Help Please: Leaf spring front shackle bolt removal

[amys]

Hi,
I am querying how to remove to the front shackle bush bolt on the leaf springs. It appears to have a screw head on the inside of the support bracket and I'm not sure if this needs to be undone to remove the bolt so that I can change the front shackle bush. Is this threaded in like a screw or can I just knock the bolt through?
Thanks for any help :)

[Old_Mt_Isa_Boy]

Here's what they look like after removal. They need some encouragement. It is also highly unlikely you will be able to reuse any of the old bolts or hangers. Went through this a couple of weeks ago, Regards Wayne B



Hope the image helps.

[EffCee]

Hi,
I am querying how to remove to the front shackle bush bolt on the leaf springs. It appears to have a screw head on the inside of the support bracket and I'm not sure if this needs to be undone to remove the bolt so that I can change the front shackle bush. Is this threaded in like a screw or can I just knock the bolt through?
Thanks for any help :)

The front Shackle bush bolt merely sits into a taper and can be stubborn to remove at times. Sometimes hitting the screw head of the bolt will "jar" it which will help loosen the bolt. Other than that a bit of brute force is required. When hitting the bolt, try and use a copper or lead face hammer, which is quite soft, these are also fairly heavy which helps. Also hold a hammer of 3-4lb just below the screw bolt whch will assist in loosening them. Using this method I have never damaged a shackle frame. Ken (mcl1959) suggested  a few weeks ago on Mt Isa Boy's car that using a heavy bar about two feet long will assist, as the extra weight of the bar helps in trying to dislodge the stubborn bolts.

Keith

[amys]

Thanks guys, with a bit of force hubby got them out :)

[fe350chev]

As Keith said, this is also sometimes helpful when getting out stubborn larger skrews  ::), ie hitting them with same type of hammer with appropriate screwdriver before trying to screw it out, it can help with the door and body ones, to break the dust/paint and makes for a shock to dislodge crap in the thread.

Another good thing is to do this say the night before attacking a section then spray fair amount of crc or something then wait for a day or so. planning ahead is good with a strip down  :-[

Also heating up bolts such as in non vital areas or things u know your gunna replace too. But there are various opinions on heating up anything to do with suspension. Personally i cant see how heating up a small area on a leaf spring is gunna affect things too much but an engineer would say something id think  ::)