I am trying to replace the front leaf springs on a 1958 Chevy truck. Any one have any tricks to removing the front leaf springs shackles? The front shackle bolts are threaded and I can't seam to get them off?
It's been awhile since I did one, but here's what I remember. Remove the nuts on the outside of the shackle plates and the plates should come off, disconnecting the spring from the upper shackle mount. The "bolts" that run through the frame are like the ones in the spring eyes-bushings with threaded ends for the nuts. I have had to take a torch and heat the bushings until the rubber melted out, but you may get lucky. The bushings are a steel sleeve with a rubber liner and the steel shaft in the center. Once in the spring or mount, they don't come out easily. Melt out the rubber, pull out the center, split the sleeve and remove. That's not a pretty job. A press tool can be made to install new ones, but the old rusted sleeves don't budge easily. Good luck.
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