Shackle flip - Hanger removal. HELP!

WhiteLX · Sep 6, 2008

I've been working on one side of the truck for a couple hours now and I can't get these stupid rivets off the shackle hanger. I have an angle grinder and an air hammer with chisel. I haven't even gotten one to come off.

How do you guys do this?

Unfortunately, I am having to do this with the bed on since I have no one around to help.

Hazmat Ranger · Sep 6, 2008

With the bed in place it will be harder but keep at it and you will get it.

I took my bed off myself - carefully - and then had all the room in the world. ANother option is to remove the bed bolts and then put spacer blocks between the bed and the frame to give yourself some room to work. That way you can do it yourself and make some room.

Good luck . . .

mongoose289 · Sep 6, 2008

when i remove rivets i alway drill them out

WhiteLX · Sep 6, 2008

Finally got one of the hangers off. I ended up cutting and X into the head of the rivet and then using the air chisel from the side to cut the head off. Any remaining bit I ground down with the grinder.

Hopefully it will ride a little better with the stock leafs back in it. It's been riding like complete ass ever since I put the drop leafs and lift shackles in.

ILLEGALCONCEPTS · Sep 6, 2008

You were having as bad ride with the drop leaves? Did you change your shocks out? Did you trim the bump stops down? When I first dropped my truck it took me a while to figure out why the ride was so ruff. I had installed the correct length shocks for the drop, but never shortened my bump stops. I cut both the front and rears in half and my ride is as good if not better then stock at highway speeds. It feels a little ruff around town but corners like a truck should not be able to LOL.

James

WhiteLX · Sep 8, 2008

ILLEGALCONCEPTS said:
You were having as bad ride with the drop leaves? Did you change your shocks out? Did you trim the bump stops down? When I first dropped my truck it took me a while to figure out why the ride was so ruff. I had installed the correct length shocks for the drop, but never shortened my bump stops. I cut both the front and rears in half and my ride is as good if not better then stock at highway speeds. It feels a little ruff around town but corners like a truck should not be able to LOL.

James

Brand new Bilstein stocks all around, shorter Nissan Hardbody spec in the rear. I hacked the bump stops completely off. The truck handles bumps just fine, but ever since I did the drop I have had a vibration in the rear that I have not been able to get rid of. Most noticeable at freeway speeds, but even at 40mph it's there. I have replaced the U-joints, balanced the driveshaft, replaced the center support bearing, tried 2° and 4° pinion shims, different ride heights with the shackles, balanced the tires, and rotated the tires. No change.

I noticed the drop/lift shackles had some play in them so I am wondering if that might have something to do with as well as really screwing up the pinion angle. Anyway, it was too low to drive with the stock shackles and drop leafs.

jimbo74 · Jan 1, 2009

did you ever think of driveline angles? that will contribute to vibrations

ZMan · Jan 6, 2009

jimbo74 said:
did you ever think of driveline angles? that will contribute to vibrations

ya they sell shims to adjust your pinion angle for this reason.

Sasquatch_Ryda · Jan 6, 2009

At work I torch the heads off and then air chisel out the remainder of the rivet.

IdRatherPushMyFord · Jan 7, 2009

I used my Makita angle grinder under my truck for those flippin' rivets... Then took a shower in grinding slag for aout 5-10 mins. I cut out the old style spare tire rack, and am going to weld in the new (late 90's) spare tire crank.

THE H.P FREAK · Jan 8, 2009

HI!... I removed my bed. Then used a 4.5 disc grinder with a ZIP blade. Took about 10 minutes, if that to cut all the rivet heads off. Then I used my air chisel with the dead head point to knock the rivets out. Total time to remove both hangers was like 15 minutes.

Shackle flip - Hanger removal. HELP!

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