Thanks all. Well I finished the project, but not how I wanted it to go. I tried and tried to remove the bushing with the home made press (all thread) and even applied lots of heat with a butane torch. No luck. So it was a mess getting the truck back on the ground, using some of the old parts to get it finished.
Remember I had the original shackles with the bolts and nuts on the upper and lower pins (much more solid). The new shackle kit had the single center bolt style, with the upper and lower pins held in via compression (not ideal but I wanted to get this done and decided to use them). In the end I had to leave the old threaded bearing in the spring mount on the truck. It would just not budge. I was able to get the old pins out, and got one of the pins out of the old springs I removed. They were not reusable as the threaded ends got slightly stripped. So I decided to leave the old threaded bearings in the truck spring mount, and use the new shackles.
The new shackle pins have no thread on the end, and the old bearings were not as smooth as they needed to be, so it was impossible to just grease them up and thread in the new pins, and there is nothing to grab on them to help turn them. I applied PB blaster, scrubbed them with a small brush, used more heat etc. The new bearings (which I could not use) accepted the new pins easily and the old pins, so I knew it was the same thread. I didnt have a thread chaser (I forget the correct name) large enough in my kit, so I went to Ace hardwear to buy a larger enough bolt to use to thread in slowly to clean up the thread of the old bearings that remained in the spring mounts. Problem was, even ace with all their sizes could not find the correct thread. Seems its metric, but not a common pitch? So I ended up using the old pin with a forced nut on the end as a chaser. It went in fine enough back and forth. But the new pin still wouldn't go in very far. I know it's a tight tolerance. So with a sliced older bearing as a sleeve to protect the thread, and vice grips, I had to work it in. It took a long time to go back and forth and lots of lubricant and small moves with the vice grips to get the pins in (hours). That was the hassle of the entire project. I don't like how the pins are compressed with one bolt, but the rest of a simple spring replacement went easily and fast. The front bolts were a breeze. Old U bolts were fine, and everything else just bolted right up. Now for the bad and frustration...
1. I had to remove the side steps to get space to remove the front pin. The bolts were rusted and most broke, including the round button head bolts that go through the top of the step. I can't find replacements for these. Anyone know where i can get them?
2. With the new posi springs in place, and new shocks (stock Monroe heavy duty replacement shocks from LMC, but do not seem like heavy duty), the truck sits lower. I like the stance, but its also just as soft and squishy as before. Maybe more. Its even closer to the tires now. So I'm back to looking for airbags or load assist shocks, or air shocks to allow me to carry anything in the back, and to allow me to tow a trailer.
Anyone have the model number of air bags they've used. I know I'll have to modify some parts, but the least mods the better.
Thanks if you read this far.
Last edited by Kiwinz; 12/23/2020 2:34 AM.
