Hey every one! Im replacing my saggy leaf springs this weekend and wanted to see if missing anything or get any advice for replacing them.
I have new leaf springs, shackles, leaf spring bolts, and u bolts. Tools I have (beside basic tools Jack, jack stands, wrenches ratchets, etc) are 4" hand held grinder with cut off wheels, impact tools with 33gal compressor, and a sawall with 6 metal cutting blades. I started soaking the the bolts with pb blaster multipal times a day (roughly a can a day) and will continue doing this until this weekend. Are there any other tools that you think i might need? Im hoping I can get them replaced pretty quickly on saturday but I have set aside the entire weekend just incase I run into issues. This is my DD so it needs to be on the road by monday morning. I have been reading alot on here about replacing the leaf springs but figured I would just ask for any advice to make this some what quick and painless.

 

Not overly complicated. As long as your not throwing a leaf that's not for your ride height. Just remember your seperating the body from the axel "suspension". So jacking it up by only from the axel isn't gunu do any good. You'll need the unibody on stands and lower the axel. There might be some angle stuff to look into in regards to the shackles. But I'm not sure.

 

i had a real hard time with the upper shackle bolts. the nuts are welded into pockets inside the frame rail and they snapped so i had to cut the shackle bolts out and get new ones/weld in new nuts.

avoid breaking the weld nuts if you can. spray them with pb blaster and use a torch/ heat

if you take off the rear bumper you can cut open the endes of the frame rails to get at the weld nuts

good luck!

 

1. Apply E-brake.
2. Chock front tires.
3. Place jack under rear axle.
4. Raise vehicle until the tires are off the ground.
5. Remove rear wheels.
6. Place jackstands under the body in a spot that will support the weight of the vehicle.
7. Lower the jack until the rear axle is hanging by the leaf springs. (Keep the jack underneath the rear axle)
8. Remove shocks.
9. Unbolt the u-bolts and lower the rear axle a bit to get the pins out of the spring perch.
10. Unbolt front and rear spring/shackle bolts.
11. Install new springs/shackles.
12. Line up centering pins into the spring perch holes.
13. Install new u-bolts.
14. Install shocks.
15. Torque to specs.
16. Install wheels.
17. Raise vehicle and remove jackstands.
18. Lower vehicle, test drive and check your work.
I think thats about all the steps....I might be missing a few minor things...hope this helps.

 

Hi, i just delt with quite few leaf shackles and springs and a few snapped bolts and even a little rot/ welding........
. here is all i have for basic heads up;

if there is any rust, be sure its just rust, then brush it off the shackles,
this is of course after its on stands and secure, i use a small jack under the axle to position the new springs in and stabilize and drop em for removal
lube the **** outta the bolts for a day ahead at least, esp where the bushing ends against the frame rail mount...
use a torch the day of on the shackles and frame not on the bolts, then go at it....
thats really the hardest part, get in do the braket/ u bolt nuts and so on so fourth...
make sure new springs nipple lines up with the extending one.....

 

..... Rang87 pretty much nailed it, i was just speaking in terms of if its a possible snapped bolt case.... just got into a grind/ weld project with my rear right... its actually coming out stronger but it set me back a week on my project.

 

Old bolts are jerks

Lube it. Tighten and back it up, tighten a little for every time your back it up. Always kinda worked for me

 

If you are doing new shocks..be prepared to break the upper bolts.

 

Thanks guys for all the info and help! Hopefully with my regiment of pb blaster it will loosen everything up. If the main eye or shackle bolt wont come out which is a easier fix to get the leaf and the bolt out? Cutting eyelet off and then remove bushing sleeve or just take the sawall to both sides of the leaf spring then try to remove the bolt from the welded nut? I have new bolts going in so I don't care what happens to thew old ones. Also does anybody know torque specs for the u bolts and the leaf spring/shackle bolts?

 

I think an impact wrench makes the main eye very easy to get out. A torch to burn out bushings makes things easier as well because the bushings tend to seize. I used a mapp one. Your best tool is going to be patience with this one.

 

borrow from another site but im sure its 1000000 times on this site too


U-Bolt Nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 N·m (52 ft. lbs.)
Front Pivot Bolt . . . . . . . . . 156 N·m (115 ft. lbs.)
Upper Shackle Bolt . . . . . . . 156 N·m (115 ft. lbs.)
Lower Shackle Bolt . . . . . . . . 108 N·m (80 ft. lbs.)

 

Bpe!!!!

 

Its not hard man don't over think it..I did mine in about 2 hours.. you are doing the right thing by lubing them up first..like j rock said just back and forth maybe a little heat added to the mix..that's the hardest part is the shackles..other than that its easy...when you jack the jeep up and go to put it on stand check it 12 times if you have to wiggle it a little you don't want it fallin off them stands trust me lol

 

If you have a receiver hitch you can put a drop hitch in it and another jackstand setting on some blocks as a back-up just in case something happens and the jeep falls off the stands. I usually use 2 sets of jackstands in different places as a fail safe.

 

I can usually take the leafs out and put new ones in in around an hour.. With a couple weeks spent before spraying down with pb blaster.
Jack up the jeep with a floor jack under the "pumpkin" Get it as high as possible, put jack stands under the unibody and let the rear end sag. I usually un bolt it from the shackle first..I usually just leave the shackle there. Then unbolt it from the unibody rail.
It may take a cheater bar to get it started but ive never broken a bolt.
If you have a hitch you may have to back the bolt out that runs through the shackle, cut it, back it out more, and cut some more.. (sounds odd but itll make sense if you run into the issue)..then just replace with grade 8 bolts. Install at the shackle end first.