RangerRick82

BillyBoy

I cut mine out. make sure to take tension off the spring first so it doesn't kill you. used a metabo and a sawzall. slow and careful-

BlueRidgeMark

Can't say without pics. With a stock hitch, there's no reason to mess with it to replace the springs. If the hitch is really in the way, somebody got creative.

One thing to remember - the leaf spring bolts are normally secured with red Loctite. This is intended to keep a bolt from moving - EVER. The only way to get them out is to use heat to melt the Loctite - that's how it's intended to work.

If you use brute force without heat, you are almost certain to break out the nut, and then you are into a major repair job.

RangerRick82

fb97xj1

Yet some still attempt it, even knowing theres red loctite in there. They see a bolt and think "Ok, its just a bolt. A little rust. Ive done plenty of these before. All i need is a breaker bar and ill be done in 15 minutes". SNAP! So they grab a sawzall and cut holes in the framerails to fish out the nut. Or maybe theyll go thru the floor. Lots of cutting, grinding, welding, more grinding, primer and paint, possibly undercoating. So now that 15 minute job takes two days because they didnt learn the first time and took the breaker bar to the rest of them, snapping them off as well. More cutting, grinding, welding, more grinding, primer and paint, possibly undercoating. "Your vehicle is ready, sir. That will be $1100.19."

Joy.

RangerRick82

Thanks All- Great advice. I had called 2 other shops and yet again, both of them refused the job without seeing the jeep. I was intimidated enough with my mediocre shop skills but am worried now that doing it myself is the only option. I'm wondering if removing the hitch setup is the way to go...I'll post pics later of my setup to show you guys. I have a sawzall and I believe the right tools for the job, but messing with spring pressure might not be up to my comfort level.

EZEARL

I removed my Hidden Hitch when replacing the spring shackles. Left it off until I later on replaced the springs. It just makes life easier providing more space to work. I also reversed the upper shackle bolts for easier removal just in case.

As far as dealing with spring tension? With the use jack stands and hydraulic jacks you can keep spring tension to an absolute minimum if not completely absent.

PatHenry

My Jeep is currently on jack stands with one side pretty much done and the other ready to start tackling the spring-to-frame bolts. I also have an aftermarket hitch.

Considering how rusty and crappy the old shackles are, you're going to want to replace them ($20/e for crowns on Amazon). Since to do so you're taking out the frame-to-shackle bolt, there's no problem with a typical hitch - you don't need to even remove the spring-to-shackle bolt since you're likely cutting the spring (or if you're like me, the spring will just fall off the shackle bushing).

I was able to lower the axle so it sits on the lowest setting on a set of 2.5 ton jack stands (slightly smaller than the common 3 ton stands holding the body up). This allows the spring to completely separate from the axle, so zero tension.

Replacement isn't so much hard as it is time consuming. I have a terrorist 2 year old that won't go to sleep which, when combined with work, has severely delayed my work on the Jeep. I did not break the weld nut on either the front or back on the side that's done, but I definitely ran into the bushing seizing to the bolt problem. I cut the eye on the front and worked the rear out until I could safely cut the old bolt.

When you put it back together you can reverse the bolt (as others have mentioned) and then if you need to undo it again for whatever reason, it won't interfere with the hitch.

I got Dorman springs (120-ish/e on Amazon), Crown shackles (20/e on Amazon), New U-bolts (I forget the cost - $20-30) and 6 new Mopar bolts ($6/e on RockAuto). I got a couple 10.9 grade nuts from my local ace hardware for a couple bucks (for the leaf-to-shackle).
I decided to melt the red loctite on the new bolts and do blue loctite on the threads and anti-seize on the un-threaded section. I don't see how one can assemble the springs and not torque them down until you lower the vehicle on the tires with the red loctite on there.. the torquing wouldn't work if the bolts can't move due to the loctite! The blue loctite I feel is a good middle ground, you get the anti-vibe properties, but can still move the bolts without heat.

EDIT --- If yours is as rusty as mine is, I'd also recommend having some welding blanket/"plumber pad"'s. I got a 2 pack of 12"x12" pads ($15 on amazon) The floor above the front leaf eye on mine had rusted through (my Dad was able to poke a finger up and lift the carpet right above the rear seat) - so I stuck one of the pads above the bolt when using the torch.
Also if you're keeping the rear sway bar (many folks just remove it completely) then you may want to get a new pair of links and bushings (I think they're like $15/e for the link and like $10 for a 2 pack of bushings (Moog) on Amazon). There's a plate that sits under the nuts on the u-bolts that the links bolt into (on a side note, Bleepin' Jeep recommends that plate as a cheap bar pin eliminator.. lol). I wanted the plate there even if I don't have a rear sway bar (since the U-bolts are torque to yield) and I had to remove the bushing from the bar and put the link/plate in a bench vise and use a lot of heat to remove the bolt. It destroyed the old link (even just bending the top part when pulling the bushing was enough that I'd not re-use the link).

Don't be an idiot like me and try to connect the front leaf spring-to-frame bolt with the spring bolted to the axle. I wasted half an hour screwing with it until I wised up and did the front spring-to-frame bolt and shackle-to-frame bolts first (they went right in without tension) then the U-bolts to spring, then the shackle to spring last. When I did it that way it went right together.

PatHenry

Seriously - don't worry about the spring pressure. You can lower the axle enough to completely take the tension off.

awg

I have done a few of these with the hitch on, and it only restricted the rear spring bolt, not the upper shackle bolt

If I was you, I would see if I could loosen off the front spring, and rear upper shackle bolts...if you can do that, all will probably be well

in the case where they get a bit seized on the bush, I have bashed them out with a hammer and spanner or pickle fork on the head

never needed heat, but I have come across a couple with factory red loctite.
Heat would have been better, but I was in a junkyard, so not available.

used a jack under the diff to relieve spring tension on the bolts

If you have rusty bolts, getting the hitch off isnt much fun


On the last rearend swap also sprayed a mix of ATF/turps up into holes in the chassis member that retains the bolts one week before, really saturated the whole area

jpz

I just did my rear springs, with an aftermarket installed. In now way did the hitch get in the way. I'm not sure what brand of hitch I have, but nothing stopped me from completing the job.

67 GMC

I've done two (87 and 91). Start soaking all the threads with PB Blaster 4 times or more and let it set an hour or two between each soak. Most likely heat will be required but get a MAPP/Oxygen set up. A propane torch will take too long and won't get as hot. The bushings will smoke a lot but you're putting all new springs and bushings in anyway. The fronts eyes are the worst. I had a hitch on the 91 and it was not in the way. I could get a box-end wrench on it and then with a pipe on that I could get them all off. Need to be creative with jack, jack stands etc. Watch out for the rubber brake hose connected to the axle. It doesn't like to stretch too far when lowering the axle from the body.
It takes awhile to get them done but it's pretty straight forward. U-bolts are the easiest part.

BlueRidgeMark

Straight MAPP gas will get it done.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=mapp+gas+t...nt&ia=products

PatHenry

x2 - This worked for me. I had bushings frozen on both front eyelets and the drivers side rear - cut the spring and bushings, took a chisel to the sleeve and then hit the bolt with MAP torch and it came out no problem. Pass side rear came off with just heat.
All 4 of my welded nuts are intact (though the same cannot be said for the floors above the spring eyes.... g-d rust!)

RangerRick82

Guys- I will post pics tomorrow of what I'm up against. Wondering if I can just drop the brackets above the leaf springs and drop them that way. The main connecting bolts on those things are rusted bad. The main bracket may just be out of the way of the hitch connection, making it a bit easier possibly. So- Being the fact that I need new shocks and springs- would this be THE time to do the lift kit? (maybe looking for an excuse a little)

thanks guys