The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Need spring shackle help

My front spring shackles were seized and not taking grease, so I ordered replacement kits from Ecklers.
This is the pin that showed up compared to my stock one.

[IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff117/olddaze/IMG_20121204_195339.jpg[/IMG]
Did they send the wrong stuff? If it's an upgrade or a different style, instructions would be nice. They included none.
1959 1/2 ton shortbed

Hy olddaze, your orignal shackles were held in place by nuts on the outer ends of the pin, the new shackle kits should include new side bars which have a hole roughly in the center, it might even be broached square for a bolt or a carriage bolt to hold the side bars in place on the pins, hope that helps.

just seems like nuts on the outsides of the plates would be the better design. The cross bolt is just a soft carrage bolt.
Just don't seem like the new ones would take much laterial without flying apart

olddaze,

3B is correct (as usual). The shackle pivots/pins you received look like the style that was used in earlier years (1956 and many years earlier). The 57-59 shackle pivots/pins have nuts on them and look like your old pivots/pins.

Are you sure it wasn't the grease fittings that were frozen?

I am rebuilding my truck (57 1/2 ton)from the frame up and I have the kits to replace the spring shackle bolts and bushings just like the pictures that are shown here. Is it okay to reuse the original shackles that don't have the carriage bolt holes? I haven't been able to find anyone who sells the correct shackle plates for 57 and later trucks. Thank you.

Larry

ESPO lists 57-59 shackles as separate from the 56 and show them as an OEM part. They also have the spring bushings for both the fixed end and the shackle. I've had good luck using them and maybe they can help you out.

www.espo.com

My 57 1 ton frt shackle bolts were froze up too, I used air impact tool and with some work got them out. Clean with Kero, put new zerks and reinstalled and greased and they work fine. ( reusable sometimes)

Dave, Thanks for the info on ESPO. I'll give them a try.

Larry

I decided to go ahead and use the new shackles. Cleaning up the old ones wasn't an option because I wasn't exactly gentle removing them and banged them up on the ends.
Got a question about these "taper only" type shackles. Should they seat up against all four rubbers? The pins are obviously machined, But the side plates tapers are crude at best and formed only by the shearing action of the punch.
Here's what it looks like.
[IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff117/olddaze/Chevy%20truck%20project/IMG_20121208_105342.jpg[/IMG]

Also, I put alittle anti-seize on the outside of the bushings before tapping them into the frame & springs. That ok?

Anyone? This really don't seem right.