lil help here

[stxcherokee]

ok, i'm a moron.

installed my lift last weekend and well when i put the leaf spring bolts back in i put them the wrong way. I can't put my trailer hitch back on and need it badly for a recovery point


question being.

is there an easy way to knock out the bolts and put them in the other way so that i can put my hitch up??

in other words, how do i keep the leafs from dropping when the bolt comes out, not looking forward to doing those things again.

 

[Tanker]

Well, as long as the bolts haven't become stuck in the bushing (oh, what a joy that can be) you should be able to just lift up your rig, then lift up the axel just enough so that the tension is off and suported by a floor jack. That will line up the holes so you can just pop the bolt out and slide it back in the other way.

 

[scottmcneal]

I used my floor jack, had to remove the one that hit exj pipe an rattle..It is a pain

 

[stxcherokee]

so from my understanding, lift her at the axle to put tension and keep the leafs in place??


i recall having to force those bolts in those holes last weekend, don't wanna do it again. would i be lazy if i took it to a shop and paid a bit for someone to deal w/ it for me??

 

[gijosiahh]

i ran into the same problem when i did my lift a few weeks ago. i put the leaf spring bolts in the other way and didn't feel like taking them back out...

on the drivers side i didn't have the nutstrip for the hitch..i had the bolts fished in through the frame so they were sticking down, and the hitch wouldnt slide in with those bolts sticking down...and the passenger side i had the nutstrip so it wasnt a problem...what i did was put a piece of tape over all the bolts on the driver side so they werent sticking down anymore...then i slid the hitch in to place on both sides and it was then resting on the leaf spring bolts...then i peeled the pieces of tape away and lined the bolts up with the holes in the hitch...then just put the bolts up through the nutstrip on the pass. side... hope that helps.

make sure you dont push the bolts up back into the frame when you put the pieces of tape over them...that would be a pain.

 

[stxcherokee]

i ran into the same problem when i did my lift a few weeks ago. i put the leaf spring bolts in the other way and didn't feel like taking them back out...

on the drivers side i didn't have the nutstrip for the hitch..i had the bolts fished in through the frame so they were sticking down, and the hitch wouldnt slide in with those bolts sticking down...and the passenger side i had the nutstrip so it wasnt a problem...what i did was put a piece of tape over all the bolts on the driver side so they werent sticking down anymore...then i slid the hitch in to place on both sides and it was then resting on the leaf spring bolts...then i peeled the pieces of tape away and lined the bolts up with the holes in the hitch...then just put the bolts up through the nutstrip on the pass. side... hope that helps.

make sure you dont push the bolts up back into the frame when you put the pieces of tape over them...that would be a pain.

so your saying that you put them in nut side towards the hitch as well??

did you come from the front of the truck to put the hitch in or from the rear. it looks to me that the hitch just won't mount cause of it's thickness and the bolts sticking out.

i'll take some pics in a bit

 

[gijosiahh]

yeah nut toward the hitch.

the thickness of what bolts??

 

[stxcherokee]

the bolts are too long, i'll have to back them out and flip them to get the hitch on. tried to put it up there, but it hits the bolts. leaf bolts that is.

 

[stxcherokee]

just need an easy way so that the when i take the bolts out the leafs won't move in other words is there a way to say keep the whole in place.

what size bolt will i need maybe i can tap out and put a new one in while i do so. will a grade 8 bolt be good or junk yard and stock bolts??

 

[gijosiahh]

thats weird...my bolts didn't hit the hitch...i just slid the hitch in over top of those bolts and it was fine...there was probably about 2 inches between the bolt and the side of the hitch still.
good luck.

 

[rufus_1111]

i had to cut noches in my hitch so the bolts wouldnt hit. it works perfect now.

 

[stxcherokee]

cutting notches or drilling holes in the hitch plate won't weaken it will it? the hitch that is

i'm thinking go w/ all new bolts tap the old out as i tap the new in. problem solved no?

will grade 8 bolts hold up for rear leaf bolts??

 

[WrenchMonkey]

cutting notches or drilling holes in the hitch plate won't weaken it will it?

Of course it will, you know that before you asked it. Now, how much it'll weaken it may be hard to figure, but at least a little and maybe a lot...

Robert

 

[waxer]

Jack the rig up so that the tension is off of the spring, but not too much where you have the weight of the axle pulling the springs down creating tension. You want that center point.

Start to pull one of the leaf spring bolts off and as you bring it out and it exposes the hole on one side, stick a large screwdriver into that hole.

When you put the new bolt in from the opposite side (same side screwdriver is in), simply put another large screwdriver from the opposite side so that you can remove the first screwdriver.

Install your bolt from the correct side.

Done.


BTDT many times, believe me.