I am trying to remove a leaf spring on my '73 F100. I have take off the U bolts but i can not figure out how to get the bolt out of the center. I can move it a little up and down. When I try to hammer it through the axel stops it. I am only on the drivers side right now. Would it help if i jacked up both sides of the truck and did both sides at the same time? Im thinking this would drop the axel so that i could jack the body up leaving me room to push the center bolt through. Any suggestions?
Thanks

Jacob

 

Yes you'll probably have much more sucess jacking the truck off the axle, if it's easier for you don't completley remove the other side's U-bolts just loosen them.

Dustin

 

The bolt in the center is a tie bolt , it keeps your springs together.When this bolt is removed they will spring apart so keep yourself out of the way . it is best to remove the spring from the truck . Some big C clamps will be handy to put it all back together
Trouble

 

Jacob, Assuming you want to remove one leaf from the rear leaf spring set and not remove the main leaf from the truck? Maybe trying to lower or raise the ride height or replace a broken leaf? Make sure you have the truck and the rear differential supported and don't use crap like cement blocks. Remove the U bolts and knock them off the axle with a hammer and wooden block, saves the threads so you can re-use them. Clamp the spring set together with a couple steel C clamps and saw off the bolt holding the springs together. Normally you could unscrew this but since you worked it over with a BFH it is shot. Do whatever motivated you to undertake this project, install a new center bolt and tighten. Saw off the excess and re-assemble in reverse order. While you are under there check the spring shackles for excessive wear. Sometimes they wear groves in the shackle bolts. Replace all worn parts. Short story; I had a Forty coupe, first car, the spring center bolt broke so I jacked it waaaay up using two bumper jacks setting on several cement blocks. Crawled under and removed the transverse spring (Henry used those springs until the late forty's). About the time the spring came out the jacks slipped and the entire menagerie fell, made a hell of a bang, dust, rust and crap every where, it was hard to breathe. I was a skinny kid then and was saved by the fact that the wheels and tires were still on the car. My poor Mama must have aged 10 years waiting while I crawled out from under that mess. Don't use cement blocks to support your truck.
William in Atlanta

 

 

If I understand it correctly, you are trying to remove the leaf spring set and not an individual leaf. The U Bolts are all that hold the springs to the axle. As posted above loosen the other side and jack up the entire rear of the truck. If the axle doesn't come loose from gravity it may require a little friendly persuasion in the form of a pry bar to seperate the springs from the axle. There's an alignment pin in the bottom of the spring pack that sits in a hole on the top of the spring pad (on the axle). It's a pretty tight fit and it's probably rusted over time.

Trail Rider