Tips for R&R of Leaf Springs and Shocks on a 68 vert

[ZFORCE]

Looking for the wisdom...SFM'ers, I'll be doing this on Thursday 12 24 09.

Haven't done leafs in years, but I'm about to remove and replace the rear shocks and leaf springs on my FIL's 68 vert.  According to the PO, it is an original Arizona car so not much rust.  Have the impact, the BFH, Marvel's Mystery, jacks and jack stands, and all the wrenches and pry bars handy...any tips, or tools I'm missing?

Also have the big guns too (oxy/acetylene, plasma) if I get in deep!

[B67FSTB]

spray the nuts and bolts with some anti seize spray or rustremover a few days ahead.Let it soak a bit.
When you do the change.
Jack up the rear of the car very high so you can roll the entire rear axle with tires underneath of the car.Use some supports in the rear and block the front wheels
Then you have to support the rear axle with a jack , unbolt the shackles and slowly let down the entire rear axle.
Unbolt the axle from the leafs and roll it underneath the car to the rear.
Unbolt the front eyes of the leafs.
Reverse to mount.
Hope this will help you a bit.

[ZFORCE]

Thanks for the tip.  A couple of questions:

Do you leave the tires on, and why or why not?  Seems that I would have more room to work if I remove them and use jack stands to support the rear end.

You don't mention the drive shaft, I'm assuming that it's still connected?

[AzPete]

I have never removed the rear end from under the car unless I was doing other work. No need to have to re-bleed the brakes and all. After soaking the bolts for a couple days, I supported the car on stands, took pressure off the rear springs by lifting it with a jack, unbolted the rear shackles, then the u-bolts at the axle, then the front spring mount bolts. Removed one spring and replaced. Then went to the other side.

The front bolts may not slide out no matter what due to wear. You may need to cut them along the spring edge using a saws all.

[midpack]

+1 on the sawzall... have good blades on hand

[bluestang]

Still remember taking a 65 GT cvt to a tech I knew, to replace springs. Said the job would take no more than an hour. Drove into station, left car, took his and went to get us Danish and coffee. Came back and he was finishing up the first one!! What he did was jack up the pressure on compressor, put an air chisel head in his impact wrench and literally shook the forward bolt loose! Car was originally from Louisiana(pre Katrina), and had minimal undercar rust. Had delivered the springs the day before, along with new bolts and detailed rear shackles and U-bolts.
BTW: That is a VERY NICE 68 cvt!! SUPER SHARP!!

[blue65coupe]

Unbolt rear from springs and support with a jack.  Already have the car on stands.  No need to disconnect the rear from brakes and ds and roll it out.  As mentioned, spray all bolts a couple days ahead of time.  When bolting everything back together, tighten each side of u-bolts a little at a time and take plenty of measurements.  It took me 4 or 5 times to get the rear straight.  You will find it tends to shift a little when torquing the u-bolts.

[RustyRed]

I've been reading the replies here because I need new springs and have been debating doing it myself or having a buddy at a local shop do it for me.

[PJ Moran]

I've been reading the replies here because I need new springs and have been debating doing it myself or having a buddy at a local shop do it for me.

Aside from the rusted bolt problem, it's really straightforward.  Get the rear wheels off the ground and support the BODY/FRAME forward of the spring perches.  You use a hydraulic jack under the pumpkin to lift and lower the axle as required to unload the springs / bolts.  R&R one side at a time.

Remove the U-bolts, then the rear shackles, then the front bolts.

If your bolts are "frozen" (rusted) inside the spring eyes, then you have my sympathy.  I can see how an air chisel would bust them loose.  I don't think you can get an impact wrench on them.  Since the chances are good that you'll need new front bolts, get those before starting.

[blue65coupe]

Nothing to it.  I found my spring bolts weren't too bad and they were original.  The most time consuming part was getting the rear straight.  Just put the car on stands, unbolt the u-bolts, raise the rear with a floor jack, go after the springs.  The bolts came out without too much trouble with the use of a hammer and pry bar.  Actually I think I had to back one out with a wrench.

[jims6t6]

I have never removed the rear end from under the car unless I was doing other work. No need to have to re-bleed the brakes and all. After soaking the bolts for a couple days, I supported the car on stands, took pressure off the rear springs by lifting it with a jack, unbolted the rear shackles, then the u-bolts at the axle, then the front spring mount bolts. Removed one spring and replaced. Then went to the other side.

The front bolts may not slide out no matter what due to wear. You may need to cut them along the spring edge using a saws all.

+1

[ZFORCE]

Thanks for all the replies!  As I said, it has been awhile since I last did this.  I'm glad that I asked!  All the tips are wonderful, I especially appreciate the tip on taking measurements!  Genius!  Never even crossed my mind.  Especially since the springs can only go in one way, and the springs have pins and locating holes!  I will take plenty, and pics if anyone is interested.

Thanks for the complements on the car.  Since that pic, I have applied the C stripes.  The purchase story is on the VMF, but I can link it or post here if anyone is interested.

[lethal289]

Not much more that i can add.

Thanks for the complements on the car.  Since that pic, I have applied the C stripes.  The purchase story is on the VMF, but I can link it or post here if anyone is interested.

I'd like to check it out.  Is this the one that was using the late 90's donor car?  I always wondered what came out of that project.

[Sluggo]

+1

+1 again.

BTW, That's a pretty nice 87? yota pickup, color code 557, with 96 Tacoma wheels you got there.

[ZFORCE]

Thanks, it's a factory Turbo, with the heavy duty R151 5 speed tranny.

I rebuilt the engine and turbo, replacing the seals and turbo exhaust housing about 3 years ago.  It's the only one I know of with factory power windows, door locks, and deluxe door panels with the vent wing window...because I gutted a couple of 4 runners for the parts and fabbed up my own PW PDL harness with all the factory relays!  Probably TMI (too much information), huh?

[ZFORCE]

That would be Dirty Harry my 67 vert and I have gathered $$$ in parts, but I have a pool in my back yard that I need to finish first.  It WILL be done before summer!  Then, I get to play with my mustangs!  Started wanting a kenne bell, now I have 2! One for Dirty Harry and one for Code Red, my 66FB.  I've got all the parts lined up, just need the time...soon, real soon, and I'll post the pics.

Here is the 331 KB that is going in Dirty Harry

[Sluggo]

Thanks, it's a factory Turbo, with the heavy duty R151 5 speed tranny.
Probably TMI (too much information), huh?

Nope. I should caught the turbo emblem. Super rare rig yo got there.

[tarafied1]

my 67 was from the rust belt. The metal sleeves in the bushings in the front rusted to the bolts. the bolts would spin fine but not move sideways to come out and they are sandwitched in there. I used a torch on the first one. Not a good idea. The rubber bushing caught fire. Lots of of gooey hot smelly rubber everywhere. And smoke, lots and lots of smoke. I used a cut-off wheel On the other side, much better. I tried the the air chisel, no luck. I hope yours aren't rusted but if they are, don't use the torch!

[PJ Moran]

I used a torch on the first one. Not a good idea. The rubber bushing caught fire. Lots of of gooey hot smelly rubber everywhere. And smoke, lots and lots of smoke.

I had a similar experience.  I didn't abandon the torch, though.  I just had a helper with a spray water bottle handle and he kept putting out the flames as they came up.  This was back before sawzalls were commonplace.

I honestly don't know how one could get a sawzall blade between the sleeve and the frame bracket.  You're likely to chew up the frame bracket doing it this way.  It's the spring and hardware that's expendable, not the car body.  You also run the risk of "pecking" the underside of your car to death with the tip of the blade - things are tight in there.

I guess since the bushing and sleeve protrude out each side a little bit, you could slice through the bushing, then hit the sleeve and bolt without touching the bracket.

[AtlantaSteve]

I have a bookmark to a site that talks about a fix for the "Bolt rusted to the metal sleeve" problem, but it's a geocities site, and they closed a few months back  :cry

BUT, I remember the basics.  Basically they got a bolt and a 2" long nut, The nut+bolt are put between the rocker panel and then turned so that as they expand they push the bolt out.  I wish I had the pics, hard to explain with words :(

OK I just checked, and luckily archive.org still has the page, but not the pictures.

http://web.archive.org/web/20030217050901/http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3573/Special/spring.htm

[daveSanborn]

Steve,

Yes, the "expanding" nut/bolt device works as a small press to force the frozen bolt out.


When I went to help Brian (Havok1) strip his car last Winter his leaf spring bolts were stuck pretty good.  I believe we used a 3-5 pound mallet and kept beating the heck out of the bolts.  Both of them eventually broke free, but it wasn't without a lot of effort/hammer blows.

[AtlantaSteve]

When I went to help Brian (Havok1) strip his car last Winter his leaf spring bolts were stuck pretty good.  I believe we used a 3-5 pound mallet and kept beating the heck out of the bolts.  Both of them eventually broke free, but it wasn't without a lot of effort/hammer blows.

I'm not under my car right now so I'm having a hard time visualizing the area, but as I remember there's about 3-4 inches of clearance from the end of the bolt to the rocker panel...how did y'all get mallet in there, and even more so, how did you have room to swing??

I'm betting mine are gonna be a bear, so I'm collecting as many ideas for getting those suckers out as I can!

Steve

[daveSanborn]

As I remember we used a long 1/2" drive extension that angled..... awkwardly.... out away from the car.  We had to be careful not to miss while swinging the hammer or we would have put a nice mallet head sized dent into the front of the lower rear qtr. panel/rocker panel.

[tarafied1]

I used a cut-off wheel on a die grinder rather than a sawzall.

[jims6t6]

The sawsall works great. Not a lot of room but there is enough. We just did a club members car only took one sawsall blade. actually the right rear shackles upper bolt was harder to get out.