DarcSystems
09-30-2006, 03:29 PM
I had been putting it off for a while because I knew it was going to be a pain in the ass. I needed to replace the shackle mount on the drivers side. I was right, it was a pain in the ass. To do it right, you're supposed to drop the gas tank, etc... but you know, when you're working on the wrong side of the street, half way on the sidewalk with cinder blocks and a floor jack, you wanna do it as painless as possible.
Here's the breakdown, incase anyone else has to venture into this unknown.
I went out, set up. Plug my grinder into the extension cord coming off my porch, and plug my trusty light into my console. I run into the house to find my safety glasses....and when I come out, it's pouring. So my disposable camera that I got for this was soaked, my grinder was soaked, everything was soaked. I throw it all in the truck, put the windows up, and go back inside. I swear the second I walk inside, the clouds opened up and it was sunny again.... Eeyore syndrome.. Anyway, I walk back outside, now the ground is nice and wet for an especially uncomfortable time, and rain clouds start circling instantly. Luckily, they did not fall. So now I get to the work.
I started by taking a chisel and splitting the rest of the damaged mount so my spring was free enough that I could bend it out of the way. After I secured it into a desired position with my trusty tire iron jammed up against the frame and inner lip on the 1/4 panel, I began the grinding. There are 4 steel rivets. Big suckers. I went through 4 grinding wheels in my efforts to grind them down. It was a little tough working around the remainder of the mount, so I took a hammer and smashed it flat. Now I had my clearence.
I ground them down till I saw the circle outline of the stem under the rivet head. Now I knew that the head was gone, and would not interfere. So, when all 4 were ground down, I took a punch, a 2.5lb sledge, and *BAM*
....nothing happened. So after some swearing, I decided that maybe they were welded from behind (usually they just tack the ends so they stay put). So I took my chisel again, wedged it between the mount, and the frame, and gave it a few taps. The mount slowly worked its way off, and left behind 4 shiny pegs where holes should be.
A couple good whacks with the hammer and they weren't there anymore. ;)
So now I have 4 holes, and I'm noticing to two left holes are infront of the gas tank. The frame is not boxed, but the gas tank fits perfectly in its place, and it's going to be impossible for me to get those two bolts in and such.
So I bolt up the first two on the right side. I squeeze my fingers through an electrical passage, and up and over the frame. I drop the bolt....
Now I got my magnet out, and I'm trying to retrieve the bolt. I drop the magnet....
Now I have my hook tool, and I'm scraping the frame rail from the 1/4 inch gap between the tank and the frame. I stand the magnet up with the tool, and out comes both the magnet and bolt. A couple tries later I get the bolt in.
Now due to the circumstances of me never getting a nut on the bolt with the clearence I had, I was force to put this bolt in through the inside of the frame, so the first 2 point in, and this bolt points out. Now here lies the problem. How will I hold the bolt head if I can't get a wrench in there?
Simple solution. I used 2 inch bolts for this exact reason. Once I get my washers, and lock washer in place, I finger tighten the nut as far as it will go. I take 2 more nuts and use them as jam nuts on the bolt shank. This way, I grab the inner jam nut, and the bolt doesn't move when I tighten up the original nut. Problem solved. Here's an illustration:
http://www.darcsystems.com/jam.jpg
Ok, so now I have 3 bolts in. I'm going to have clearence issues with the shackle because of the shank, so I'm going to cut it off. There is no way I will get the last bolt in, so guess what? It's going to stay like that. Maybe someday I'll find a huge rivet and put it in right.
So now I decide to do my work with the shackle. I already disconnected it from the leaf spring with a lot of grunting and groaning, and finally CRACK, the nut unscrewed. Whew....saves me 20 bucks getting a new bolt.
Ok, now, the other bolt in the shackle still hasthe broken parts of the mount bolted through it. I was going to cut the bolt off, but since I couldn't find a store that sells grade 8, 9/16, 5 inch bolts, I had to try to save it. I put it in a vice, and use a 4 foot pipe to turn it. It came off. Sweet! Ok, so now to get the actual bolt out. It looked like it was a little rusted in there, so I sprayed it down with penetrating oil, and let it sit for a few. Then I took a hammer, and gave it a couple whacks....nothing. I took a bigger hammer, gave it a couple whacks...nothing. Now I'm 2 handing it, and all that's happening is it's smooshing the bolt down...not out. Great. Ok...so the bolt is going to be useless. I already smashed the threads, so no point in saving the rusty thing. Now, how am I going to salvage the shackle? I cut the bolt head off with the grinder, and try it from the other side. No go. This bolt is permanant.
So, now that it's dark out, I gave up, and today I was going to buy a shackle and bolts, but haven't yet because I just got back from a friends house and I'm exhausted. I jammed a diamond plate up over the spring, against my filler tube and frame, so the spring wasn't riding on my floor, moved the truck down the street, jacked it up enough to get a jack stand on the frame rail so I could alleviate some pressure on the plate, and it's sitting there still.
Sorry for the long story. :) I wish I had some pictures. I'll see if my buddy can take some of everything.
Here's the breakdown, incase anyone else has to venture into this unknown.
I went out, set up. Plug my grinder into the extension cord coming off my porch, and plug my trusty light into my console. I run into the house to find my safety glasses....and when I come out, it's pouring. So my disposable camera that I got for this was soaked, my grinder was soaked, everything was soaked. I throw it all in the truck, put the windows up, and go back inside. I swear the second I walk inside, the clouds opened up and it was sunny again.... Eeyore syndrome.. Anyway, I walk back outside, now the ground is nice and wet for an especially uncomfortable time, and rain clouds start circling instantly. Luckily, they did not fall. So now I get to the work.
I started by taking a chisel and splitting the rest of the damaged mount so my spring was free enough that I could bend it out of the way. After I secured it into a desired position with my trusty tire iron jammed up against the frame and inner lip on the 1/4 panel, I began the grinding. There are 4 steel rivets. Big suckers. I went through 4 grinding wheels in my efforts to grind them down. It was a little tough working around the remainder of the mount, so I took a hammer and smashed it flat. Now I had my clearence.
I ground them down till I saw the circle outline of the stem under the rivet head. Now I knew that the head was gone, and would not interfere. So, when all 4 were ground down, I took a punch, a 2.5lb sledge, and *BAM*
....nothing happened. So after some swearing, I decided that maybe they were welded from behind (usually they just tack the ends so they stay put). So I took my chisel again, wedged it between the mount, and the frame, and gave it a few taps. The mount slowly worked its way off, and left behind 4 shiny pegs where holes should be.
A couple good whacks with the hammer and they weren't there anymore. ;)
So now I have 4 holes, and I'm noticing to two left holes are infront of the gas tank. The frame is not boxed, but the gas tank fits perfectly in its place, and it's going to be impossible for me to get those two bolts in and such.
So I bolt up the first two on the right side. I squeeze my fingers through an electrical passage, and up and over the frame. I drop the bolt....
Now I got my magnet out, and I'm trying to retrieve the bolt. I drop the magnet....
Now I have my hook tool, and I'm scraping the frame rail from the 1/4 inch gap between the tank and the frame. I stand the magnet up with the tool, and out comes both the magnet and bolt. A couple tries later I get the bolt in.
Now due to the circumstances of me never getting a nut on the bolt with the clearence I had, I was force to put this bolt in through the inside of the frame, so the first 2 point in, and this bolt points out. Now here lies the problem. How will I hold the bolt head if I can't get a wrench in there?
Simple solution. I used 2 inch bolts for this exact reason. Once I get my washers, and lock washer in place, I finger tighten the nut as far as it will go. I take 2 more nuts and use them as jam nuts on the bolt shank. This way, I grab the inner jam nut, and the bolt doesn't move when I tighten up the original nut. Problem solved. Here's an illustration:
http://www.darcsystems.com/jam.jpg
Ok, so now I have 3 bolts in. I'm going to have clearence issues with the shackle because of the shank, so I'm going to cut it off. There is no way I will get the last bolt in, so guess what? It's going to stay like that. Maybe someday I'll find a huge rivet and put it in right.
So now I decide to do my work with the shackle. I already disconnected it from the leaf spring with a lot of grunting and groaning, and finally CRACK, the nut unscrewed. Whew....saves me 20 bucks getting a new bolt.
Ok, now, the other bolt in the shackle still hasthe broken parts of the mount bolted through it. I was going to cut the bolt off, but since I couldn't find a store that sells grade 8, 9/16, 5 inch bolts, I had to try to save it. I put it in a vice, and use a 4 foot pipe to turn it. It came off. Sweet! Ok, so now to get the actual bolt out. It looked like it was a little rusted in there, so I sprayed it down with penetrating oil, and let it sit for a few. Then I took a hammer, and gave it a couple whacks....nothing. I took a bigger hammer, gave it a couple whacks...nothing. Now I'm 2 handing it, and all that's happening is it's smooshing the bolt down...not out. Great. Ok...so the bolt is going to be useless. I already smashed the threads, so no point in saving the rusty thing. Now, how am I going to salvage the shackle? I cut the bolt head off with the grinder, and try it from the other side. No go. This bolt is permanant.
So, now that it's dark out, I gave up, and today I was going to buy a shackle and bolts, but haven't yet because I just got back from a friends house and I'm exhausted. I jammed a diamond plate up over the spring, against my filler tube and frame, so the spring wasn't riding on my floor, moved the truck down the street, jacked it up enough to get a jack stand on the frame rail so I could alleviate some pressure on the plate, and it's sitting there still.
Sorry for the long story. :) I wish I had some pictures. I'll see if my buddy can take some of everything.