30 year old cherokee still has original leaf springs, which are complete done after 180.000 miles.
Trying to remove the first bolt was a pain. Using a Jack on my wrench, I got some movement in the bolt until it snapped.
I'm suspecting of the other bolts to be the same pain.

My plan:

1. Cut off all the bolts on both sides of the leaf spring, removing the leaf spring completely.
2. Drill out the nuts that are welded into the chassis.
3. Cut out a hole in the floorboard to acces the nuts.
4. Use new hardware (bolt + nut) and tighten it with the nut not being welded into place.

Any thoughts or tips?

 

Sounds like a good plan. That was done to my Jeep on the passenger side
maybe three times, a year or two apart. I drive on rough roads with heavy
loads often.

The last time, the leaf spring hanger was so degraded that I bought
new Dorman hangers and replaced them on both sides. That has
held up very well.

 

Those bolts have red loctite from the factory. You need heat to liquify that stuff or the bolt will snap. Or the nut inside will break loose. Maybe both if youre really unlucky. The bolts also like to rust the metal sleeve inside the bushing.



The nut is welded to the perch, and have been known to break loose. Cutting a small window into the perch will let you get at it. Cut the bolt close enough to the perch and hopefully it will drop right out, if the window is big enough. You can always weld it shut if you dont like it open. Ths is just one example i found. This is WAY easier and quicker than going thru the floorpan. Much less work, too.

 

Dont go down through the floor. Go through the bottom like in the picture above.

But dont do that first. Only if the welded nuts break loose. Before that you can cut the bolts off as you said in both sides of the leaf spring bushings. A grinder with a 6 inch cutoff wheel should work. That's what I used. You should go ahead and replace the leaf spring hangers aswell I'm sure they are trashed.

When the leaf springs are out, you will be able to see the little stub of the bolt left in the nut. Get a large nut and place it over that stud where you can see the end of the bolt. Weld the inside of the nut to the end of the stud. While it is still hot grab a wrench and crank it back and forth a few times then try to back it out.

I had to do this on 2 out of 4 bolts when changing my leaf springs. It works if the inside nut doesnt break off the bracket. If the nut you welded on breaks off, get another nut and try again.


Stub left after removing leaf pack



Welded nut on and backed it out while red hot

 

Thanks for the responses:

Based on the pictures, it does seem that cutting a hole from underneath is going to be the easiest option.
I understand that welding a nut on the remaining part of the bolt could be a solution, but I never welded before and haven't got a welder either.

At this time, I'll be sticking with drilling out the nuts and using new hardware.

Is this solution also useable at the rear side of the leaf spring?

 

If you haven't done anything with the other side yet, definitely use a lot of heat. I have done this on 2 XJs and the bolts came out clean. I used a propane torch and applied heat in that area for quite awhile (at least 5 minutes). It budged and then I repeated a few more times with a little turn and more heat. I did have to cut the leaf spring from around the bolt since the bushing sleeve had seized tot he bolt. An angle grinder makes pretty quick work of that problem. Good luck with the broken one.

 

I just replaced the leaf springs on my '88. After reading all the rust and broken nut weld stories I was quite apprehensive. I bought an industrial heat gun from Harbor Freight to heat the nut areas. A heat gun seemed more reasonable up next to the gas tank. I tested the bolts prior to heating and they would not budge. After heating for five minutes or so, they were quite easy to turn and remove. I was able to remove all four. My XJ is relatively rust free, but the difference the heat made was astonishing.

 

Wow, I did not know these things. I am getting ready to replace my leaf springs and I know I would have busted the nuts loose because I didn't hear the loctite.

Thanks for the tips.

 

The rear sides of the leaf spring are much easier.It is a nut and bolt through the shackle. Accessible at both sides to remove or cut...If the bolts are welded to the shackle bushings, then you will have to replace the shackle...cheap enough but the shackle to frame support has a internal captured nut like the front. Its a little easier to spray the back stuff down with penetrant. You can mostly get it where you need it. When you put it back together use gobs of anti sieze on all the places the bolts come in contact with...you going poly or rubber bushings on the rebuild

 

So... One spring removed!

Cut of the shackle bolt. Cut of the spring at the front side. Cut through the bushing. Finally able to get through the broken bolt.

I'm going to ask a friend to weld on a smaller bolt to what's left of the original one inside the nut, hoping to be able to keep the welded in nut.

I'm also going to tackle the other side exactly the same way, if the bolt breaks again.
​​​​​​

 

I haven't managed to get the bolt out.
I found that drilling it was nearly impossible, because of how hard the bolt is?
Then I tried grinding through the nut with a multi-tool. But same problem: bolt is too hard.

I'm kinda lost now.
Should i just cut out the bolt and weld in a new pieces for the nut? With a loose nut?

Help is greatly appreciated.

 

That nut is tack welded on. Get a wrench on that and break it off or punch it out from the front. Then use a regular nut and lock washer and/or loctite.

 

Or a big ol' cold chisel.

 

Although drilling should have easily worked. You using cobalt bits? But even then the easy out will probably break and you're back to Plan A.

 

I tried fitting a 22mm wrench onto the nut, but it just didn't seem to fit.
Should I just use an adjustable one?