technique...

loosen, cut, remove leaf, heat, remove....

 

[Urban Redneck]

Can you elaborate a little more? I hate to sound dense but having never done this, I'm not really sure what is where. I know how the welded nut works because that is what happened on my rear shocks. However on those I just tapped back through the nut to make new threads after I drilled. I do have an 18 volt DeWalt sawzall so that may get me someplace. Are you saying take the front bolt out and when I have it part way out cut off the leaf? Thanks to everyone that has posted so far.

Don't cut leaf, cut bolt. Take out bolt about 1/4" and you should be good to go.

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

Take out 1/4" and cut bolt in half, or cut head off bolt?

 

[Urban Redneck]

Take out 1/4" and cut bolt in half, or cut head off bolt?

Head off...if you can back it out more, cut it at the frame rail. Just be careful. Like was said before, the bolt is going to bind in the bushing sleeve, that's when the trouble starts.

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[gcam]

Here's a thought...

Cheat.

If you are just replacing the spring pack, and not replacing the leaf shackles, leave your existing main leaf in place. Undo the u-bolts, undo or cut off the spring clamps, put a couple of c-clamps (they're cheap as heck) on teh leaf pack to keep it together, undo or break off your spring centering bolt, slowly release the tension on the pack, pull all the leaves out from your old pack, and swap in all the new ones.

If you are really worried about the rust and about breaking off somethign that will be beyond your abilities to fix, maybe consider this.

I've done both. I can advocate getting in over your head and figuring a way out of it (because that is REALLY cool, when it works) and I can advocate taking a short cut (because when you are tackling a job that you know is right at the limits of your abilities or resources and it goes to hell, it really sucks).

Up to you, just know that the option of cheating is there.

Geoff

 

[Highmiles]

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed.... but can't he just leave the main spring in place? Remove / break the old center bolt after C-clamping the pack together, removing the U bolts and dropping the axel. Replace the rest of the leaves with the '01 set.

If you really need the extra lift, buy a AAl for $70 and put that between the old main and the newer '01 leaves.

If you break a bolt on the main leaf at either end you will be spending the rest of your weekend messing with just that. If you are focused on removing those bolts, soak them more than you ever thought they needed and use a breaker bar with 3' of pipe and use slow and steady force. My 5 year old bolts were a bitch. 15 year old bolts I don't even want to think about...

 

[Highmiles]

Here's a thought...

Cheat.

If you are just replacing the spring pack, and not replacing the leaf shackles, leave your existing main leaf in place. Undo the u-bolts, undo or cut off the spring clamps, put a couple of c-clamps (they're cheap as heck) on teh leaf pack to keep it together, undo or break off your spring centering bolt, slowly release the tension on the pack, pull all the leaves out from your old pack, and swap in all the new ones.

If you are really worried about the rust and about breaking off somethign that will be beyond your abilities to fix, maybe consider this.

I've done both. I can advocate getting in over your head and figuring a way out of it (because that is REALLY cool, when it works) and I can advocate taking a short cut (because when you are tackling a job that you know is right at the limits of your abilities or resources and it goes to hell, it really sucks).

Up to you, just know that the option of cheating is there.

Geoff

Great (or simple) minds think alike

 

[WV Jeeper]

Here's a thought...

Cheat.

If you are just replacing the spring pack, and not replacing the leaf shackles, leave your existing main leaf in place. Undo the u-bolts, undo or cut off the spring clamps, put a couple of c-clamps (they're cheap as heck) on teh leaf pack to keep it together, undo or break off your spring centering bolt, slowly release the tension on the pack, pull all the leaves out from your old pack, and swap in all the new ones.

If you are really worried about the rust and about breaking off somethign that will be beyond your abilities to fix, maybe consider this.


Up to you, just know that the option of cheating is there.

Geoff

I was thinking the same thing

 

[Eagle]

I think GCam and Highmiles have the right idea. Where there's a good possibility of the bolts being frozen in the bushings or in the weldnut ... why mess with it? Leave the main leaves in the vehicle and replace all the other leaves.

If I were doing it, at the same time I would chop the eyes of the "new" main leaves and do the Rock Lizard budget boost.

 

[ghettocruiser]

When I did mine I only really had one issue. The front bolt was seized in with the bushing. An impact gun wouldnt even move it! The rubber just kept rebounding with the impact action. Down side to this is it kept tension on that nut that is welded in the frame. So as we were spinning it in the off direction, we actually swiped half the threads off that nut. Well maybe not half...but enough where we couldnt start a new bolt in. With no tap handy in that size I ended up making a tap out of one of the old bolts and we got her together. Always have to be up for some improvising. Good luck...just be patient and you will get it.

Justin

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I've heard about the "spring packs" but I think I'd like to just get some fresher stuff in there. Eventually, I'm sure I'm going to want to lift it and I don't want add a leafs so I figure getting the hardware out now might save me trouble later(although it will create trouble now probably.) Any other comments/suggestions?