Shackles

Yesterday I was driving home and one of the rusted shackles finally broke, so today I attempted to replace it. What a pain in the #!@. Shackles were a joke to get off, but the 1 bolt that went throught the leaf was the killer.

Here's a little quick write up for those who will do it in the future. I'm 21 and was using hand tools and a propane torch. If you have air tools and an acetelyn oxygen torch it will be alot easier.

(1) Jack up rear of vehicle and place on jackstands. I made sure the gas tanks were near empty just to be safe since I would be using a propane torch.

(2) Remove lower nut from shackle. I found it easiest to lie behind the rear tires with my leg near the diff for support and just crank on it with all you weight.

(3) Hammer out or cut the bolt off and the lower part of the shackle will hang free.

(4) Take the nut off the top of the shackle using the same method. You may need locking pliers to hold the other side. I let the pliers rotate until they locked between the hanger, then cranked on the socket.

(5) Now if you're lucky the bolt in the top can be hammered out without too much difficulty, but I was nowhere that lucky. They were stuck as $$*#.

Take a breather, and relax. Prepare to spend some quality time melting the bushing (as I had to do in order to get the bolt out). It's not hard, but will take some time.

(6) I started melting the bushing and stabbing it with a screwdriver until parts started coming out. I found that it took many heating/cooling cycles until it gave.
When it's good and hot, I wedged a flat screwdriver between the bolt head and the frame and started to pry until it began to slide out. The bolt and the metal sleeve were 1 rusted piece (that's what made this so hard in the first place.) This took me a total of about 2 hours to get both bolts out.

(7) Replace the leaf bushing and a new sleeve and install the shackle. Might take some lowering of the truck or jacking up the body to get it to line up right.

(8) Job well done.

Took me several hours longer than I expected, but none the less got finished.

Parts needed:

Shackles-Shackle Bushings-Metal Sleeve-New Hardware-Leaf Bushing-Metal Sleeve

Sorry if this is a no brainer for you more advanced mechanics, but I thought a writeup would have helped me, so here you go.

 

or just grind the bolt head off and than hammer out. saves burning the spring rubber.

this is not an easy job, but it does feel good when you are through.

if you did not do the other side, you soon will in my experience.

 

Good write up. Even more experienced guys can still learn new tricks. I only have a couple of things to add. Be especially careful near fuel tanks and lines. An empty or near empty tank can be as dangerous or even more dangerous than a full one due to fumes. Also in the past I have been able to grind the head off the bolt and gring the other end off both even with the shackle. Then a little prying ang the spring drops out. This won't work on a lot of situations though because of limited room. I really wish I had internet access when I was learning. Write ups like yours would have made life a lot easier. They still do sometimes.

 

It wouldn't matter if the head was on the bolt, it knocks out inward anyways. One of the shackles completely broke off and still the leaf spring bolt wouldn't budge. I was hammering on it with the BFH for an hour before I got the torch out.

I thought this was going to take me an hour tops, and it almost took 5.

Also I bought 2" lowering shackles which said to place the welded part towards the back which is the opposite of how the shackles came off? Is this right or did the ones i took off used to be on backwards.

 

i have done many of these and i never had to use heat.

never want to use heat that close to fuel especially on drivers side.

i am glad you got yours off and that was a nice write-up.