Advice for stuck spring shackle bolt

[Xterraforce]

I was planning to install my revolvers this weekend but ran into a problem. On the passenger side, the shackle bolt is stuck in the leaf spring bushing. I sprayed it with PB over several days and again as I was trying to do the job. No amount of prying or pounding would get it to come loose. I was thinking someone doing a PML or some other work involving removing the OEM shackles has probably run into this before. Any advise on getting it out?

I also have a problem on the front passenger side with the lower shock bolt being stuck to the metal sleeve in the shock bushing so I can't remove the shock. I'm thinking in that case I may end up having to get a new bolt and cut the old one off. I really don't want to cut anything on the rear shackles since that would mean I'd be totally committed to completing the job. If anything else went wrong I would need to be able to put the factory parts back together so I could drive it.

 

[Roadwarrior]

Have you tried a cheater bar? One of my bolts was tough to get out but a cheater bar made it easy

 

[drbandkgb]

The nut is stuck on ?

 

[Xterraforce]

Roadwarior, I tried using a crow bar to pry it off. I also tried using a tie rod tool (pickle fork) between the inner shackle and spring.

Dave, the nuts came off fine. The problem is the bolt is stuck to the inside of the bushing or sleeve or whatever.

 

[NismoFire]

Heat. Got a torch?

 

[Kuzmovka]

get at it with a 10lb BFH and give it some words of encouragement. Hammers always work.

 

[Xterraforce]

get at it with a 10lb BFH and give it some words of encouragement. Hammers always work.

I tried that too. The problem is the rubber bushing absorbs so much of the impact, along with the spring itself flexing some that it really doesn't do much good. In case you're wondering, when the hammer failed, I also tried a bigger hammer. That's why they make bigger hammers after all.

 

[02Xterra]

Heat. Got a torch?

This

 

[yellowx16]

x2 the torch is the only reason one of my stuck bolts came out. just make sure not to heat up the bushing too much I burned one of mine a bit and it started to ignite haha.

 

[Xterraforce]

I though about trying a torch but was afraid of damaging the rubber part. Maybe I'll give it a try. Definitely worth a shot with the front shock since the new ones have new bushings.

 

[yellowx16]

I put the torch on for about 10 seconds at a time and it worked. it got the bushing hot but they seem fine now. I haven't had any problems for 4 months

 

[Silver dude]

I believe I heated mine with a torch till the bushings were smoking and lost grip on the shackle.

Ben

 

[granitex]

I put mine in a 12ton shop press and it came out just fine, no drama at all.

 

[TKDx00]

I'd try a harmonic balancer puller. The claws will hold the shackle & bushing while the stuck bolt is pressed out... in therory.

 

[idratherbe]

I'd try a harmonic balancer puller. The claws will hold the shackle & bushing while the stuck bolt is pressed out... in therory.

The shackle and the bolts are one piece.

This is why I placed a huge hardware order with courtesy before I even started. I went through the parts diagrams and bought replacements for every bolt I'd have to take off. Overkill maybe but I was able to just cut every stuck bolt I came across. Even ones that came off easy where replaced with new hardware.

 

[TKDx00]

The shackle and the bolts are one piece.

I'm confused...but that's nothing new... back to my designing.

 

[Prime]

The shackle and the bolts are one piece.

True story.

When I put my AAL in, I found it was much easier to drop the frame side of the spring and wiggle the whole axle around until I was able to pull the shackle off.

@Xterraforce, did you remove both nuts or were you trying to do them one at a time? Because both bolts and the one side of the shackle are one piece.

 

[Xterraforce]

I had both nuts off. I think I'll try using a puller like suggested and maybe combine that with some heat. I did see that the bolts are actually part of the inner side of the shackle. The upper part at the frame was moving as much as it could with the spring end stuck. I hope that bushing is supposed to be a two piece. If it wasn't, it is now. The rubber part was sliding out both sides.

One more question about it for those who have successfully removed the shackle. Where the bolt part goes through the bushing in the spring, is there a metal sleeve that's part of the bushing or is the bolt part just smooth and bigger than the threaded part? I ask because the revolvers come with metal sleeves over the bolts which makes me think once the shackles are off there should be nothing but rubber in the center. I just want to be sure when I do get it loose I'm not taking anything off that I shouldn't.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[xterror04]

There's a metal sleeve in there maybe with the nut off spin the bolt with an impact while tapping with a hammer... May need two people.. But this would create heat and may help losen that sleeve

 

[Xterraforce]

...maybe with the nut off spin the bolt with an impact while tapping with a hammer...

The problem is the "bolt" isn't exactly a bolt. It's actually made to the inner shackle plate piece. I can't spin it without getting the upper part out of the frame mount, which is also made to the inner shackle plate. If the puller and heat don't work I'll try cutting the shackle so I can spin it and break it loose but at that point I'm obviously committed to finishing the job. When you live on a mountain walking to work and back isn't something you want to do much. :wut:

 

[xterror04]

Oh my bad your talking about stock shackles... I was thinking aftermarket... I had this issue doing a pml on another x... Lots of pb and lots of heat with a big hammer... Unfortunately that's the only way I could figure and it worked eventually... We also put the wheel back on and lowered the truck a little to make it a bit more stable

 

[Prime]

Another key thing to consider is when the frame is on jack stands to put a jack under the axle and lift it up a little bit to take tension off the spring.

 

[Roadwarrior]

Have you tried the Robcary trick to put the stock jack between the frame and the spring? To alleviate some of the pressure? It's in his PML how to thread

 

[J Everett]

Maybe try a slide hammer?

 

[Xterraforce]

I had the back end raised and on jack stands then used a floor jack under the axle until I could easily remove the outer part. The driver side one slid right out. I probably won't get a chance to try again until this weekend. I've sure got a lot more options to try now. :smile: