Leaf Spring perch removal tips

[veefer800canuck]

Help: Leaf Spring hanger removal tips

So I plan on replacing the leaf springs and hangers on my 94 2wd ranger. The hangers are quite rusty and thin, the spring bushings are well, 17 years old, and the leaf springs are beginning to wear, the lower springs slowly eating into the upper ones.

Not too bad yet, but I picked up a full set of springs and hangers from a wrecked 2008 4x4, in excellent condition. The teflon rub blocks between the leaves hardly have any wear on them at all.

I battled getting them off the wreck yesterday, which was hard, but quite doable because the wreck was flipped upside down (no cab, engine, or trans).

Now before I install them in the 94, I was looking for some tips, because those damn factory rivits are difficult to remove.

My plan is this: remove the box, heat the rivit heads from the outsides of the framerails with a torch, and hit them with my air chisel while they are glowing hot to remove the heads.

Is there a better way? Would centerpunching them and drilling them out be a better approach? Use a drill bit that's a fraction smaller than the rivits?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

 

[veefer800canuck]

Oh, and the differences I could see between the 4x4 springs and 2wd springs is a lift block that goes under the 4x4 spring pack, between it and the differential. It's got a protrusion that sticks out to contact the bump stop. I do NOT plan on using this, as the 2wd is not so equipped.

The 4x4 leaf pack also has 4 leafs, well 3 really and a bottom leaf that isn't really curved. I AM planning on using this as I do tow a trailer from time to time.

This is not my picture, but the 4x4 springs look identical to these, and my 2wd ones only have the upper three:

Should be fine, yes?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Don't bother with the heat. Take a cut off wheel on a die grinder if you can, cut an X in the head of each rivet. Now take a sharp chisel on your air hammer and peel the heads off. Now switch to a punch bit and push them through the frame. And those are the leaf spring hangers, not perches. The perches are welded to the axle and the leaf springs sit on them btw.

Hands down the fastest way to remove the rivets. Just the did the rear hangers on my 97 after work a couple days ago, had em changed out in about a half hour.

 

[Heavyfire14]

angle grinder with a cutoff wheel works just as good, but yea the air chisel will work good too, try without heat the first time then with heat if it doesnt work... dont forget to use grade 8 hardware when you replace the hangers!

 

[veefer800canuck]

And those are the leaf spring hangers, not perches. The perches are welded to the axle and the leaf springs sit on them btw.

I knew that, but it's late and I'm bagged. Mixing my nouns. Post edited, thanks.

I'll try the suggestions you guys threw out. And yeah, I had planned on grade 8 hardware for sure, and some locktite on the nuts so they don't loosen off.

And I already have a punch bit for my air chesel.

Thanks for the fast replies.

 

[veefer800canuck]

Maybe a good excuse to buy one of these?

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/1/CompressorsAirTools/AirTools/PRDOVR~0587702P/Ingersoll+Rand+Angle+Die+Grinder.jsp?locale=en

Or maybe this:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/1/CompressorsAirTools/AirTools/PRDOVR~0588419P/Mastercraft+1+4-in.+Full+Die+Grinder.jsp?locale=en

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The 90* job with a 3" cut off disc works wonders.

 

[veefer800canuck]

Cool. Always on the lookout for excuses to buy tools.

I'll post up when I get to the install, probably not until I get my regular week off later this month.

What you think about the extra item in the 4wd leaf pack?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Yes, will be fine.

 

[F8LBITE]

Have you looked here?
http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2009/spring_shackle-hanger.htm
Or this thread
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119693

You might get some useful info out of those.

 

[mp3deviant721]

I think these guys pretty much have it well covered. I was going to say though, avoid using heat, your gas tank is located right next to one of your hangers, you don't want to cause a fire because you were trying to fix your truck.

 

[veefer800canuck]

Read all the tips, thanks for the links, will get after it probably near the end of the month when I have the time off work.

 

[veefer800canuck]

FINALLY got some time to swap out the springs, hangers, shackles, etc.

Appreciate all the help you guys gave, thanks.

Before starting the job, I bought a full set of 1/2" drive deep impact sockets, metric and SAE, 49 pieces, on sale, for $64.99, regular $219.99! Excellent!

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/Sockets/SocketSets/PRD~0589146P/Mastercraft+Maximum+49-pc+Impact+Socket+Set.jsp?locale=en


With the 4x4 springs/extra leaf in the rear, the truck now sits 1-3/8" higher in the back than before. I did not use the lift blocks that were on the donor 4WD truck.

This was measured to the top of the rear spring hangars with the box off. I had intended to measure to the bumper before removing the box, but I forgot. So I measured at the rear hangars before/after the spring swap.

The nuts inside the framerail by the fuel tank were the worst to get threaded. I used an open end wrench, and taped the nut to the wrench, and held it in place while threading the bolt through.

The other 3 were a piece of cake. I didn't want to remove my fuel tank because it was full.

Also, the front hangars were a bit different, the upper two bolts were much closer together, so I had to bolt the two lower ones in, then drill new 1/2" upper holes x2 on either side. No biggie really.

And the E-brake cable bracket needed it's hole hogged out a bit, as the front 4x4 spring eye bolt was a little larger O.D., and would not slide through the bracket. A quick touch with the dremel and a grinding stone, and it was the right size again!

 

[veefer800canuck]

Old hanger bracket, started disintegrating when I hit the bolt with the impact gun:

Old and new(er) leafs together:

Protected my e-brake cable from rubbing on the bracket:

And the rest of the improvements are below. Will finish painting the framerails tomorrow with some more Tremclad (I only had 1 can in the garage), and pop the box back on.

Made sure the bolts were all torqued to spec as per the manual, and the U-bolts were evenly snugged with the same length of threads sticking up over the nuts.
I was able to re-use the original U-bolts, they were in great shape and came off easily. They were also plenty long enough to accomodate the extra leaf.

I found torque specs for the new grade 8 hardware on the web and used that.

A little better condition than the ones I removed, LOL:

You can see how much narrower the top of the new bracket is in this shot, from the unused holes way out to the sides:

Rear brackets were identical, no drilling required:

 

[Heavyfire14]

looks GREAT