Radarsonwheels Posted July 13, 2017 Report Posted July 13, 2017 Howdy from greaseville! I am doing the front shackles on my 54. I unscrewed the front spring eyes and cut the silent U shackles first. That way the whole stripped beam axle and springs dropped out as a unit and I can work on it all not laying on the ground under my truck. I was left with the upper halves of the shackles and their sleeves to unscrew. I'm so happy that I was able to get them both to move before stripping the corners off their heads. Removing the stampings from the frame doesn't look like fun. The passenger side is out after some struggling and a brief loss of all hope. The driver's side is moving (!!) but every time I bench press a 1/2" rachet with a 20" pipe on it I get one rachet click! Heat helps a little and I keep spraying it with penetrating oil but oof this is a struggle! Does anybody have any suggestions for installing the new ones? When I did the rears there was MUCH more access and it was still a pain in the butt with lots of breaker bar wrangling to get the sleeves screwed in. My impact gun only got them part of the way in. I can't wait to have it all brand new and tight- the old stuff was pretty rough! Kevin Quote
Fowl Jeff Posted July 13, 2017 Report Posted July 13, 2017 Hey Kevin - just a tip: it might be reverse thread. I know my 1/2 ton had reverse bushings - pretty sure it was the driver's side. I'm at work but can check when I get home if you want. - Jeff Quote
Radarsonwheels Posted July 13, 2017 Author Report Posted July 13, 2017 Thanks! I was worried too because I know one of the four is left hand thread. Lefty loosey got the frame side out on the passenger side and is already coming out very sticky and slowly but also counter clockwise. It's one of the rear spring eyes that gets the left hand threaded setup. They zipped out pretty well with an impact but the bottom threaded portions of the "U"s were both worn down to rusty tapered ghosts of their former full diameter glory Quote
59bisquik Posted July 13, 2017 Report Posted July 13, 2017 The left side does have a left hand thread and I believe it was the top one in the frame. On my 55, I removed the transmission crossmember to get more clearance and it made it much easier. Quote
Radarsonwheels Posted July 13, 2017 Author Report Posted July 13, 2017 Uh oh. If that's the case then one of mine was cross threaded by some genius in the past few decades... The LH thread on my teardown definitly came out of a spring eye! Quote
Radarsonwheels Posted July 13, 2017 Author Report Posted July 13, 2017 My trans X member looks like a whole nother can of worms to me! Good idea though! I might resort to that but I don't want to get in the weeds messing with those 60 year old relationships between nut and bolt. I'm trying to avoid dragging out the ox/a Quote
59bisquik Posted July 14, 2017 Report Posted July 14, 2017 I couldnt remember if the left thread was in the frame or spring. If its in the spring, then the frame one "should" be right handed. If yours is a 54, your transmission crossmember should look like mine and was removable with a handful of bolts. I just propped the transmission up on a jackstand. For the standard transmission, the crossmember is directly over the shackles. If you have a fluid drive, the crossmember is moved back about 6 inches and has more room to work. Quote
Radarsonwheels Posted July 14, 2017 Author Report Posted July 14, 2017 Nice pic! Mine's a little different with the 5 speed but I still have the stock crossmember in addition to a new one farther back. The stock crossmember looks like four bolts. One of mine is already slightly loose and frozen. Tomorrow is a new day. As long as I keep working it'll get done Quote
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