The dreaded front leaf bolts!
Thread Starter
6th Gear Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,736
From: MD/WV
RE: The dreaded front leaf bolts!
ORIGINAL: restomod@16
ok I did this myself without the help of power tools, because well... i have none [:@]... anyways, what i did was jack up the leaf itself (as close as possible to the eye) this will take the tension off the bolt, and will make it easier to drive out in the end. Then i took a sledge and drove out the bolt.
Take a sledge to that puppy and beat it out, you could pound it from above (would not recommend as it could destroy the mounts + you may not have the clearance to hit it with enough force) or push it thru the hole with the screwdriver and a hammer (i would try this one first because it worked for me
) I have gotten used to taking the long way to do things such as this simple task, and it can get very aggravating but don't give up on it. I once spent 2 whole hours trying to get a single brake line off of a splicer [:@]. LoL goes to show u that stupidity and determination CAN go hand in hand. Also i would recommend spraying some type of lubricant (ie WD40) 15 minutes before you try to "pry" it out.GOOD LUCK, and let us know how it goes!
ok I did this myself without the help of power tools, because well... i have none [:@]... anyways, what i did was jack up the leaf itself (as close as possible to the eye) this will take the tension off the bolt, and will make it easier to drive out in the end. Then i took a sledge and drove out the bolt.
Take a sledge to that puppy and beat it out, you could pound it from above (would not recommend as it could destroy the mounts + you may not have the clearance to hit it with enough force) or push it thru the hole with the screwdriver and a hammer (i would try this one first because it worked for me
) I have gotten used to taking the long way to do things such as this simple task, and it can get very aggravating but don't give up on it. I once spent 2 whole hours trying to get a single brake line off of a splicer [:@]. LoL goes to show u that stupidity and determination CAN go hand in hand. Also i would recommend spraying some type of lubricant (ie WD40) 15 minutes before you try to "pry" it out.GOOD LUCK, and let us know how it goes!
These CANT be driven back out the hole they came into. The bolts have long seized to the bushing sleeve, so now the bolt is physically bigger than the hole its in...
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 296
RE: The dreaded front leaf bolts!
I cut the springs off below the mounting points and that way there was no tension what so ever on the bolts and 3 days of penetrating blast later they came out...Its never as easy as it is on those shows on spike tv or speed is it 
Thread Starter
6th Gear Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,736
From: MD/WV
RE: The dreaded front leaf bolts!
ORIGINAL: easttennmotors
I cut the springs off below the mounting points and that way there was no tension what so ever on the bolts and 3 days of penetrating blast later they came out...Its never as easy as it is on those shows on spike tv or speed is it
I cut the springs off below the mounting points and that way there was no tension what so ever on the bolts and 3 days of penetrating blast later they came out...Its never as easy as it is on those shows on spike tv or speed is it
Thread Starter
6th Gear Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,736
From: MD/WV
RE: The dreaded front leaf bolts!
Just thought I'd let everyone know that I got the bastards off the car. Someone please find me the suspension engineer's name so I can backhand him a good one.
I WOULD NOT suggest anyone follow my approach as to getting the bolt cut. My 5" cutoff wheel couldnt reach the bolt between the inner eye and frame rail, so I took the protection shield off and put a 6.5" blade on it. Very careful with the fingers. Buzzd it off real quick. A sawzaw would probably work great.
I WOULD NOT suggest anyone follow my approach as to getting the bolt cut. My 5" cutoff wheel couldnt reach the bolt between the inner eye and frame rail, so I took the protection shield off and put a 6.5" blade on it. Very careful with the fingers. Buzzd it off real quick. A sawzaw would probably work great.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 912
From:
RE: The dreaded front leaf bolts!
Didn't you just try to unbolt them first? When I did mine the passenger side came right out. Unbolted the grade 8 bolt and dropped the spring. Unfortunately the drivers side blot was bent and it couldn't come out. I took off the nut but had to use a sawz all to hack the bolt into two pieces in order to allow it to pass through the holes.
4th Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,747
From: Portland, OR
RE: The dreaded front leaf bolts!
ORIGINAL: baddog671
Just thought I'd let everyone know that I got the bastards off the car. Someone please find me the suspension engineer's name so I can backhand him a good one.
I WOULD NOT suggest anyone follow my approach as to getting the bolt cut. My 5" cutoff wheel couldnt reach the bolt between the inner eye and frame rail, so I took the protection shield off and put a 6.5" blade on it. Very careful with the fingers. Buzzd it off real quick. A sawzaw would probably work great.
Just thought I'd let everyone know that I got the bastards off the car. Someone please find me the suspension engineer's name so I can backhand him a good one.
I WOULD NOT suggest anyone follow my approach as to getting the bolt cut. My 5" cutoff wheel couldnt reach the bolt between the inner eye and frame rail, so I took the protection shield off and put a 6.5" blade on it. Very careful with the fingers. Buzzd it off real quick. A sawzaw would probably work great.
Thread Starter
6th Gear Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 5,736
From: MD/WV
RE: The dreaded front leaf bolts!
ORIGINAL: bodyputtyless
Didn't you just try to unbolt them first? When I did mine the passenger side came right out. Unbolted the grade 8 bolt and dropped the spring. Unfortunately the drivers side blot was bent and it couldn't come out. I took off the nut but had to use a sawz all to hack the bolt into two pieces in order to allow it to pass through the holes.
Didn't you just try to unbolt them first? When I did mine the passenger side came right out. Unbolted the grade 8 bolt and dropped the spring. Unfortunately the drivers side blot was bent and it couldn't come out. I took off the nut but had to use a sawz all to hack the bolt into two pieces in order to allow it to pass through the holes.
These CANT be driven back out the hole they came into. The bolts have long seized to the bushing sleeve, so now the bolt is physically bigger than the hole its in...