Help - Spring Shackle Pins

[Slow and Stubbor]

What is the best way to remove old spring shackle pins?
Thanks.

[Desoto61]

If you're not replacing them I had the best luck with a fine thread bolt (don't remember the size) that will thread into the grease fitting. Then attached a slide hammer to the end of the bolt and pounded it loose.

If you're trying to re-use the pins then doing the same with the correct pipe threaded fitting welded to something you can get the slide hammer attached to will be better, but when I tried one with a zerk fitting it didn't thread deep enough and just stripped out the threads in the pin.

That one didn't budge with the slide hammer, ended up making a puller out of some all thread and tubing, had to weld the rod to the end of the pin, it was quite a fight, but all my pins are getting replaced anyway.

[BrightRanch]

Desoto's way worked on all of mine, it takes a pipe thread 1/8 npt I think.
Except one extra stubborn one, after pulling the threads out I had to drill and tap it to 3/8 and that was tough enough to pull it.
My new ones got slathered with anti seize.
So hopefully they wont be that hard the next time.

[Slow and Stubbor]

Spring shackles pins

Thanks guys. Since I will be removing the front mounts to do some frame work it sounds like it will be just as easy to cut off the rears as well and work pin removal on the bench top. Anyone have the dimensions on the pins? I have some NOS from another 50's model one ton, maybe I'll get lucky on the sizes.
Thanks again.

[Cheyenne Dave]

Desoto's way worked on all of mine, it takes a pipe thread 1/8 npt I think.
Except one extra stubborn one, after pulling the threads out I had to drill and tap it to 3/8 and that was tough enough to pull it.
My new ones got slathered with anti seize.
So hopefully they wont be that hard the next time.

The real trick, after you make your puller adapter, is to lift the wieght off the springs so that the spring pins are "unloaded". This will make the slide-hammer's effort be more productive and less damaging to the 1/8" NPT fitting.

C.D.

[mageew]

My Experience removing leaf spring shackle pins

This was a real learning experience for me. I found that a 10 X 1 metric bolt threaded perfectly into the zerk fitting socket - couldn't find a piece of 1/8 npt pipe. Jacking up the frame to unload the springs is key, as previously mentioned.

The one piece of info I didn't see in the previous posts or read in the shop manual is that you have to completely remove the retaining bolt before trying to slap the pin out. I initially thought this bolt just "squeezed" the collar around the pin. The pin has a notch in its belly that the retaining bolt passes through (see picture). I didn't realize this initially & did a lot of cussing until it dawned on me.

I bought a slap hammer with thread-on attachment that screws into the adjustment bolt hole on a regular vise-grip. After removing the retaining bolt and unloading the springs most of the pins slipped out with very little effort.

[Gordon Maney]

In my life I have learned a lot of things that way.

One example: The inner wheel bearing seal on the 1-ton Power Wagon is held in by a snap ring. The first time I went to remove one of those seals I had never seen such an arrangement. As I was driving the seal out I thought it was pretty difficult. Imagine my surprise when I turned the hub and drum assembly over, there was not only a seal lying there, but also a big snap ring.

The other three came out much more easily.

[Gordon Maney]

This was a real learning experience for me. I found that a 10 X 1 metric bolt threaded perfectly into the zerk fitting socket - couldn't find a piece of 1/8 npt pipe. Jacking up the frame to unload the springs is key, as previously mentioned.

The one piece of info I didn't see in the previous posts or read in the shop manual is that you have to completely remove the retaining bolt before trying to slap the pin out. I initially thought this bolt just "squeezed" the collar around the pin. The pin has a notch in its belly that the retaining bolt passes through (see picture). I didn't realize this initially & did a lot of cussing until it dawned on me.

I bought a slap hammer with thread-on attachment that screws into the adjustment bolt hole on a regular vise-grip. After removing the retaining bolt and unloading the springs most of the pins slipped out with very little effort.

Wonderful photo, by the way.

[gmharris]

Yep, don't forget to remove that clamping bolt first.

I found that making a puller out of some all-thread and a deep socket is gentler on the threads if you are going to save the pin. And, you really won't know if you are going to re-use the pin until you get it out.

Saving them is a good idea. They are kind of expensive. Especially, if you have to replace all of them.

You can put tension on the puller until you think the threads are about to give. It the pin hasn't started to move, give the end of the puller a whack with a hammer.

As I remember, you can access the opposite side of the pin in some situations. With tension on the puller, you can use a large drift and a hammer to help get the pin moving.