Hey all.......I've been trying to access the search feature about this topic, but all I get is a listing of all the threads.....??? Anyhow, my son and I have been busy on the 51 and today we finally got the cab off and were down to the frame and front/rear suspensions, which need to come off next.....my question is what is the best way to remove the "pins" out of the spring shackles/frame mounts,so that we can remove the axels w/ the springs intact?......as allways we thank you in advance for any asisstance that you can throw our way!!

Later, Doug

 

Hi Doug,

The search is all messed up - they are working on it.
Do you know what a BFH is? You'll need one.

Front & back are the same:

Jack the truck up so the weight is off the springs but the tires remain on the floor. In this case I'd secure it in that position with jack stands on each side just behind the front springs (or just ahead of the back ones).

Front: Disconnect the brake lines. Disconnect the shock absorbers. Disconnect the drag link.

Remove the nuts from the lower shackle bolt and bracket bolt, and drive the bolts (with the BFH) from the shackle and bracket. When th epins are out, roll the assembly out the front on it's own wheels.

Back: Be sure to disconnect the brake cable, and rear U-joint at the differential in addition to the hydraulic brake lines. If you are taking the drive shaft with it, drain the transmission first.

 

Here's a few things you can do to get the pins out of the hangars;

1. go out to your shop and get a coarse wood rasp, if you're right handed start with your left hand, make a fist, then take the rasp and make several passes across your knuckles, now switch over and do the other hand, don't stop until you are bloody
2. get a handful of sand and other debris (preferable something with a bunch of rusty crud in it) using one bloody hand hold the eyelid of one eye open and pack the sand mixture in until you are seeing stars and your eye is watering uncontrollably
3. pour remaining sand mixture down the collar of your shirt
4. smack your head against the wall several times to mimic busting it on the frame as you try to sit up in a hurry to get the sand mixture out of your eye.
5. place your hand on the bench and repeatedly smash your fingers with a hammer until numb

OK, now you are ready to tackle the spring perch.

There is a hole in the frame so that you can drive a punch through the spring hanger.
On my truck the previous owner used a smoke wrench to burn a hole in the rear crossmember to facilitate getting a long punch to the back of the spring perch. Great theory if he would have lined up the holes. I ended up using a long section of 1/2" round bar and a punch that I had to bend a bit to make it work.
other people have had decent luck with removing the grease zert and using a slide hammer in its place (if the bed is on the truck this won't work)

Sometimes the pins are pretty worn and grooved so that they may hang up when trying to get them out.

Good luck with it
Bobby

 

After doing as Bobby suggested, I recommend you do that again. Then when you are good and bloodied. Take a fairly short bolt that will reach into the hole in the frame without bottoming the head out on the frame, yet has enough clearance to clear the crossmember bracket. Then put a punch on the bolt head, and knock it in til it does bottom out. Then remove the bolt. Put a longer bolt in and keep going til it's out far enough. Then you can pull on it from the outside. With an air hammer and the extra bolt as a "hammer extension" I had mine out in 5 minutes. Easier to show than explain. Good luck! The bolts I used were old alternator bolts from some Windsor engine or something.

 

I know this is an old thread, but it helped me a lot.
Be sure to follow the instructions exactly. I didn't have a wood rasp, so I just used the bricks on my house. That seemed to make it more difficult for the pin to come out.

All my pins came out very easy except for the two on the back end of the rear. I put a bolt just barely smaller than the hole and pounded hard with my 1 lb hammer. They finally started to move a little, then with some more pounding they came out.

Before I got the bolt, I bent my punch that was only slightly smaller than the bolt.

I appreciate your guys help. I'm always afraid to pull out the BFH. I don't want to break something that is expensive to replace.