The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Leaf Spring Shackle Parts Alternative

There has to be a better and less expensive way of doing the shackles and springs pins.

Has anyone worked out some alternative sources and/or parts to hang the leaf springs?

I have the original shackles but need bushings and bolts and the bushings/pins for the other side of the springs.

Better and less expensive way than what? They're not terribly expensive to purchase or hard to replace unless I'm missing something?

For pushing the bushings out and back in I've had great luck with a "ball joint press" Here's a cheap one but you can also rent/borrow them from some auto parts stores, or spend a little or a lot more money on a nicer one.
http://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.com/Ball-Joint-Press-with-4WD-Adapters-P43755.aspx

I have none of the pins or bushings or bolts. It was all cut out. I just have thew shackle bars.

So, needing new shackled, bushings, pins, etc is about $200 or so.

Well what can you do? If you where going to up grade the suspension to a IFS or the rear to a 4 link its going to cost lots more. I am in the process of doing mine and found my eyelet bolts bushings were only half there because of I think someone did not grease it on time so its better off to replace them. warn bushing Then I know I can start off fresh with new components.

Here's a tool That I used and it only cost me about 10 bucks at the hardware store. Thanks to another stovebolter's homemade tool. cool homemade tool to remove bushings

Since the holidays are coming if you get on some of these parts suppliers mailing list they are starting to send me discounts.

There's not much to do. I took my axle to a spring shop today to get the pins pressed out (only took a 50 ton press!) and we looked over all their parts and what they could order. Everything was on par with the cost of kits available from CPP, etc.

That is a cool tool - you could use it in reverse to push bushing in!

Good idea about the mailing lists. Going to do that right now.

So are you talking about the shackle bushings or the king pins?

Mitch

I'm talking about shackle bushing, which they have at the spring shop I was at to get my king pins pressed out of the spindles.

Having shopped around and looked around everywhere it really does seem the most inexpensive and best way to go is to buy repo shackles and spring bolts.

I looked at poly bushings but couldn't find any in the dimensions I need and most of the manufacturers note to use bushings that are made for a specific vehicle and that they shouldn't be used because they might fit dimensionally.

BUT I did luck out and found a bunch of NOS bolts and bushings on Ebay to use with my stock shackle bars so hopefully it'll all go together well.

FYI HF sells a box of zirts for $5.