Looks like I'll soon be replacing at least one of my rear shackles on my 82 K2500 soon..passenger side one was all flaky and after beating all the scale off it,it now has some holes on the sides where it joins the lower bushing,and that whole bushing area is paper thin too..
On the opposite side,the u-bolt "top plate" has disintergrated ,leaving only two strips where it clamps the u-bolts to the spring,the whole center section crumbled into dust..I was told by a local GMC dealer ,that they are no longer abailablr from GM either..GREAT!..
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I spend the afternoon (or should I say wasted??) googling,and found a place or two that makes some top plates,a place called "Ballistic" that has a pair for 31 bucks + change,or I could get the same ones they made from Carolina Truggies for a few bucks less...the shackles may be available locally,I know of a few places to try that used to sell them,and I hear Doeman has some listings too,so maybe a parts store can get themm..
I am looking forward to fixing this ,about as much as being shot at sunrise...the bolts on the spring shackles I'm SURE will never come out of the bushings,never once have I been so lucky--and that means I'll need to buy new bushings,which will be a "mother" to install without taking off the springs completely..the bolts are installed with the nut end facing in towards the frame,so of course I cant use any of my "tricks" to extract them without wrecking the bushing too..
Lets see--I'll need U-bolts & the plate for the drivers side,thatll be about 50 bucks..add another 50 for two shackles,I might have some 9/16" bolts I got for my van and never used,thats another 100 bucks I dont have I need to spend on the truck..--and it still needs a master cylinder,reaer wheel cylinders,brake lines,the oil pan replaced (have one,just haven't felt good enough to install it for a year now!)..and the oil cooler hoses look like barnacles are growing on them too,they could pop any day too..
..just looking at the truck makes me feel like peuking now..
..wouldn't be so bad if I had MONEY and could afford to buy all this stuff and have someone else do the "suck" jobs like the shackles ,U-bolts and oil pan..
On the opposite side,the u-bolt "top plate" has disintergrated ,leaving only two strips where it clamps the u-bolts to the spring,the whole center section crumbled into dust..I was told by a local GMC dealer ,that they are no longer abailablr from GM either..GREAT!..
...I spend the afternoon (or should I say wasted??) googling,and found a place or two that makes some top plates,a place called "Ballistic" that has a pair for 31 bucks + change,or I could get the same ones they made from Carolina Truggies for a few bucks less...the shackles may be available locally,I know of a few places to try that used to sell them,and I hear Doeman has some listings too,so maybe a parts store can get themm..
I am looking forward to fixing this ,about as much as being shot at sunrise...the bolts on the spring shackles I'm SURE will never come out of the bushings,never once have I been so lucky--and that means I'll need to buy new bushings,which will be a "mother" to install without taking off the springs completely..the bolts are installed with the nut end facing in towards the frame,so of course I cant use any of my "tricks" to extract them without wrecking the bushing too..
Lets see--I'll need U-bolts & the plate for the drivers side,thatll be about 50 bucks..add another 50 for two shackles,I might have some 9/16" bolts I got for my van and never used,thats another 100 bucks I dont have I need to spend on the truck..--and it still needs a master cylinder,reaer wheel cylinders,brake lines,the oil pan replaced (have one,just haven't felt good enough to install it for a year now!)..and the oil cooler hoses look like barnacles are growing on them too,they could pop any day too..
..just looking at the truck makes me feel like peuking now....wouldn't be so bad if I had MONEY and could afford to buy all this stuff and have someone else do the "suck" jobs like the shackles ,U-bolts and oil pan..
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