About to replace my rear leaf shackle, after hearing all the horror stories, should I break the upper and lower bolts before I put it up on stands? If im gonna end up using breakers, pipes and my body weight it sounds like a better idea to have it on the ground. But maybe the axle needs to droop for the bolt to come out? Who's got my answer?

 

I needed to torch my weld nuts cherry red just to keep from destroying the hardware; shrunk the carpet on the passenger side of my hatch area too. Have fun.

 

Still doesn't answer my question, can I get the bolt loose with load on the axle? Or does it have to be on stands

 

you can do it with the axle in the air. You can't leverage off the assembly to help you.

 

mine were fairly simple put it up on stands small breaker bar and out they came it was all original and a 89 just the luck of the draw i guess

 

Yea me, came apart easy. I just put jacks under the frame rails and kept the jack under the axle to be able to make adjustments to the axle

 

seems the consensus is to do it on stands. I have been soaking thoes bolts a couple times a day for the last week. This being my DD and having work and school i have to get it done in one day