Spring Eye Bolt Removal Tips

[bluehen]

I thought about doing a search and tagging this on the end of an old thread, but figured I'd do a new thread to help out the next guy that does a search.
I just finished installing my 6" BDS full spring kit this weekend. The eye bolts were nothing short of a beeyotch. Particularly in the rear, where I couldn't swing at hammer.

The best method I came across was to run a cut-off wheels just outside of the spring eye's. A 4.5" cut-off wheel will reach far enough into the bolt to sever most of it. Cut both the bolt on both sides of the spring leaving just a small portion of it. I was nervous to cut all the way through for fear of the spring torquing and grabbing the cut-off wheel. Then pry or pound to safely complete the break. Punch out the bolt head on the outside of the frame, then run a punch through the shackle or hanger to the opposite side bolt end and nut.

This method shortened up removal time to 10-15 minutes. You'll need new hardware and you'll still have to figure out some way to get the old bolt/sleeve/and bushing out of the spring if you need to reuse them, but atleast you can do it on a bench. Good Luck, all.

Search Qualifiers: rear front shackle spring eye bolt removal

 

[Silver84k5]

And if you live in here in the west, a good method is to pull it out with your fingers.... lol ;P

 

[sandawgk5]

Ya I had to hammer mine out with my index finger .

Ira

 

[bluehen]

Yeah Yeah Yeah... "we don't know what rust is..."
I bet you guys didn't have any troubles with your steering arm either. That sucker never did come off. Mine's on there so good, I should start a contest to see who could break it off. I just consider it an extension of the knuckle at this point.

 

[cegusman]

I have had some where I had to use that method and others where they just came out.

 

[sandawgk5]

I changed my steering arm by removing my Ubolts and swapping in a front 60 .

Ira

 

[cegusman]

Yeah Yeah Yeah... "we don't know what rust is..."
I bet you guys didn't have any troubles with your steering arm either. That sucker never did come off. Mine's on there so good, I should start a contest to see who could break it off. I just consider it an extension of the knuckle at this point.

I bet I could get it off, nothing a 16 lbs sleg can't handle

 

[bluehen]

cegusman, you're more than welcome any time to come to my garage and try your hand at the steering arm. I keep plenty of beer on the chill at all times.

 

[1-ton]

And if you live in here in the west, a good method is to pull it out with your fingers.... lol

You got that right.

 

[cegusman]

To bad your to damn far away or I would take you up on your offer

 

[jarheadk5]

When I pulled the rear springs off my '87 C10 donor truck, I used an air hammer with a pointed-punch chisel to push the shackle bolts bolts out. I used a 1/4" drillbit to make "cups" in the threaded end of the bolts, about 1/4" deep, so the punch wouldn't skip off the bolt.

Even that took almost a minute of hammering with the air at 110psi... stupid rust.

 

[big dan]

I had to use a bfh and lots of pounding to get my rear spring bolts out
next week I'll be changing out the front springs I hope they're not as stuck.

 

[Chevy305]

Yeah I am in the middle of replacing my 4in lift springs, and so far the rear has been a pain in the ass. I used my angle grinder a lot. I had to cut 4 out of 4 eye bolts on the rear springs. The front doesn't look so bad, but only time will tell.

 

[zeroz400]

The inner sleeves rusted to the bolt on my parts truck leaf springs. Just took a sawzall in between the the hanger and springs, took part off the bushing but not like it mattered. Poly bushings heated up from the sawzall smells like cherry vodka

 

[mouse]

Bluehen, I'll be in Delaware in Nov. If you don't have that arm off by then, I'll take a few swings at it!​

 

[85k30]

i used a ball joint press to force them out.

 

[13lazer]

after some of the worst day(s) of my life, i used my torch to burn up the rubber bushings. then a few more hours of sawzall and grinding went by. finally those miserable spring pieces of **** came off. then i used what was left in my torch to cut those leafs into unrecognizeable pieces of metal. then i lowered them into a vat of hydrochloric acid so that they could never send a robot back in time to kill me before i was born.

 

[bluehen]

Bluehen, I'll be in Delaware in Nov. If you don't have that arm off by then, I'll take a few swings at it!​

LOL... I appreciate it. Hopefully I'll have a D60 up there by Nov. and it won't be an issue. Send a pm when you get in town though. I'm in and around Dover alot. Especially in Nov. (startup of hunting season)

 

[cybrfire]

Living in the midwest there are several parts on a truck that when disassembling I don't even think about turning a wrench.

Spring eye bolts, we also use a cutting wheel but its 7" diameter to start with.

U bolts. (Torch)

Factory bumper bolts (Torch)

Those are the worst that come to mind.

 

[goldwing2000]

Yep. My flame axe is my favorite tool.
The flame wrench is a close second.

Something about the smell of burning steel...