I'm in the process of replacing the rear leaf springs. I have all the bolts lose on the driver side that I'm doing first but, the front leaf spring bolt in the perch looks like its going to be a SOB to get out. It seems to be stuck in the insulator.. How have you guys got this bolt out? Outside of using a saws all to cut the bolt, has anyone used any other way? You can't get a punch or anything in there to pound it out..

Ideas??

 

Two ways. 1. Use a cutting torch and cut it out. 2. Use a sawzall (reciprocating saw) and saw it off in two places inside the shackle. I used a sawzall. You will be trying to punch that bolt out until the cows come home, and you still won't get it out. If you don't have a recip, you can rent one.

 

Thanks Soaring.. A friend of mine has a nice saws all, I'll have to get him over to use it. I have a cheep $35 saws all but, that's for light duty like cutting exhaust pipe.. Don't think that's going to do the job..

 

i just did mine, was going to do the sawzall deal, but didn't want to sit there for forever and a day. So i took a plasma cutter, an angle grinder and a die grinder (could be done without the plasma cutter), and i cut the leaf spring away from the eye so they were out of the way, then just the eye was left hanging there. i then spun the eye and cut it in half and made another cut if i needed to, to get it out of the way. then i cut the little metal arround the bushing and knocked it off, then i cut the bushing off with a razor blade. then all that was left was the inner bushing and the bolt, which now could be cut easier with the die grinder. i would cut the inside half, spin it, cut it some more spin it, until there was nothing left, inner half pops out and outer half pops out as well. it may be more complicated to describe than the sawzall, but it sure as heck was a lot quicker.

now if only my springs weren't on back order....

 

That sounds complicated Bryan. But, I guess that will work too. With a supply of about 4 new blades, and using the DeWalt recip, it took me about 30 minutes to get the bolt cut in two places. The secret is to get the car jacked up high enough and supported with jack stands so you can get a heads on angle, and so you can be sitting on your butt instead of laying on your side. Or, get it on a lift.

 

Ya my old makita was chugging and blades were bending, so i started cutting....lol