Leaf spring removal woes

Hi,

Tried to take the rear leaf springs off my 1973 109 today...

Set it on axle stands (on the chassis), used a trolley jack to hold up the
rear axle, used another jack to lift the o/s spring (just to take the
pressure off)... undone the 4 "u" bolt nuts, removed the bottom plate and
"u" bolts, removed the jack from the spring so it was free... undone all of
the shackle nuts (2 rear, one front)... now I'm stuck.

I cant for the life of me remove the shackle bolts... they just won't
budge... has anyone got any ideas ?

I've tried various sizes of hammer !!
even tried a scissor jack wedged between the prop and the front shackle
bolt.... won't shift it...
I've tried a really really really long 1/2" bar and expensive socket....
ended up nearly lifting the damn LR with the bar !!
All of the above used with copious amounts of WD40
Oh, I also tried doing all the above with spring jacked up.... both high and
1/2 way as well.

But.... I am right.... arn't I ? ... the front and rear bolts that go
through the spring bushes should just push out.... it's only the top rear
shackle bolt that screws in.

Any help really would be appreciated... I will be back on this again
tomorrow.


Cheers,

Mike.

Mike wrote:

> I cant for the life of me remove the shackle bolts... they just won't
> budge... has anyone got any ideas ?
>
Burn 'em ?

Steve

Grinder?

Nigel

--
nigel@leginDOTorg
1979 Lightweight
Blitz 4x4
and a couple of SJs for spares

"steve Taylor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike wrote:
>
>> I cant for the life of me remove the shackle bolts... they just won't
>> budge... has anyone got any ideas ?
>>
> Burn 'em ?
>
> Steve

its been a while since i did mine, but i think i had trouble because a
lot of the shackes themselves were threaded and all the bolts that went
into these would not shift.

I ended up replacing most of my shackles too.

Nigel <[email protected]> uttered summat worrerz funny about:
> Grinder?
>
> Nigel

And an 'ammer and 'it it 'ard again.

I've a vague recollection of many a happy hour with a hack saw blade too.


Lee D

On or around Mon, 6 Nov 2006 16:50:14 -0000, "Mike"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>Hi,
>
>Tried to take the rear leaf springs off my 1973 109 today...
>
>Set it on axle stands (on the chassis), used a trolley jack to hold up the
>rear axle, used another jack to lift the o/s spring (just to take the
>pressure off)... undone the 4 "u" bolt nuts, removed the bottom plate and
>"u" bolts, removed the jack from the spring so it was free... undone all of
>the shackle nuts (2 rear, one front)... now I'm stuck.
>
>I cant for the life of me remove the shackle bolts... they just won't
>budge... has anyone got any ideas ?
>
>I've tried various sizes of hammer !!
>even tried a scissor jack wedged between the prop and the front shackle
>bolt.... won't shift it...
>I've tried a really really really long 1/2" bar and expensive socket....
>ended up nearly lifting the damn LR with the bar !!
>All of the above used with copious amounts of WD40
>Oh, I also tried doing all the above with spring jacked up.... both high and
>1/2 way as well.

chances are they're seized into the middle of the bushes.

>But.... I am right.... arn't I ? ... the front and rear bolts that go
>through the spring bushes should just push out.... it's only the top rear
>shackle bolt that screws in.
>
>Any help really would be appreciated... I will be back on this again
>tomorrow.

I'm fairly sure that *both* the shackle bolts screw into the plate the far
side. The chassis bolt at the front of the spring I think just pushes
through, but it's almost always necessary to start off by turning it; they
very rarely shift simply by pushing. If you have an air impact gun, put
that on it, else a big breaker bar and a strong socket.

If it really won't shift you need heat on it. heat the bolt-head good and
hot with an oxy torch and let the heat travel along it, then ideally cool
the bolt itself down and then smite it.

You may end up having to cut the head off the front one and drive it through
inwards with a suitable bit of bar and a 14lb hammer.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
Too Busy: Your mind is like a motorway. Sometimes it can be jammed by
too much traffic. Avoid the jams by never using your mind on a
Bank Holiday weekend.
from the Little Book of Complete B***ocks by Alistair Beaton.

"Tom Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> its been a while since i did mine, but i think i had trouble because a
> lot of the shackes themselves were threaded and all the bolts that went
> into these would not shift.
>
> I ended up replacing most of my shackles too.

Thanks to all that have replied.

I have already got all new shackles, bolts & nuts to replace the old
ones....

I did consider using a blow torch to heat them up, but the slight smell of
petrol around the rear fuel tank put me off ! and I don't really want to
remove the fuel tank just to replace the springs.

I have got a grinder, but I'm loathe to use it on metal.... last time I did
the damn thing dug in... I couldn't hold it and it ran round the garden
faster than a cat on speed... then ended up running up my leg... good job I
had thick jeans on.. all I ended up with was a purple bruise were it hit my
ankle.

I think I have a centre punch somewhere... I could give that a go with the
hammer

Cheers.... I'll let you all know how I get on tomorrow.

Mike.

Mike <[email protected]> uttered summat worrerz funny about:
> "Tom Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> its been a while since i did mine, but i think i had trouble because
>> a lot of the shackes themselves were threaded and all the bolts that
>> went into these would not shift.
>>
>> I ended up replacing most of my shackles too.
>
> Thanks to all that have replied.
>
> I have already got all new shackles, bolts & nuts to replace the old
> ones....
>
> I did consider using a blow torch to heat them up, but the slight
> smell of petrol around the rear fuel tank put me off ! and I don't
> really want to remove the fuel tank just to replace the springs.
>
> I have got a grinder, but I'm loathe to use it on metal.... last time
> I did the damn thing dug in... I couldn't hold it and it ran round
> the garden faster than a cat on speed... then ended up running up my
> leg... good job I had thick jeans on.. all I ended up with was a
> purple bruise were it hit my ankle.
>
> I think I have a centre punch somewhere... I could give that a go
> with the hammer
>
> Cheers.... I'll let you all know how I get on tomorrow.
>
> Mike.

My handle broke on my grinder... best thing that ever happened to it as I
replaced it with a long coach bolt twice as long as the handle was
previously. It can be a PITA when in tight corners but for the extra control
and leverage you get when it occasionally does grab it's well worth the mod.

Also (without wanting to say hold the egg up this way ) makes a big
difference if you don't use the right part of the disc's cutting edge
relative to the handles etc.

Always treat them with caution .... pesky things!

Lee D

Mike wrote:

>
> I have got a grinder, but I'm loathe to use it on metal.... last time I did
> the damn thing dug in... I couldn't hold it and it ran round the garden
> faster than a cat on speed... then ended up running up my leg... good job I
> had thick jeans on.. all I ended up with was a purple bruise were it hit my
> ankle.

Seriously - start acting like a man, grab hold of it firmly and show it
who is the boss. The only real excuse for a grinder jumping out of your
hands is that either you're not concentrating on the task at hand
(easily solved), or that you're scared of the grinder (in which case you
have no business using it). And yes, I'm speaking from real world
experience (I have a scar on my stomach from a grinder that escaped the
grasp of an apprentice many years ago) - either master the beast or
leave it alone but don't try and take the middle ground because injuries
will result.

> I think I have a centre punch somewhere... I could give that a go with the
> hammer

WTF do you think a centre punch is going to do? You only have 2
realistic options - cutting it apart, or getting a good quality breaker
bar (one about 2' long would be a good start) and full hex socket onto
it and giving it a decent seeing to. If half-hearted measures were
going to undo it you'd be finished by now.


--
EMB

Keep unscrewing them as they are threaded into the hangers, I know this
because i beat ten bells out of mine untill I didcovered this.

In message <[email protected]>
"Mike" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Tried to take the rear leaf springs off my 1973 109 today...
>
> Set it on axle stands (on the chassis), used a trolley jack to hold up the
> rear axle, used another jack to lift the o/s spring (just to take the
> pressure off)... undone the 4 "u" bolt nuts, removed the bottom plate and
> "u" bolts, removed the jack from the spring so it was free... undone all of
> the shackle nuts (2 rear, one front)... now I'm stuck.
>
> I cant for the life of me remove the shackle bolts... they just won't
> budge... has anyone got any ideas ?
>
> I've tried various sizes of hammer !!
> even tried a scissor jack wedged between the prop and the front shackle
> bolt.... won't shift it...
> I've tried a really really really long 1/2" bar and expensive socket....
> ended up nearly lifting the damn LR with the bar !!
> All of the above used with copious amounts of WD40
> Oh, I also tried doing all the above with spring jacked up.... both high and
> 1/2 way as well.
>
> But.... I am right.... arn't I ? ... the front and rear bolts that go
> through the spring bushes should just push out.... it's only the top rear
> shackle bolt that screws in.
>
> Any help really would be appreciated... I will be back on this again
> tomorrow.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mike.
>
>

What ever strategy you go for, remember that the shackle plates
are threaded - grinding the head off the bolts is a last resort!

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
www.radioparadise.com - Good Music, No Vine
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