a really really good hit from a hammer and some penetrating oil.

 

I am lucky I guess. Once I read the manual on how to remove them, they came right out. I just tapped them with a small hammer and a drift pin from the back.


Now...before I read the manual...It was a different story altogether.

 

I just came back in from the shop. I couldn't find the puller I made a while back, so I made a new one. I took a 7/16 x 14 tpi machine bolt, ground down the threads up about 1/2 inch on the end (with a grade 8 nut already threaded up onto the bolt, then rethreaded the end for 1/8" ID pipe. I slipped that into a grade 8 washer, used a socket (1/2" drive) as a spacer, and threaded the end into the grease zirt (sp?). Crank, crank, crank, and out came the first pin. Undoubtedly the heat, PB Blaster, and BFH got the show on the road, but the puller eliminated all drama. Stu

 

Mine weren't actually too bad (relatively speaking) The front two were the worst, well, one of them. The other had been replace already. Well, truth be told it had a large bolt stuffed through the spring instead of the pin. The only thing keeping the bolt from falling out was the truck's bedside. I imagine that the same person who did the bolt trick was the same one who use the old "smoke wrench" to blast out some access holes in the front crossmember. Good idea if he would have actually blasted the holes in line with the pins......agh

Just thinking about it makes me want a frosty cold one
Bobby

 

Bobby, speaking of the holes in line with the pins, mine weren't. I drove them to the inside, expecting them to pass through the hole, but the holes didn't line up with the pins. Since I was replacing hangers too, I just ground the rivets and left the springs attached to the hangers.

 

Well I got the pins out today. Stu I made the puller as you instructed and it worked. Thought it was going to break at first then I heated the spring hanger with a propane torch. Just as IMLOWR2 said it’s the best way to loosen the pins. When I put heat to the hanger I think I could have pulled the pins out with a pair of pliers. Thanks to all that shared your experience with leaf spring removal. TDS

 

When they've been there a long time you fight them out every step of the way. I finally had to chisel the front hanger off the frame (rear pin came out but I couldn't budge the front with it on the frame) and put the thing on an old tree stump...heat it and then have a serious therapy session with it with a major hammer. When I could get a really good swing at it it came right out. It's worth it - had to make a small change to my front springs and they came out in less than 20 minutes - amazing what new hardware and grease that's not petrified will do!

Keep smiling!

Oilleaks

 

Brian_B, shame on you, now everyone will know that men do read the manuals occasionally. Really though, I just torched everything original off and added a front clip and then added springs from a Ranger to the rear, no more greaseable pins for me
Jeff