Spring R&R
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Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 18:09:42 -0700
From: "Todd and Terry"
Subject: How to remove rear springs
To:
Jonathan Albrecht wrote
> I haven't started the lift install yet, but I remember from my last
> truck that the forward most REAR leaf spring eye/hanger bolts were an
> absolute PITA to remove. On my last one, I pulled off the nut (easy)
> but the bolt itself wouldn't budge. I tried penatrant, a hammer, and
> anything else I could think of, but it wouldn't even budge a tiny bit!
> I have a sinking feeling it's gonna be like this again, so before I get
> started on it, any suggestions?
>
Try a C clamp. I've had success using the C clamp to get the bolt loose
when tightening it at a slight angle.
Todd
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Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 18:29:50 -0400
From: Ed Ruf
Subject: how to remove rear springs?
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org
Yeah, start with the the spraying a week or so ahead of time. Then don't
take the nut off all the way, just unscrew it enough so none of the bolt is
sticking through, then use a hand sledge and piece of 2x4 to wack the
nut/bolt.
Ed
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Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 12:45:13 -0500
From: Steven Benson
Subject: How to remove rear springs
To: toy4x4@tlca.org
Minnesota is especially hard on the bolt. On most trucks, we've spread
the spring mount just enough to get a hack saw between the spring and
the mount, then sawed off the bolt. This may sound like the hard way, in
most cases it is not. Once the spring is off now your stuck with the
sleeve frozen in the spring. Got a quick one for this too. Take a 1/8th
drill bit, one you don't care about wrecking, and drill in between the
rubber and the bushing. The bit will start chewing the rust out of the
bushing as it pulls itself around the sleeve. It will eventually pull
the frozen sleeve out on it's own. If you do things with a little
patience you can sometimes reuse the rubber bushing.
This may sound extreme to those of you in warmer climates but on
Minnesota trucks this is the fast and easy way.
______________________________________________
Steven Benson
'85 Toy X-Cab | MNTOYX4 | MN4WDA | TLCA #4835
http://www.off-road.com/~MNTOYX4
mailto:toyx4@winternet.com
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Date: Fri, 16 May 97 14:27:00 -0500
From: Rosenberger Bud
Subject: How to remove rear springs
To: "mail@UUCP {Toy4x4@tlca.org}"
Hi all!
I've used the same idea only used a reciprocating saw (Sawzall). Get a
metal cutting blade and cut away! I didn't spread the mount but that
would save the rubber cutting portion. I was trashing the springs anyway
so I didn't care.
PS The same sawzall works great for exhaust work too. Esp. if you are
just replacing one component. With a nice clean cut, you can install new
pieces with ease. Sure beats torch spatter in your hair!
They can be rented for about $5/ day if you don't want to buy one.
Hope it helps!
Bud
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Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 17:59:34 -0400
From: WartHog
Subject: How to remove rear springs
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org
Try getting a piece of black pipe that fits over the bolt head and 1.25
times the length of the bole, a sledge, and another large hammer and
punch. Have an assistant hold the pipe over the bolt head and back it up
( "buck" it ) with the sledge. Slug it with the other hammer. etc.
If the bolt mushrooms you'll need a grinder or file to remove the shroom
head.
I like to use an air hammer with a flat set ( a tool with a large,
slightly rounded working surface ) to drive hanger bolts.
Mark.
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Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 18:51:02 -0400
From: "NUNES, ROB"
Subject: Nerf-em bars
To: "'Toy4x4@tlca.org'"
I have had the same problems with every exterior Smittybuilt products.
After one year of use, the paint begins to lift away and exposes bare
metal. Sandblasting them after can be such a joy. I am surprised after
all of these years, Smittybuilt can't find a better method of prepping
the metal before they powder coat.
Are you getting the nut off of the bolt?
If so, and you still can't pull the bolt out, you probably will need to
torch them out. If you refuse that method, you can try cutting off the
head or drilling through the bolt. None of these methods are a whole lot
of fun but someone has to do it eventually.
I came across this on the front of my '86 IFS. One of the bolts would
not slide out. I got the nut off with no problem. But the bolt just
spun. I tried to burn out the rubber bushing, but the bolt was rusted
solid to the inner sleeve. I even bent a part of the frame and broke
some frame welds from hitting it so hard with a sled-hammer. Finally,
out of ideas and patients, I used the end of a hack-saw blade and cut
the bolt in two places between the frame the lower A-arm bushing. This
only took me about four hours.
TIP:
When you do replace the springs, make sure you use "ANTI-SEIZE" by
Permatex on all the hardware. You might thank yourself someday, I know I
have.
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Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 17:12:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Jonathan Albrecht
Subject: Stuck springs
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org
Heya!
We've got some problems and were wondering if anyone has any ideas.
On my friends rusty '86 we can't get the rear springs off. Or more to
the point, we can't get the forward bolt out of of the spring. Here's
what we've tried:
First we soaked everything down with liquid wrench. We did this every
week or so for a month or more in advance.
When it came time to pull the springs, we took off the shackle end of
the spring first, and supported the axle. So there wasn't really any
weight on the spring eye or bushing.
Then we took the nut off the bolt, and tried to pull the bolt itself.
It wouldn't budge, so we hooked a big breaker bar up to it, and managed
to turn the bolt. We kept turning it until it was loose enough to turn
with a 1/2" socket wrench. We continued to turn that sucker (both
counterclockwise and clockwise) while spraying it with lots of liquid
wrench. After about 5 minutes of this, it was looser... but still
really in there tight. Next we tried smacking the threaded end with a
maul, but all this didn't do a darn thing (we put the nut over the end
so we wouldn't wreck the threads). Then we tried making a press.
For the press, basically, we took a monster 'c' clamp and put one end of
the clamp against the threaded part of the bolt and then we put a hug
deep set socket over the head of the bolt. We put the other side of the
'c' clamp on top of that socket. We tried tightening it down, but all
it did was get really tight.. eventually it'd get so tight that you
couldn't tighten it any more without the c-clamp working itself off the
socket.
And then gave up, and just put the thing back together.
This weekend (going home for break--YIPEEE!) we're gonna try this again.
Any ideas at all?! I'm thinking we're gonna need to take a hacksaw at
the bolt.. anybody ever try this? Looks like it'll be a real PITA to
fit the saw in there, and still have room to cut it.
thanks,
Jonathan Albrecht
albr9619@uidaho.edu
http://www.uidaho.edu/~albr9619/
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Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 00:16:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Jonathan Albrecht
Subject: Lot's of stuff over break and the 20R head works!!
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org
We FINALLY got the rear springs off my friend's '86!! Let me just say
that for cutting those front bolts, using a sawzall is next to
worthless! After three blades and maybe putting a small nick in the
bolt we switched to a cutting disk. This took some working out, to get
the disc to work on the cutter (we had a makita 4" grinder w/ a 4" die
grinder disc), but it did work pretty well. The major complications,
aside from it being 20 degree's in the garage when we did this, was that
all the ready made makita disks were too thick, so we had to sorta jury
rig it to use the die grinder discs. The other big problem is that the
gas tank is right in the spot where you need to hold the grinder, so we
ended up just bending the spring hanger until the spring fell out on
that side. Over all, I bet we've put at least 20hrs into getting those
suckers off!!
--------------------------------
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Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 20:03:32 -0700
From: "Todd and Terry Steele"
Subject: Re: Nerf Install
>I am trying to find a nut to repalce the one I beat the crap out of, and
>that is proving to be difficult. not many people carry a metric nut that
>big.
I found big metric nuts at a farm hardware supply. They carry parts for
plows and tractors, etc. Large selection of large metrics.
> Ok that was the easy side. I have yet to get my passanger side on.
>The gass tank is in the way. I can not get the rear bolt off. I am
>going to drop the gas tank
Loosen the nut, take a big c-clamp and use it as a press to push the bolt
out. Then you don't have to drop the tank. Worked on my truck.
Todd
His: 87 Toyota 4X4, Marlin Tcase #180, EZ Lockers F/R, Warn MX8000, Custom
rear bumper and nerfs, Ramsey F bumper, Trailmaster/Superlift 4", 33-9.5 BFG
MT's. Custom Body by Sierra Nevada.
------------------------------
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Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:11:35 -0400
From: Ed.Wong@astramerck.com
Subject: Re: Nerf Install
Robert Rainer w/ a "beat to death" way or removing the spring bolt
- ----
In a previous post - I mentioned making sure you can even MOVE the
bolt - if it does and you cant get the bolt to "self" back
out use a vise or strong C clamp along with a socket that
fits ALL THE WAY OVER the head of the botl to "back it out"
enough so that you can slip a wrench behind the head. Then
lever it out - or use a slide hammer.
Me - the sawzall was faster!
EWong
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Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 09:24:30 -0500
From: Randy Hayman
Subject: Re: Poly Bushings []<->[]
At 08:20 AM 6/11/98 EDT, David Moore wrote:
>Bummer, Scott! You should get some air tools ;)
>
>I found that an air chissel gets those stubborn things out *real fast*.
I missed part of the original post, but if the bushings
you are trying to remove are rubber, douse the metal-rubber
contact area with Brake Cleaning fluid and they'll slip
right out. The brake cleaning fluid starts dissolving
the rubber, though not a lot, just enough to create a
slippery film. One may need a screwdriver to slightly
separate the rubber from the metal enough to get the
squirt-tube in there.
If I'm not answering the question, just consider this
rambling a two-banana tip for the future.
- --
Randy Hayman
mailto:haymanr@icefog.alaska.edu
============================================================================
Toyota 4x4 page: http://www.off-road.com/4x4web/toyota
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Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 20:37:13 -0400
From: Ed.Wong@astramerck.com
Subject: RE: bushings,......
Chris Senungetuk asked about getting bushings outta the leaf springs
Guam - hmm - lots of sea air?
The bushings are probably rusted ta hell..
The way it works, there is a rubber bushing that is bonded to
an inner an outer metal sleeve. Its the outer sleeve thats
rusted to the spring eye.
Propane (or hotter) torch works to burn the bushing out.
smells like hell. Id go propane as I think the oxy type
torches might take the temper outta the spring - I dunno
fer sure tho.
Or you can use a hole cutter - big enuff to go around the inner
sleeve, but no so big as the entire eye.
Take the pilot drill bit out of the hole saw and ya gotta clear
out all the burnt rubber that will stick.
Once ya get the inner sleeve out, start scraping the rubber out.
I did this becuase then used a sawzall (very carefully) to cut the
metal sleeve where the spring bends around and connects to
itself. there is a small gap there, so when the blade comes
through you wont nick the spring. Careful - a nick in the
spring might lead to future spring breakage.
Once the sleeve is cut - watch out. the spring will compress
again on the sleeve. Now use the scredrives to spread the
eye of the spring and use more chisels/screwdrives to try to
bend the inner sleeve metal so you can grab it w/ some vice
grips. Take alot of time. learn many new swear words. soak
the thing in penatrant oil continously.
Ya know - just thinkin about it makes me wonder why
I didnt just buy new springs!!!
Slap the bushings in there - and enjoy the ride!
(it will be worth it)
EWong
============================================================================
Toyota 4x4 page: http://www.off-road.com/4x4web/toyota
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