beerhiker
Adventurer
Just came in from garage doing my suspension, front went in smooth no problems (OME 880), rear is a different story. Ive pulled and changed leafs on old jeeps and scouts but this was a whole different animal, thought I would breeze through it. I was out of my comfort zone on how high you have to lift it...maybe I dont have the correct tools for the job.
1. Rear leaf spring front bolt hanger: could not get it to budge, got nut off gas tank side. It appears to be seized so my guess it will need to be sawzall off? Ive been putting liquid wrench on it for 2 days. If I even could get it to turn how the hell do you get the bolt pushed out since you cant get a hammer in there due to the gas tank?
2.Shackle end of leaf spring: I assume you have to remove both leaf and frame end nuts?, the shackle is a 1 piece unit with the bolts welded to one side? so you pull it out as 1 piece with the 2 bolts attached? make sense?
3. I noticed when I got the leaf seperated from axle, the axle shifted forward. Is it a problem to get the center bolt to seed on new leaf without some sort of ratchet system?
4. I had no idea how high you have to get the rear body lifted to get the leaf seperated from axle...I had to go to hi lift in my reciever hitch, was very uncomfortable with this. Had jack stands on frame and jack on axle but still....is there any trick?
This is the first time I could not get something like this complete, part of it is I dont have a 2nd vehicle so I cant just leave it or go get parts if needed in the middle of the job, I may have to take it somewhere to be finished, very frustrating. Any advice appreciated.
1. Rear leaf spring front bolt hanger: could not get it to budge, got nut off gas tank side. It appears to be seized so my guess it will need to be sawzall off? Ive been putting liquid wrench on it for 2 days. If I even could get it to turn how the hell do you get the bolt pushed out since you cant get a hammer in there due to the gas tank?
2.Shackle end of leaf spring: I assume you have to remove both leaf and frame end nuts?, the shackle is a 1 piece unit with the bolts welded to one side? so you pull it out as 1 piece with the 2 bolts attached? make sense?
3. I noticed when I got the leaf seperated from axle, the axle shifted forward. Is it a problem to get the center bolt to seed on new leaf without some sort of ratchet system?
4. I had no idea how high you have to get the rear body lifted to get the leaf seperated from axle...I had to go to hi lift in my reciever hitch, was very uncomfortable with this. Had jack stands on frame and jack on axle but still....is there any trick?
This is the first time I could not get something like this complete, part of it is I dont have a 2nd vehicle so I cant just leave it or go get parts if needed in the middle of the job, I may have to take it somewhere to be finished, very frustrating. Any advice appreciated.
