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Broken Shackle


MartinsB3B

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I was replacing my warn shackles and the drivers side upper bushing head broke off. Yes, broke. So now, how do I get this out? Thought about trying to turn the shackle 360* to unscrew out of the frame; however the cab mount is in the way.

If it ain't one thing it's another!

Any advice welcome.

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Could you cut the shackle enough to allow 360 degree rotation with no interference? Looks like it's almost worn through at the top (common). If not, it might be loose 'nuff in there to just pound it out. You could then cut the bushing as mentioned and extract it from the frame mount.

 

x2 on Rare parts, this is the only supplier I would buy new suspension parts from.

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I agree, cut the shackle but alow enough to get a grip with channel locks or a pipe wrench. As you know the shackle and hanger are both threaded..... And it can be a bummer to replace the hanger especially if you don't have to.

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That's a good idea, make sure you grind the nut a bit anywhere you plan to weld, it will stick far better and get good heat on it when you weld (high setting) , and do not cool it down, let it cool on its own for about a minute, then start turning while the heat is stil working for you

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That mount/shackle/bushing deal is a tough one....but common with neglected trucks.

The shackle has worn into the bushing, in affect bonding the bushing to the mount.

The shackle end will be dog-boned shaped and not act as a bolt would when trying to get it to back out.

Sometimes I use a big slide hammer with a tab welded to the shackle to bust it out. The bushing will be thin walled from wear and falls apart from the hammering. Welding to the shackle stub sounds good, but trying to get stuff to rotate in that oval enviroment can snap the shackle end inside the mount itself. If you do get the shackle out, the inside surface of the mount will be worn because of the abuse of the bushing, but in most cases still usable.

 

The mount itself can be a bear to get out as well, the rivets are swollen into two layers of steel. What happens when trying to remove the mount is the rivets gets cut and drilled, then hammered through the hole. As the rivet gets free from the first layer of steel (frame), the second layer (backing plate) is flat and not "C" shaped, it acts like a spring and can be frustrating. I try to use C-clamps to hold the backing plate still.

 

Random thoughts about something I've delt with a dozen times. ^_^  

 

48D

Edited by 48dodger
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Well with the beating and banging the shackle broke off leaving the threaded part inside the hanger along with the bushing. Probably going to grind the rivets out and remove the hanger to put it on the mill and cut it out. Or just replace the hanger.

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Did you not try welding a nut to it? Without a torch or good heat source, it never would have moved likely in a million years. Grinding those rivets will be fun, their pretty hard, I saved a set of running board bracket off a 47 Fargo and that was a sold hour even to air ha,met and grind them all off

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The reason the shackle broke is because I was trying to pry the leaf spring off the shackle. So now I'm going to try heating hanger with map gas to swell it and try driving the shackle/bushing out of the hanger. If that doesn't work I'll try a cutting torch to melt the shackle. Or just remove the hanger.

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If the shackle is broke in two, you should be able to drive the one end out of the spring, and then work on the hanger half. DO NOT use the cutting torch heat on the spring, not a good idea on spring steel as it makes it brittle, and that might already be obvious, but just covering all basis. Map gas might warm the hanger up enough, but turning the shackle will do the most good as its threaded, so pounding it out will be a big fight

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That is a real tough one you got there.

If it were mine I think I would do every thing I could to leave the mount in place. You might consider drilling out the remaining shackle using progressively larger drill bits until you can collapse the shell. Then you should be able to get either a hacksaw blade or jewelers file in and attempt to cut through the thin part of the worn threaded bushing. If you are able to do it this way some heat and penetrating oil should allow you to work the bushing out of the mount.

 

Hope this is of some help.

Jeff

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Oh crap......ok, now quite honestly I would take the hanger off, trying to work with that on the truck, in no shop and drilling in hardened steel will be a huge task at best. The best other alternative, get a used hanger from another member that's in decent shape, install with grade 8 bolts and put the new shackle in....that one will never be right by the time you get it all apart IMO

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