I inatalled a spindle lift and 2inch blocks a year ago and did not drive the truck much. Now I hear creaking from the left side of the rear end and it has shifted forward on the left side and back on the right side. I assume I didn't tighten the u-bolts enough the first time. I have ordered fabtech u-bolts. ONce I have the rear end up in the air, can I just move the axle housing in the corerct position and torque down the u-bolts to factory specs? Is there anything else I should do when I replace the u-bolts?

2003 f150 regular cab 2 wheel drive 5 speed. 23000 miles.


Rob

 

Hi, my son and i were pulling away from a stop light, heard ungodly sound looked behind us jumped out of truck to see what was laying in the intersection turned out to be one of our leaf springs grabbed it drove to next
parking lot had my son move the truck back and forth nd saw rear end move
and inch in either direction.
When we finally got home, got under truck saw another leaf had moved back
the pin that index the springs had sheared off.
We are changing truck to dually with a f-350 rear end,but can not find out how tight the u bolts are supposed to be.thanks

 

yes there should be a pin that alignes the springs. when you install lift blocks i would hope they have holes and pins for alignment. TAt being said, about 80% of the lifted trucks you see going down the road are not running straight. I noave noted for years that the back wheels of most trucks do not line up in the same plane as the front tires when following trucks down the road.... 1/2 inch bolts need about 80 ft pounds of torque. 9/16 are close to 100 ft pounds.

 

ASTM A449 / SAE GRADE 5
Bolt Size TPI Proof Load (lbs) Clamp Load (lbs) Tightening Torque (ft lbs)
1/4 20 ------------2700 -----------2025-------------- 8
5/16 18 4450 3338 17
3/8 16 6600 4950 31
7/16 14 9050 6788 49
1/2 13-------------12050 ---------9038 -------------75
9/16 12 -----------15450 ---------11588------------109
5/8 11 19200 14400 150
3/4 10 28400 21300 266
7/8 9 39250 29438 429
1 8 51500 38625 644