Help leaf springs please

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

In process of replacing leaf spring u bolts and I have to shim my pinion. I have U bolts nearly removed. What are a few good tricks to remove the alignment center pin/bolt ? Keep in mind these have never been removed. So getting a little socket on there is impossible. Plus there’s no room for a socket inside the recess from underneath, where the nut attaches.
The best approach that I can think of. Is after all U bolts are removed. Try hammering a medium duty metal wedge in between the springs and plates. Hoping the pin/ bolt will snap. I’ll Attach C-clamp on springs, prior.
Does anyone have any other suggestions or tricks on how to remove them ? A torch isn’t available

jamie · Oct 8, 2019

Clamp the springs so they don't fly apart and grind/cutoff wheel the head off.Slowly release the clamp. Why are you taking that bolt out?

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

jamie said:
Clamp the springs so they don't fly apart and grind/cutoff wheel the head off.Slowly release the clamp. Why are you taking that bolt out?

To shim my pinion angle. The original bolts won’t accept a shim. They are too short. I understand the clamps. It’s impossible to get under the axle perch to grind the head off and you can’t grind from underneath because it’s in a recessed hole ?

Fran Blacker · Oct 8, 2019

I'd put a bottle jack under spring with one pump or so to keep spring hole aligned. Plus what jamie said. Your want to loosen nut and play with jack and tap nut on bottom up. Then raise spring with jack and if center pin drops stop and then clamp spring.

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

I appreciate it guys, I’m not being disrespectful the slightest. But, you’re missing what I’m saying. The original center bolts both are way too short. The nuts are on the very end of the bolts and both nuts are inside the recessed hole on the bottom shock plates.
You can’t access the nuts to grind or use a socket. And you can’t access the pins heads to grind because they are directly under the axle. You can’t drop anything as long as the center pins are installed. They have to be removed and replaced with longer ones to accept metal pinion angle shims because the increased thickness. I can’t access either ends of the pins. Unless, I use a torch from the top to melt the head off, which I don’t have. A wedge is the only way I can think to break the center bolts. If I hammer the hell out of a wedge in between the plates and springs. Hoping the center pins will snap. Of course they won’t, if I want them too, lol !

Fran Blacker · Oct 8, 2019

If you remove u bolts and shocks from shock plate studs the shock plates will fall off.

Fran Blacker · Oct 8, 2019

You need to jack up rear end to remove the weigh from springs.

66 Sat · Oct 8, 2019

A photo might help to explain your problem.

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

Fran Blacker said:
If you remove u bolts and shocks from shock plate studs the shock plates will fall off.

No they won’t. If the center pin is still installed. Penetrating and fastening all parts.

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

66 Sat said:
A photo might help to explain your problem.

Yeah, that’s probably best. I ll post some pics tomorrow night. I thought all b bodies would have had the same original issue. The center bolts provided today are much longer and have a nut that is easily accessible from under shock plates. Mine aren’t like that. Without a doubt, they are original pins because they have a bullet shaped heads and they haven’t been cut or broke off.

jamie · Oct 8, 2019

"you're missing what I am saying" quote

Yep, hell I thought you were shimming your pinion.

jamie · Oct 8, 2019

Your not going to do this with the wheels on the ground.Jack it up,put Jack stands under the frame,take u-bolts out,Jack up that side of axle, and take off shock plate.Then clamp and cutoff bolt head.

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

jamie said:
"you're missing what I am saying" quote

Yep, hell I thought you were shimming your pinion.

I am, but the center bolts are too short to allow that. If they were longer, all I would have to do is loosen them and drive a shim through. They need removed and replaced with longer ones to accept shims. The pins are not accessible. Unless I use a torch to cut the heads off. Because that’s the only way you can get to them.

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

jamie said:
Your not going to do this with the wheels on the ground.Jack it up,put Jack stands under the frame,take u-bolts out,Jack up that side of axle, and take off shock plate.Then clamp and cutoff bolt head.

Already done that, only thing stopping me at this point is the center pins. I ll post pics tomorrow around this time.

jamie · Oct 8, 2019

Shimming a pinion and altering your pinion angle are two different things.

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

jamie said:
Shimming a pinion and altering your pinion angle are two different things.

Ok, lol ! Wrong terminology then. I’m sorry. I’m adding shims to drop the rear pinion angle down 2 degrees because of driveline vibrations at high speeds. Because the car is higher in the back than it was stock.

jamie · Oct 8, 2019

Gotchya. I am actually lost on why you cannot do this. I will wait to see pics of this mysterious b body.

R/T Boy 67 · Oct 8, 2019

It sounds like you think the center pins hold the shock plates on. They don't. Do what Fran Blacker said and have at it. The plates may be stuck with rust, but they will come off.

pearljam724 · Oct 8, 2019

jamie said:
Gotchya. I am actually lost on why you cannot do this. I will wait to see pics of this mysterious b body.

R/T Boy 67 said:
It sounds like you think the center pins hold the shock plates on. They don't. Do what Fran Blacker said and have at it. The plates may be stuck with rust, but they will come off.

Ok, my mistake. Sorry and thank you guys. I was under the impression that the center pins, bullet shaped head works like any other bolt head. In that it fastens the springs to the top axle perch. If the hole in the axle perch is larger than the head. Allowing the head to drop down through the hole when the axle is raised or springs lowered ? I get it now. So the head works only as a guide to align the rear end when it’s in the holes ? Won’t I still need longer pins once the shims are added to allow a new head to penetrate up past the axle perch hole for proper alignment ?

69L48Z27 · Oct 8, 2019

Correct, it’s a locating pin.

Any time I shimmed a rear axle, I just put the wedges in and ran the U-bolts back down. Locating pin will still contact part of the hole if it’s just a thin shim.

Help leaf springs please

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