Howdy all

The other day I "developed" a hole in the brake line that runs along the driver's side frame rail. Not a big deal to fix, but while I was under the rear axle removing the line from the frame, I noticed that my Driver's side rear spring hanger is only holding on by a thread.

If you've never looked at your rear spring hangers, and your truck has ever lived in a northern or coastal (any sometimes-salty) climate, please do yourself a favor and check them out. One of mine is rusted nearly through, and the other is getting pretty bad. Since they sit behind the rear wheels, they catch anything that the road wants to slosh up. If this thing fails, it could be disasterous.

These hangers are J-shaped in profile, with the top of the J riveted to the frame, and the "bowl" of it being the mount for the leaf spring shackle. The shackle is bolted to the hanger with a very heavy-grade steel bolt, but the hanger itself is apparently very susceptible to rust and in my case, has weakened to the point that one half of the mount has broken free. The only thing suspending my 5000+lb truck over the axle is the already-cracked bracket which looks like it really wants to die.

I've found the part for about $50 retail from a dealer, and about $25 + shipping from trucksprings.com although that one would be an aftermarket part... and I will probably buy the Ford part. 'specially since my future step-bro-in-law is a parts manager.

OK, so there's a little PSA and some background on my question: Has anyone ever replaced one of these mounts?

It looks like I have to drop the gas tank, then drill out or torch off the rivets. After that, the new ones should just bolt on. Anyone with experience here please offer some hints . I've also never removed a rivet from a frame before. I'm told a torch is the preferred tool, but I already have a drill and that seems safer and harder to screw up. The process seems very easy even though it will probably take me a few afternoons. I really don't want to pay for help unless I really need to. Lift time and services will cost me at least $100, even from a friend.

Anyway, please let me know if you've replaced one of these before or if you can offer advice on removing the rivets. Thanks in advance!

-JD

P.S. This is copied from the Big Bronco forum since I wasn't getting a response. My truck is a 1993 EB 5.8 4x4 AOD Bronco. Thanks!

 

wow, a '93 with rotted rear hanger brackets, i was searching for information about this problem and i found your post. our farm truck is a '77 3/4 ford 4x4 400/C6 4.10s and both brackets have rotted away. the springs are now resting on the underside of the bed floor. (and it looks like someone blasted it with a shotgun) i would remove the gas tank, torch off the rivits from the bracket side and drive the slugs out with a hammer and punch then bolt new ones on with grade 8 hardware. i hope i can come up with some hanger brackets for this '77. good luck with your project. Dave.

 

I have had to change mine, they were in the same condition as yours. The drivers side broke and the spring was resting against the bed, making for some interesting driving conditions and a pitiful sag on that side. I bought replacements at a local spring shop (I've seen them on www.broncograveyard.com too). For getting the rivets off, I used a grinder with a cut-off wheel on the side with the hanger (to not make cuts into the frame) then punched them out. It was a little precarious getting at the rivets with the grinder so I would recommend trying another method first.

To put them on was a little challenge as well--better to have a friend. I bolted the new hanger on (used grade 8 bolts) and had my brother lean with a crowbar on the spring to get the shackle into the hanger so I could line it up and drive the bolt in.

Good luck!

 

I'll be doing this project tomorrow. I bought a replacement hanger and I'll be using the method somebody posted on another thread of cutting a groove in hte rivet head, then using an air chisel to break the rest of the head off. I started to drop the gas tank today, but I think I can get it done with the gas tank in place... and since I won't be torching, I think I'll be ok. My only worry is the sparks from the cutting tool.

If I do have to drop the tank, I might not finish tomorrow, but either way I'll post and give an update. racsan, I wonder what the difference b/t the 77 bracket and the 80 braket are? truckspring.com has 80-up brackets if you can make those work

 

any advice on getting the bolt out of the hanger? I've soaked it with penetrant and been hacking at it with a steel cutter and an air chisel... no dice. I'm desperate! please help

 

i was reading elsewhere that could be the toughest part of the whole project. i had posted about this problem under 73-79 fullsize trucks, and i think i will order my brackets from jeff's bronco graveyard. im not shure of how much room you have to work with or which way the bolt has to come out. if it would be pulling out towards you (away from the chassis) id almost be tempted to weld a big flat washer or nut to the end of the bolt then attach a come-along (like a winch, has a pully with cable) to the washer/nut and the other end to something like a parked tractor or the trailer hitch of another vehicle and pull it out that way, but if the bolt must come out the other way (towards the frame) im not shure how you should go about it.

 

the one that goes through the hanger has the nut on the frame side... so it has to come towards you. only problem is getting the damned nut off when it's basically fused to the bolt. See, there is only room between the frame and the hangar to get a box wrench in there. otherwise I would use a socket and a huge breaker bar to brace the nut against the ground. then my impact wrench should do the job. as it is, the nut just flexes in the broken bracket and I'm not getting any real pressure on the bolt. Since my bracket is completely broken, I'm thinking about trying to remove the spring all the way, then I'd have more room to work and get leverage on that bolt. but of course the other bolts that hold the spring on are frozen, too... and the penetrant I'm using doesn't seem to do a damned thing. ugh. I'm still pretty lost.

 

can you get a angle grinder in there with a 4" wheel and cut off the end of the bolt w/ the nut? aside from using some heat (and then you'd want to pull the tank) thats the only idea im getting.

 

maybe. would the sparks not be just as dangerous as the heat? I tried to drop the tank today and I'll be damned if there's a single bolt on this truck that *isn't* frozen. not to mention the mixed SAE/metric sizes which seem to have no rhyme or reason.

Assuming that I can eventually get that tank off, what's a good technique for using heat? just cut the bolt off? Or heat up the bolt to loosen the nut? I guess I need to know what kind of torch to buy.

BTW, thanks for all the help

 

if you dont have acces to a actelne torch, maybe a small propane torch would work. you want to heat the nut (to expand it) and then remove the nut from the bolt, you have to work fast as the nut will cool quickly. more than likely you'll want new fasteners anyhow, so i would rent or borrow a actelne torch (i know its misspelled) and just cut it off. sparks from a grinder - im not shure, if theres fumes, theres always a possibility for the worst. better to be safe than sorry. i know what you mean by ford mixing sae and metric fasteners. its like some sort of bad joke. howed a texas truck get so much corrosion? live near the gulf and get saltwater maybe? ggod luck, id use the actelne torch over propane if you have a choice btw, more heat. Dave.

 

actually, my truck grew up in upstate NY. The last 4 years of its 12-year life have been in OK/TX but unfortunately it already had the cancer we call rust .

I'm guessing that renting an acetylene torch would be more expensive than buying a propane torch... plus since I have no experience with cutting torches i'd rather not. how fast does the nut cool? and if it expands while heated, do you think it will loosen it enough to break the "freeze"?

 

Acetylene works much better. The trick is to be able to heat *quickly* so the bond is snapped. The propane torch heats so slowly that both the nut and the bolt will expand and you won't get anywhere. But expect to spend at least $200 on a good torch set and at least $150 apiece for two decent sized tanks. Then a cart will cost around $50. I bought a whole set last spring and it cost a fortune but it's a must-have. It has saved me a lot of cursing.

An alternative might be a small MAPP/Oxygen torch set. They run about $50 but they still don't heat as fast, only come with a welding/brazing tip (not cutting) and they use $10 oxygen bottles like there's no tomorrow. But it may get the job done where propane almost for sure won't. For occasional use it's OK.

 

heh well I have no experience with a torch, so spending that kind of cash right now is a little unreasonable. I might be able to rent one, but I still have no experience. I'm hoping to find someone local who can help me out

 

I just took mine off yesterday - used a 4 1/2" angle grinder to get the rivets off. You can get all but 1 from the front (outside), but the smaller grinder will fit between the frame to get the last one from behind. Then just pry them off - with the rivet heads gone they'll come off pretty easily. Both hangers took 30 min. total but I had the bed off. I'd definitely get the gas tank out of there - lots of sparks.

 

I've taken the rear hangers off, with the bed on and off, but my truck didn't have the rear-mounted tank....easier to get at some of those rivets from inside the frame. If I were you, I'd either drop the tank, pull the bed (only 6 bolts, get a freind or two to help lift off), or use some smaller dremel like tool to get at them. I know it sounds kind-of mickey mouse--using a dremel tool--but a cut-off wheel will cut the rivets off (taking it slowly, buy a few disks) in that tight space.

I've taken off a good many suspension bolts off my truck, and if it doesn't come off with a breaker bar/cheater bar, I cut it off and replace it.....