The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop removing my 57's rear leafs

guys,
i have finally ordered a rear flip kit for my 57. i should get it by weeks end and will start tearing into it a little each day hopefully.
i have already had the rear mounts apart a while back when i installed the lowering shackles, but i am not familiar with getting the front of the leafs unhooked form the front mounts.
is there anything special i need to know or do ? hopefully it aint that involved to get them off.

thanks in advance.

leonard

Leonard, it's not realy too bad of a job to get the front off. On the hanger, there's a wedge bolt that locks the pin in place. IIRC, the nut is on the front side of the hanger, once the nut is removed, you should be able to drive the wedge out through the back side. Then the pin is driven out from the side. You shoulc remove the grease fitting first to preven damage/allow clearance. The wedge bolts are readily available if you should damage one.

thanks bill, for the explanation. i will let you know how it goes once i dig into it.

leonard

You'll also need to pull your running boards.

WOW..... no kidding ? havent looked under there yet. how hard is it to remove the running boards ?

thanks for the info cletis.

leonard

hey bill, are there any detailed photos online of this removal ? i looked through my manual and all there is only instructions, no real pics.
thanks again guys....

leonard

Didn't think of that, but when I did mine, the bed was off the truck.
Unfortunatly, there aren't any good pics online. I might take a look in the assembly manual, there may be something there. Might be a bit before I can post any pics of them, I had to replace my 'puter (lightening strike fried the motherboard) and still need to get my scanner setup (can't find the darnded disk! ).

You could do what the "retarded" mechanic did on my truck, and use a 7/8" whole saw to drill a whole in the running boards. That one still aggrevates me... come back to my truck to find 2 new holes in it, and no phone call asking if I would mind.

thanks bill, no rush.

and WOW on the hole saw trick. i would kill someone

leonard

looked under the truck this afternoon. looks pretty straight forward. so the locking pin is sort of like the lock pin up front on the king pins ?
once i get that lock pin out, then take the grease fitting out, then just hit the leaf eye pin in towards the center of the truck ? it must be a close fit because it almost looks as if the pin will hit the frame before it all the way out.
i want my truck lower, but aint really looking forward to messing with them rear leafs.
then, of course, i will have to mess with the fronts.
oh well, i will let you knwo how it goes, when i actually tear into it. my flip kit should be here tomorrow. want to get this lowering down in this summer heat when i aint driving it much, get it ready for the cooler winter weather.
you northern guys put your truck away for the winter, i put mine away for the summer. LOL. way too humid down here with no a/c in the truck.

leonard

ok guys, i started on my truck today. got it up on stands, got the wheels off and actually got lucky on the forward leaf mounts, not having to remove the bed steps. took the locking pin out, and with a long brass drift, gave it one shot with the hammer and it broke loose. should have the leafs out tomorrow, then clean them up, put the leafs i took out 2 years ago back in the pack, then install the flip kit.
i will keep you all informed...

leonard

well guys, as you have probably guessed, i was not as lucky as i thought i was going to be. i did have to remove the bed steps to get the leaf pin out.
yesterday when i took the lock pin out and hit it at that end with the brass drift, i was thinking it would push out through the inside, toward the center of the truck. i didnt realize the pin is too long to go out that way, and found out the hard way it has to come out the other way, and had to take the steps off.
the leafs are now off and and will continue to work on it each night.

leonard