Front Leaf spring Shackle Bracket question

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 15, 2014 | 02:47 PM

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

Front Leaf spring Shackle Bracket question

OK fellas I'm having a hard time telling if there is a bushing liner in the bracket as there is in the Leaf Spring. I need to solve this asap. Hopefully there is a liner that I just cant see and Ill press it out or I'll have to go to my shop and get a reamer to ream it to a usable condition.

The shop manual does not show the metal liner just the rubber bushings.

Mar 15, 2014 | 03:10 PM

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

Here's the liner in question that I just removed from the leaf Spring. I could just try and see what happens but I'd rather not if it doesn't exist.

Mar 15, 2014 | 05:06 PM

Damifiknow

Elder User

Joined: Jun 2011

Posts: 940

Likes: 4

From: Illinois

Mine didn't have any liner that you talk about. Just rubber bushings.

Mar 15, 2014 | 05:11 PM

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damifiknow

Mine didn't have any liner that you talk about. Just rubber bushings.

Thank you! I was just hitting 1.000" on the UHMW bushing that goes there, so I'll take it down to .875" and call it good. I was thinking of reaming the bore but now I think it's better to leave all the metal there that I can. the UHMW will wont have any problem with the worn out bore.

Mar 15, 2014 | 10:19 PM

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

So that job went well. The new Shackles are .750" taller than stock in an attempt to compensate for the effects of 55 years of gravity doing it's thing. Here's what they look like:

I used 9/16" x 5" Grade 8 bolts with Nyloc nuts.
The 1-1/2" Black UHMW is the perfect Diameter to make these from as it matches the OD of the Leaf Bore nicely.

Front Leaf Bushing: 1.000" OD .563" ID .375" wide shoulder. 1.375 Long.
Upper Shackle Bushing .880" OD Same otherwise.
Front Leaf rear Bushing 1.120" OD Same otherwise or bore to .625" Like I did.

Ideally you would want to re-ream the bolt holes to .563" after install the bushings, I just used a drill bit to do this, as the bolts need to turn with just a little effort or there is a risk of them breaking.

If anyone want's to compare my truck is sitting 24" to bottom of front bumper to ground, measured under the headlights. I have 32" tires.

Mar 16, 2014 | 09:40 AM

Maltman

Posting Guru

Joined: May 2013

Posts: 1,235

Likes: 3

From: Manteca, CA

Thanks again for the pics and the details on the measurements. Hopefully will help tons of folks that search the forum.

Joe

Mar 16, 2014 | 10:14 AM

cyclone-429

Senior User

Joined: Apr 2013

Posts: 317

Likes: 1

From: SF Bay Area

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maltman

Hopefully will help tons of folks that search the forum.

Joe

Starting with me.... I will be doing spring bushings on mine in the next few weeks.

This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level

Verdad Gallardo

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Joe Kucinski

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Brett Foote

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

Pouria Savadkouei

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Brett Foote

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Joe Kucinski

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Michael S. Palmer

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Verdad Gallardo

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Joe Kucinski

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Brett Foote

Mar 16, 2014 | 12:09 PM

theodore/teddy

Refyred

Joined: Feb 2010

Posts: 2,083

Likes: 12

From: Southern Nevada

Chet; Thanks for this post! Nice work! Now I have to find a small inexpensive lathe, this is the justification I need for a new tool, Thanks.

Mar 16, 2014 | 02:57 PM

#10

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

Thanks everyone! Here you go took this picture this morning right after I discovered the thermostat was sticking. Turned out to be a chunk of crud stuck in the bypass (I hope).

Anyways, I think the rake is reduced now with the new shackles and bushings. One thing to keep in mind is this truck has Monroe Load leveler shocks on the front and rear, but is missing the tailgate and rear bumper at the moment.

Mar 16, 2014 | 06:47 PM

#11

spurredon

FTE Legend

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 32,044

Likes: 2,430

From: Upstate NY

Quote:

Originally Posted by chetspencer

It has a very nice 4X4 look about it! Your weather looks awesome! We still have 4 inches or so of snow and it stayed in the low 20's for a high temp today. It looks pretty but some green stuff would be nice!

Mar 16, 2014 | 09:16 PM

#12

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by spurredon

Thanks, yes it was a perfect spring day, but I spent it all wrenching on my 59. Trying to get the thermostat housing to not leak. I had to resurface the thermostat housing with a big ol file and some 80 grit wet or dry on the granite countertop in our kitchen, my wife didn't get bent out of shape when I explained I needed a dead flat surface and it was the only thing that was going to work. I had to regrind the recess in the housing for the thermostat and I did that with a die grinder and a small stone wheel. Anyways I got it back together with a 180 degree thermostat to replace the 170 I was running. No leaks and the Y block seems to be happy with it so far.

Mar 16, 2014 | 09:20 PM

#13

cyclone-429

Senior User

Joined: Apr 2013

Posts: 317

Likes: 1

From: SF Bay Area

Quote:

Originally Posted by chetspencer

yes it was a perfect spring day, but I spent it all wrenching on my 59.

You make it sound like it's a bad way to spend a spring day!

Mar 16, 2014 | 09:26 PM

#14

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyclone-429

You make it sound like it's a bad way to spend a spring day!

It's all good till your fingers are bleeding from Spring shackle wrestling and the Antifreeze doesn't help either, but I'm a happy camper till the next F100 rodeo.

Mar 16, 2014 | 09:51 PM

#15

chetspencer

Thread Starter

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 1,181

Likes: 1

From: Fairfield, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by theodore/teddy

Chet; Thanks for this post! Nice work! Now I have to find a small inexpensive lathe, this is the justification I need for a new tool, Thanks.

Wally, just remember bigger is better when it comes to lathes. You'd be better off hunting down an old 10" Atlas or a Southbend or even a Bigger chi-neeze one. But if you decide to go for it and get the HF unit, You must at least get a bigger chuck and this extended bed for it:

https://littlemachineshop.com/produc...ProductID=1928

I did a small amount of the lathe work on this Monarch 10EE at my shop (some random blogger used my picture and photoshopped the DRO out of it or it was just getting setup back then, I cant find that picture on my computer of course)