Alright long story short, one of my leaf spring shackles broke due to a **** load of rust. I have the new part and bolts, but how exactly do I change them? Do I just have to lift up the rear section of my truck and take the pressure off the springs or do I have to have a jack under the axle/springs as well.

secondly, how much of a pain in the *** is it to remove the rusted bolts?

Any help would be appreciated.

The truck is a 2000 Dakota 5.9L quad cab 4x4
Ill be posting pics of the broken shackle as well

 

Jack the truck up on the frame, put jack stands under the axle, take all the pressure off the springs, unbolt the shackle from the springs and then the truck, and repeat the process in the opposite order. If the bolts are really bad rusted, then you might need an air chisel to just cut threw them to get them off, or a torch or a sawzall. Pretty easy process just time concuming and a b***h to do with alot of rust.

 

im not going to be doing this until saturday, would spraying PB Blaster a few times day for now help with removing the bolts?

 

Yes, absolutly

 

having to do this exact thing this weekend?? how did yours go? and did u do both sides or just the broken one?

thanks!

 

What a pain! PB blaster wouldn't touch the bolts on my '99. Had to torch the bushings and get them burning then press them out the back. No way I'm touching the one that's still in good shape - $55 for the shackle, lower bushing, and bolts from the dealer. Another $50 for the spring bushing - getting that from Advance for $22 instead.

 

PB Blaster, CRC, WD40...any 'penetrating oil' will def Help!!

I did my front end, was tempted to do the back soon. Impact guns help...air or electric. good luck!

 

Yeah mine were a pain. I ended up just grinding them off. Had to save the top torx bolts though to reuse. But I'm glad I did mine, the old ones were about rusted through.

 

One arm of the driver's side was rusted completely in two - held only by the other arm. Don't know how long it would have lasted that way... Funny thing is the passenger side isn't in bad shape at all - makes me wonder why the difference... More salt kicked up by other cars passing on the driver's side maybe? Ideas? Difference in quality between the metals shouldn't have been that significant. Also, ruined the bushing in the leaf spring itself while trying to remove the bolt that I had cut off. Had to order one from Advance - now wondering if I got the right one because the one in their system makes me think it's for the lower part of the shackle. Don't know if they're going to be enough different that it'll matter though. If it'll go in there it'll be in tomorrow at this time.
Got the rear half of the chassis covered in POR-15 yesterday. Looks much better than it did before.
Patrick

 

Perfect time to do the torsion shackle lift if you haven't already done it.