Crap...boogered up spring hanger.

[ghunt]

I just happened to find today, while looking at something else, that the driver's side front hanger on my rear leaf spring is messed up. It looks like the outside half below where the bolt goes through is missing, and there's a big hole in the inside part of it behind the spring eye, and I can see where the bolt is beating up the outside part. Yikes.

Best price I found on these hangers is $39 each plus $13 shipping (for two) on ebay...does anybody know of a better price than that?

Also what is the best way to go about replacing these? I know you have to knock the rivets out of the frame. I don't have an air hammer but if it really makes the job easier I could get one.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

air hammer only knocks the rivets out, you still gotta grind or burn their heads off first - a 4-1/2" high-speed angle grinder and a 1/4"-thick grinding wheel if you choose the grinding method, altho the fastest way is burning them with an oxy-acetylene torch. Now getting the bolt out of the spring, that's a whole another story, you may wanna try taking care of this first before fighting the rivets for the frame...

 

[Agnem]

We have a good tech article on dealing with the bolt in the spring. If those rivets are anywhere near as difficult as the ones I fought trying to free up a front cross member, I don't know what you would do. One thing is for sure, a hammer and a punch is not suffcient to try and get it out.

 

[ghunt]

I just looked at the tech articles and I only see one about getting the bushing out of the spring...nothing about getting the bolt out of the bushing. Am I missing something?

I don't have a torch although my brother has a rig. Maybe I will ask him about it. If not I was figuring on grinding/cutting off the rivet heads.

One other thing I just noticed...my factory hangers have 6 rivets holding them on, most of the frame hangers I'm seeing listed even for the 4x4 F250 & F350 only have 4 holes in them. Will those ones still work?

 

[ghunt]

Does anyone have any input on this?

I bought the hangers, looking at them it's no wonder my driver's side hanger broke, some of the metal on it has gotten down to as thin as 1/8" or so (damn rust).

Anyway it looks like this is gonna be a ***** of a job, because I'm afraid that the bolt in the spring bushing won't be willing to come out without totally fubaring the bushing (if it comes out at all), and I don't have a press to install new bushings

 

[sle2115]

Been there done that, my truck is sporting all new hangers. I'm sure you can make the 4 bolt ones work, but what you paid for 2 is less than I paid for one "correct" one! I would (proof is they are on my truck) get the six rivot ones. As for the spring bolt, cut it off and replace the bushing. I got my bushings and bolts at Blacks Spring in Zanesville, Ohio. Very affordable, and last I knew they would ship anywhere. I put Poly bushings in mine and they will be MUCH easier to change if the need ever occurs. An air chisel will be your best friend on getting the old ones out. I burned the heads off and drove them out in short order with my air chisel with a punch tip.

Just my .02

 

[Knuckledragger]

removing rivets

Getting rivets out is not at all difficult if you have a drill motor, a hammer and chisel. Find the diameter of the rivet and punch a starting point on the round head end in the center of the round head. If you do not have a pin punch, sometimes you can beat the top of the rivet to get a flat spot to start drilling.

Carefully drill a hole about 1/16" smaller than the rivet body through the head (at least 1/8" past the head is best). Placing the chisel at the bottom of the rivet head, give her a few good whacks and the head should pop (or at least tear) off. The rest of the rivet can be driven out the opposite direction.

 

[Agnem]

I would concur that it is often necessary to cut the bolt through the spring eye, as they have a tendency to petrifiy with the bushing sleeve. Sawsall is probably a good tool for that.

 

[ghunt]

I forgot to mention I bought the correct hangers- someone linked me to a pair of them, with mounting bolts, for $130 & free shipping so I bought those. I bought a couple Grade 8 bolts for the spring itself along with washers and locknuts last night.

Anyway...I had figured on just cutting/grinding the rivet heads off, I guess I wasn't all that worred about THAT part of the job. Getting the bolts out of the bushings, I am wondering about.

So I take it I will want to invest in an air chisel for this job. I was looking at some a couple years ago but never bought one.

 

[gonecrazyi]

I tried a a sawzall when I did the front bushings on my truck, all I have to say is good luck with that. Even with the hardest blades I could find I couldnt cut through the factory bolts.

I said to heck with this a got out the big grinder and went to town. I think I had all four bolts off in 15 to 20 minutes. I ground the nut off and then ground the bolt between the bushing and the shackle on the head side and smaked it with a hammer a few times.

As for getting the bushings out of the springs, I had an old craftsman drill that I used to drill a few holes in the bushings. Then I took a big screw driver and a hammer to the metal bushing on the outside of the rubber one. Pryed a decent section in and then hit the bushing with the hammer knocking everything out.

Wasnt to hard, just a little time consuming. But once you do one side the other side will go a lot faster.

 

[ghunt]

gonecrazy: did you manage to get the bolt out of the original bushing?

Honestly I don't really want to replace the bushings unless I HAVE TO. If I can get the bolt out, leaving the original bushings in will be fine with me.

 

[93turbo_animal]

Do you have an impact? I have used an impact and figured out ways to put preasure on the bolt and spin it with the impact

 

[ghunt]

I don't have an impact myself but I can use one out at my dad's. If I could break the bolts loose there, I could probably do the rest of the job in my own driveway.

What do you mean by you "figured out ways to put pressure on the bolt?"

 

[Todd C]

I have gotten some pretty badly rusted bolts/bushings out of the leaf springs by burning the bushing out with a torch, when all else fails. Thats after cutting the bolt free from the hanger with a sawzall. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE FLAMES! If they're that bad you pretty much have to replace the bushings too. It's messy and it stinks, but eventually the rubber will burn out and you can get the metal shell with an air hammer or chisel. It's a real pain, but it can be done.

I've used the angle grinder/punch method to get the rivets out. Just replace them with the correct size grade 8 bolts.

 

[fordpower21]

to get the bolt out of the bushing i used a big c press with a hydralic ram it works most of the way out wasnt too bad after that