Hey guys started installing my new shackles/spring hangers today since the drivers side exploded on me lol problem is I cant get the bolt out of either leaf spring?! Nut came off but I soaked the bolts, heated, beat the crap out of them and even cussed a whole lot but they arent budgin. Whats the best way to get them out?! Ball join press tool?! Any ideas would help alot! Thanks!

 

I had a hell of a time getting them out of a rusted 93....a whole lot of heat, vice, punch and hammer did it. I could not beleive how rusted in they were. In hindsight I'd just get new bushings and torch the whole deal out.

 

surely they will come out, technically without the nut on it you should be able to wack it out with enough force. it shouldnt be threaded into anything. a press would be an ideal method to remove its rusted core, if you have access to one.

 

They are definatley a pita. The poblem with pounding on them is the spring bounces...lol When you press it most likely the center of the bushing will come out with it...

 

Just buy new bolts and bushings and cut the damn bolts out. At least that's what I did when I replaced my springs.

 

How do I go about cutting the bolts out?

 

I used a 2 jaw puller, an impact gun and some map gas to get them out of some 10 year old F150 leaf packs. I put tension on the busing with the puller heated it up, sprayed it with WD40 or PB Blaster and went to town with the impact. It takes a little time but less effort this way.

 

a puller or a ball joint press usually works good, heat them and put the impact on the head of the bolt and work it back and forth, see if it will move first

 

I was trying to pull leafs from a Mountaineer at the junkyard. I took on the nut and alternately hit the back of the bolt/pin and the bottom of the eye of the leaf where the bolt goes through. Once on the bolt, once on the leaf, once on the bolt, once on the leaf. Like 6 times, vibrated right out.

Unfortunately I didn't have the right size socks or wrenches to pull the ubolt nuts off so there is a mountaineer with a partially detached axle at pull-a-part in akron.