14bolt FF spring perch/centering bolt question

[mplogic]

Ok, swapping a 3/4 ton 14bolt FF into my 89 Blazer. The rear end came off of a 77 pickup with a 2-3" lift (blocks). I notice the spring perches have dowels in them and the old blocks have a hole in the center for the dowels and the centering bolt on the springs. Were these dowels driven in when the old lift was originally done or did they come from the factory like that? I'm doing a shackle flip in the rear and wanted to mount the rear end directly to the spring w/o any blocks to minimize axle wrap. Any recommendations on how to get them out or is cutting and drilling my only option? ...or should I get some short blocks to make it work (might sit too high in the back)?

 

[70~K5]

Try grabbing the pins with vice grips. They were just pushed into the blocks and probably got stuck in the perchs. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[4X4HIGH]

Yep, what 70~k5 said. Those are the pins from the blocks that just got stuck in the perches. Just grab them with pliers and pull them out. I did my 14BFF conversion back in January in my 89 blazer. Works real good and now I feel confident that nothing will ever break. Now I am doing a rear disk conversion on it.

 

[mplogic]

That's cool. That's what I thought. Unfortunately, I had the housing powder coated with them in. Doh! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif We even tried locking some heavy vice grips on them and tapping with a hammer, but we can't seem to get them to budge. I'll try putting some stripper around the base and see if removing the powder coating helps. Probably just "glued" in. Thanks for the info.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

Worst case, grind them flat and drill 'em out.

 

[70~K5]

Take a xacto(sp) knife with a sharp blade and cut the powder coating around the pin. Then hit it with a 3-5 pound hammer. If it doesn't come out then soak it with pen. oil. If it still won't come out heat it up and hit it with the hammer again. You could drop a nut over and weld the nut to the pin, then put a big wrench on it to turn it.

 

[mplogic]

Sweet. After some hammering and gripping and banging and pulling and some more hammering, we finally got them out (actually my mechanic friend did). /forums/images/icons/smile.gif Tricky little buggers, they were just kinda rust locked in there. Just glad we didn't have to cut and drill.