Removing leaf springs

[BACKINTANG]

Here I sit with busted knuckles and all the cuss words used up. I just attempted to replace the leaf springs on my 66 coupe that has sat in the garage for 9 years. The drivers side went smooth. The passenger side is where I have the problem. The eyelet on the forward part of the spring is rusted to the bolt. I chipped away a bit of the old bushing to get a set of channel locks on the eyelet, but the bolt will not let go. Does anyone have a trick to get this *&(*(&**^*&^ off?

 

[67GTFastback]

Basically, you have to cut the bolt off to get it out. I used a 7" cutting disc on an angle grinder to get the majority of the way through, and then finished with a carbide blade on a sawzall. Good luck. You may have to cut both sides on the bolt as close to the spring as you can.

 

[ozstang65]

Well, um... Good Luck! This particular job took me quite a few hours as the front eye bolt on mine hadn't ever been removed before. Rusted solid.

I ended up making a press from a huge G-clamp and a disused socket and some other lengths of pipe for leverage on the G-Clamp.

Here's what I did:

1. Soak the bolt as much as possible in your favourite 'rust release' spray
2. Cut the head off the Eye bolt. Tricky, I think i used a hacksaw
3. Undo the Eye bolt nut. Move it to the end of the bolt but don't take it off, the G-clamp needs something to rest on.
4. On the cut-off end of the Eye bolt, place the washer back over the bolt, this is needed so that the socket will push on the spacer tube inside the chassis rails.
5. Place the socket on the washer, and then clamp the bolt/socket with the G-Clamp, the threaded part of the clamp should be facing the centre of the car (the socket is required so the bolt has somewhere to go when you tighten the clamp)
6. Get a long bar/tube and start turning the G-Clamp.
7. Try to stop swearing

Hopefully the bolt will begin to move!
I actually bent the G-Clamp removing mine (2"x1/2" cross-section. It was the biggest clamp we had and I had to toss it once i'd finished.

 

[67coupestang]

i used a sawzall too pita just take ur time and be patient. and i too feel the pain, i was trying to crack the bolt with a chisel and i missed the chisel and wound up fracturing my hand with the hammer. it still hurts LOL

 

[D.Hearne]

This has got to be the most entertaining thread topic. The "Old Frozen Eye Bolt In the Spring" again. Tools needed for changing rear springs: Sawzall, Cutting torch ( and a good fire extinguiser watch that burning rubber !) A BFH, Long punch, couple six packs of your favorite beverage.

 

[LMan]

Mistah Hearne nailed it. Dont even bother trying to unscrew those things.....cut if off, replace with new bolt!

Its like the 'how do I rebuild my 40-year-old rusty spring perches?' questions....

2-step process:

a. call NPD and order new spring perches
b. install shiny new spring perches




....and I'll have one of those beverages, thank you very much

 

[D.Hearne]

Its like the 'how do I rebuild my 40-year-old rusty spring perches?' questions....

2-step process:

a. call NPD and order new spring perches
b. install shiny new spring perches

That also goes for ALL of the suspension parts as well. Cheaper in the long run to buy ALL new parts. Then remove all the old parts and bolt on the new ones. You can either do it the hard way (one at a time) or the easy way (all at once)

 

[ForceFed70]

I've done this a few times now, on a few different vehicles.

Easiest is to use a cutting torch.. however you've got to deal with a fire risk, and some pretty nasty fumes.

2nd easiest(and what I would reccomend) is a cutting wheel on an angle grinder. Cut the bolt 1/2 way through, then turn the bolt to get the other side.

3rd easiest is sawsall.

Then you get into home made presses and other methods...

 

[cardude]

Basically, you have to cut the bolt off to get it out. I used a 7" cutting disc on an angle grinder to get the majority of the way through, and then finished with a carbide blade on a sawzall. Good luck. You may have to cut both sides on the bolt as close to the spring as you can.

ditto, I had to do the exact same thing. after 4 hours of cussing I decided to cut it. beside the nice smell of burning rubber it went pretty smoothly. and yes I had the problem on the pass side too.