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Leaf Spring Shackle Hangar


spydergun45

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I completed the right rear passenger side. It was a pain every step of the way. Truck is a 1999 Ford Ranger 2.5L RWD.

Easy way to remove the leaf spring is by cutting the bolts with a good reciprocating saw blade. If your truck is old as mine, the heat, rust will have pretty much fused them to the steel bushing. Just so you know, I wasted a lot of time trying to remove the bolts. Then I began trying to cut them off using 4.5" angle grinder, blade wouldn't reach. Pretty much spent about 5 hrs f'ing with it. Eventually went and bought a steel reciprocating saw blade, cut the last bolt. Pulled out the spring.

To remove the bushings, I just drilled out the rubber. I had done before when replacing motor mounts on my car. Bushings out.

It was on to removing the old metal from the hangar from the frame. Easiest way is to grind the heads off, use prybar to pry off the remaining metal and grind off the remaining heads and use a large punch, to punch out the rivet. I found hitting the frame, makes a crack around rivet and hole so I could see where to put punch. They came right out with a few smacks of 2.5 lb sledge.

Attaching the new hangar I obtained from Advanced Auto Parts. The bolts had a 2.00 pitch, the nuts were not same pitch. I could not get the nut to thread on bolt. Went to Rural King and bought proper nuts. Took about a 22mm wrench. Really difficult reaching the nuts. There is a hole in the frame right above the nut, making it easy to get the wrench on the nut.

I took a 10 lb sledge and drove the bushing that came with the shackle from Advanced Auto Parts into the leaf spring. I had cleaned out the inner part of the leaf spring with sand paper and file then greased it with bearing grease.

I was unable to find a location that sold bushings for the other end of the leaf spring, so I made one out of an old rubber mallet. I trimmed it to nearly 1.5" using a reciprocating saw, then used an angle grinder to make it round and the correct size. I then drilled a 5/8 hole through it. Cleaned out the eye of the leaf spring again. Greased, then drove the bushing into the eye. Ideally having a steel sleeve insert is how it is suppose to be done. But I didn't have any steel tube and didn't have money to buy any, so I just put bolt in. I figure it'll last a long time even without one.

I put on and fastened the spring to all the shackles. Put all the tools up. Put tire on. Cracked the spare tire back up. Took for a drive. Drove great. Bed was back to near level. This job would go much easier with a lift. Oxyacetylene Torch, better jack, large metric and standard wrenches. In garage rather than outside on ground with temp around 90f.













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alwaysFlOoReD

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Good write up.
I feel for you. I just did the same job on my 94 about three weeks ago. Basically the same procedure was followed but didn't need to do the second grinding, the rivets pounded out easily. The upper bolt on mine came out quite easily, but I didn't remove the shackle from the spring, I left the bushing in place.
 

spydergun45

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I always start projects with a positive attitude, maybe it'll not be as bad as I'm expecting. My hope was I could remove the bolt. Grind the rivets out, put new hangar and shackle on and fasten back. When I couldn't get bolt out of bushing. The only options I could think of was to remove spring. I took a punch and stuck it into the bushing and used a 10 lb sledge to hit it. Even with PB Blaster it wouldn't budge. So I took a drill bit, drilled all around the rubber in the bushing. Used chisel to scrape it out. Want to help the next guy.

The other side is the same, except the previous owner put a 4 x 4 above the spring eye to prevent it from going through the truck bed. I'll have to do same work on that side but will wait until cooler weather.

Thanks for sharing your experience.
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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I once took some springs to the spring shop to get the old bushings out. They used oxy/acet. and burned them out. It cost me over $100.00..... I'll know better next time. either I'll burn them out myself or drill them like you did.
 

BryanG

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I have replaced both rear hangers on my son's 2000 Ranger. It is a PIA but it's definitely a DIY project. I took a butane torch and heated the spring eyes up until the bushing melted and I could push it out. Never took the springs off his truck. Makes a smelly mess but gets the job done.
 

STPL

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I always start projects with a positive attitude, maybe it'll not be as bad as I'm expecting. My hope was I could remove the bolt. Grind the rivets out, put new hangar and shackle on and fasten back. When I couldn't get bolt out of bushing. The only options I could think of was to remove spring. I took a punch and stuck it into the bushing and used a 10 lb sledge to hit it. Even with PB Blaster it wouldn't budge. So I took a drill bit, drilled all around the rubber in the bushing. Used chisel to scrape it out. Want to help the next guy.

The other side is the same, except the previous owner put a 4 x 4 above the spring eye to prevent it from going through the truck bed. I'll have to do same work on that side but will wait until cooler weather.

Thanks for sharing your experience.
Using a drill is the way to go. I didn't even take the leaf spring off the front bracket. Using a long drill bit I removed as much as the rubber as I could and was able to punch the rubber bushing out. IMO it was much faster and cleaner than torching it out. Plus you don't want to be inhaling all those rubber fumes.
 

duce07

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tools used / spring bushing

ok got new Dorman shackle's and Spring hangers for the 99 Ranger ,my old ones were rusted and falling apart, cleaned out the spring eye but I dont want to take my springs off the truck SO what is the easiest and best way to press the new bushing into the spring ???

Thank for any help:icon_confused:
 

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