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How to remove axles and springs

yakmastermax

yakmastermax

1/2 ton status
Joined
Feb 4, 2012
Posts
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Location
Albuquerqu NM/ Austin TX
This is going to sound really stupid but I can't find any threads detailing the process by which one would remove the axles and leaf springs. I tried searching for axle removal but all I got were threads on how to remove shafts from housings. I tried searching spring swaps and all I got were threads on literally swapping springs. Am I missing any keywords:confused:? I'm trying to get a detailed step-by-step in order for me to drop my axles and remove my springs in prep for front lift springs and a shackle flip.

Thanks all!
 
DANGER: Always use proper proper jack stands on a firm surface to support your vehicle and always ensure that the wheels are blocked to prevent the vehicle from rolling. Do not trust your e-brake to do this for you. The transmission parking pawl will no longer hold the vehicle when you remove the driveshafts.

1. Disconnect steering
2. Disconnect brakes
3. Disconnect sway-bar
4. Disconnect driveshaft
5. Disconnect vent line
6. Disconnect hydro assist hoses or locker connections
7. Remove U-bolts*
8. Remove differential
9. Remove bolts from front of spring and back of spring at the shackle. Cut out with thin cutoff wheel if seized.
10. Remove springs
11. Remove shackle bolt if required. Cut out with thin cutoff wheel if seized.

* Do not re-use u-bolts. They are torque to yeild and stretch when installed. Re-used u-bolts do not have the same clamping strength as new.

NOTE: Ensure you seal the end of the brake line(s) to ensure you do not bleed all the fluid out and introduce air into the master cylinder. Use vice grip pliers on front hoses and use a rubber cap on the rear (bleeder valve caps work great!)
 
That's really pretty much it. Just read through some of the build threads on here and you should get a feel for how it all transpires.
 
Spray all bolts to be removed with PB Blaster or something similar several times in advance.

Put the frame on stands (make sure the truck is solid), it will be a lot easier to get those axles out.

You need to drop the gas tank to install the shackle flip. Might want to make sure the tank is close to empty before doing that. It sucks to drop a tank with very much fuel.

Not a very hard job, but you will probably need 2 days.
 
I got a siphon pump for the tank:waytogo:

I feel comfortable with the axles drooping right above stands and just zipping off the ubolt nuts. The axles should just fall onto the stands then can be rolled away.

What about the springs though? At full droop are they still under tension? In order to loosen the two bolts on either end do I need to compress them?
 
Once the weight is off of the springs they are no longer under tension. Just remove the bolts at the ends (eyes) and you can drop the springs right out. There is no danger except dropping them on your foot.

Instead of opening up the brake system you can always just unbolt the calipers and hang them from the frame. This only works for the front.

And I prefer NOT to clamp a brake hose as it can sometimes break apart the insides and lead to hose failure. :whistle:

When I did my axle swap I found it necessary to remove the tires/wheels and let the axles hang as low as possible. When I cut the u-bolts I had a floor jack under them to support and then just lowered the jack and rolled them right out. The average floor jack and stands are not tall enough to get the truck up high enough to clear the axles with tires on them.

Install was pretty much the same, roll them under on the floor jack and just jack them up to the springs then install the new u-bolts.
 
Not to hijack, but do people really throw away used u-bolts? I'll be replacing my axles with 1-tons soon and I got all new U-bolts, but soon I plan to also replace the springs. I'm not going to do it all at once due to $$. U-bolts are not cheap and these things will be nearly new.
 
Mastiff said:
Not to hijack, but do people really throw away used u-bolts? I'll be replacing my axles with 1-tons soon and I got all new U-bolts, but soon I plan to also replace the springs. I'm not going to do it all at once due to $$. U-bolts are not cheap and these things will be nearly new.
Click to expand...

Would you re-use torque to yield head bolts cause they are expensive? The fact is simple that they only stretch once. Sure, you can get full torque on the nuts again but they simply do not have the same clamping force as before.

U bolts are a cheap price to pay vs new tires, sheet metal or an accident if you shear a centering pin in the spring pack and the axle slides on the spring. I've only once ever re-used a set and that was exactly what happened to me! I was lucky it happened off road and just caused a trail repair and a badly gouged tire when it met my firewall.
 
I ended up removing the axles first, then the springs. The process went smooth on account of thoroughly soaking everything in PB blaster the night before and make use of an impact gun.

The truck is up on stands supporting the frame and the front bumper welded to the frame. I disconnected all small lines to the axles, the dif breathers, the brake hoses (clamped them off with vise grips because I'll be going stainless extended lines for the lift). With the springs slightly compressed (jack pushing the axles up) I removed the shock eyelet bolts and removed the shocks.

I then placed jack stands under the axles so that once they were loose they would only fall a half inch or so before resting on the stands. With and impact gun I loosened and removed the ubolt nuts. By the time the last nut is coming off the opposite side should be resting on the jack stand.

For the front you have to remove the pitman arm from the steering arm with a pickle fork or if you're planning on replacing the steering arm with one for your lift, remove that as well. Removing the steering arm is a process and a search will yield a lot of results.

Once the axles are on the stands you can lower them side by side onto movers dollies or something and then they're easy to maneuver out from under the truck.

With the springs just hanging they are under no tension except their own weight. Undo the eyelet bolts on one side and drop that side down. Undo the other side and the spring is free!

I hope this helps someone
 
Note to anyone that is working with u-bolts, either on or off, but mainly off. Use grease, not oil on the threads. The bolt gets too hot too fast, and vaporizes the oil. Grease holds up much better.

As to the whole re-use or not...do you replace your lug studs every time you change a tire? Got a combined total of 10 years on two sets of used u-bolts on the rear, and 10 years total on the front set, and neither has loosened up, and I've checked them continually. As a matter of fact, last I dropped the 14 bolt (to change lug studs to 1/2" wait no didn't have to drop it for that, changed springs, duh) the nuts were as much a bear to get off, as any I've ever taken off before, even originals on trucks.
 
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Russell said:
Would you re-use torque to yield head bolts cause they are expensive? The fact is simple that they only stretch once. Sure, you can get full torque on the nuts again but they simply do not have the same clamping force as before.

U bolts are a cheap price to pay vs new tires, sheet metal or an accident if you shear a centering pin in the spring pack and the axle slides on the spring. I've only once ever re-used a set and that was exactly what happened to me! I was lucky it happened off road and just caused a trail repair and a badly gouged tire when it met my firewall.
Click to expand...


I'm with russ on this one. If anyone has every cut a ubolt with a torch, grinder, or sawzall, they will see one thing happen. The bolt will snap back when the cut is close to through. It does that because of tension. Will it still have tension on reused bolts? yes, but not the proper amount. I'm sure some people have been fine, but it still doesn't make it right.


I'm guessing the people that are saying they are fine, never took a Statics or strength in materials class in College.
 
I'm guessing the people who say to replace them have never been a mechanic.

Martin
 
82355 said:
I'm guessing the people who say to replace them have never been a mechanic.

Martin
Click to expand...

:weapon21::weapon17:
:weapon31::weapon37:
Oh snap! CK5 throwdown about to happen!:haha:

I'm no mechanic, and although I had a statics class in college I got a D, so I'm not sure I took a whole lot away. So apparently I don't know jack and should just keep my mouth shut. But, for me, as a hobbyist- I'm going to go with Eaton's recommendation. Yes, U bolts are a little spendy, but if I'm going to be doing something to the truck I can wait another month to have the cash and know I'm not chancing anything.

Also, what the hell is this smiley supposed to be?:weapon40:
 
So you just installed new springs and are getting some angle shims correct, are you going to buy a stack of U-bolts so you can throw them away every time you need to adjust the shims? I know everyone here will get the shims right the first time, but pretend you made a mistake and needed to adjust. I just spent $100 or so for U-bolts from ORD, and I will not be replacing them if I need to change something within a few months. My completely non-scientific view is that these are all 20+ year old trucks, not space shuttles. You have a U shaped hunk of steel about 0.5" in diameter. I'm not concerned.

There is no real downside to experts and lawyers telling you to replace everything every time. As a totally anecdotal data point, my father in law was a nuke plant inspector for many years and took a two week course on fastener inspection for that job many years ago. He said he doesn't replace U bolts that come apart easily and have good threads.
 
jekquistk5 said:
It does that because of tension. Will it still have tension on reused bolts? yes, but not the proper amount. I'm sure some people have been fine, but it still doesn't make it right.

I'm guessing the people that are saying they are fine, never took a Statics or strength in materials class in College.
Click to expand...

So the question remains, if u-bolt re-use is a no-go, why is it ok to re-use any other fastener? If there is a difference, I don't understand what it is, between a u-bolt, and all other fasteners that are under tension.

As I understand the basics of steel, as long as you don't go past it's yield strength(? no, never took any of those classes lol) it will never break, no matter how long it is in use, barring external factors. That is my understanding on how the torque specs are derived: Fastener diameter, thread pitch, and material used in fastener, and material it is threaded into/onto.

I'm not arguing, I just don't understand how a u-bolt is different than my favorite example to compare to, lug studs. Most of us end up loosening and tightening each one hundreds of times, without a thought. The question would seem valid for others like the shackle bolts, power steering box bolts, etc. as well. GM specifically mentions certain fasteners to not re-use, u-bolts aren't one of them though. :dunno: Of course that doesn't mean it wasn't an oversight.

If there is a difference, I would like to learn what/why there is. I certainly concur with the "just because it has worked doesn't mean it's right".
 
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First if you want to reuse u bolts thats fine, that is your opinion. Every type of steel has a different elastic memory and tensile strength. Think of u bolts as rubber bands(I know it's weird). The longer the band is stretched it well develop memory and not return to its original state. It will require more stretching to get the same clamping force as before. For shimming As long as you don't torque all the way down you should be fine.
 
I've reused them, but unless they come apart very easily (very rare around here), they get thrown.
 
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