Leave Spring Bracket Replacement

This is a "How To" on replacing the poorly designed brackets on the Ford Rangers. After have my mechanic replace the rear leave brackets and shackles from terrible rust. I took it upon myself to replace the front brackets after one of them had rusted and broke on me.

First thing of course is to purchase the replacement brackets, i got mine from the for dealer for around $23.00 each out the door. Though they are a cheap part, they can be a pain to install.

Now that you bought the brackets you need to go and buy the bolts, washers, and nuts to mount them to the frame of you truck. I got my hardware from the local hardware store for around 10 bucks. You'll need 8 3/8" x 2" bolts 16 3/8" washers, and 8 3/8" lock washers to mount the bracket to the frame. I also purchased 2 1/2" x 4" bolts to replace the bolts that connect the leave spring its self to the bracket. You only need to get 2 1/2" washers for these bolts, i used the existing nuts with locking welded to them. If yours are rusted or bad you may want to replace them.

Broken Bracket:



Now i am going to go through the steps in order to replacing the brackets. You will need someone to help you with a few things so make sure you make arrangements with someone to help you.

You will need to get a GOOD Torx T-55 socket to take out the 6 bolts that attach the bed to the frame.


I say GOOD T-55 socket because i used a cheap 3/8 T-55 socket and ended up twisting the hell out of it because the bolts were rusted and tight as hell. You'll have to break them loose with a breaker bar or a ratchet but should come out fairly easy with an impact wrench. And believe me an impact wrench will be your best friend on this project.

Once you get the bolts out of the bed determine if you are going to reuse the bed bolts or purchase new ones, priced them at ford garage for $10 something a piece" expensive little guys" and/or may need to replace the clips that the bolts thread into. Didn't price those because i could reuse those and my bolts. Any who after the bed is unbolted you will need to disconnect your tail lights. There are four screw on each light holding them to the bed. Take the screw out, unplug the bulbs and feed the wires down through the bed.


After the wires are dropped down though the bed you need to pull the wire loom from the bed where they are attached, making sure you get all the plastic push clips out. You may have to lift the bed up and place a chuck of wood or something to get the ones right above the rear bumper cause they are a pain to get to.

Now that the bed is unbolted and wires from the taillights dropped, you need to get a 6mm socket and unbolt the 3 bolts holding the filler neck for the gas tank mounted to the bed.


Before you attempt to lift the bed off go around again and make sure there is nothing hanging up or still connected to the frame. i had a piece of plywood laying around that i sat my bed one once me and my cousin lifted the bed off. We sat it up on its end(the flat end the faces the cab).

There is anther step if you want to take that i chose not to do because i had 3/4 tank of gas, but to unbolt the skid plate that covers the tank and then unbolt the tank straps.
Now you are ready to grind the rivets the hold the rusty old brackets to the frame. If you drop the tank you could use a torch and blow them out but i chose to use my trusty angle grinder. This does take a while and make sure you grind the head clear down to the bracket.


Once you get the head ground down to the bracket get a chisel and hammer and knock the bracket loose from the frame. Get your grinder back out and grind the the rest of the rivets down to the frame, this makes it easier when you bang the rivets through the frame because you can mushroom the stud and have to grind it any way. After the rivets are ground down to the frame get a punch and a hammer and the rivets should come out of the frame fairly easy.
With your new bracket and bolts in hand its time to position the truck, using a jack and jack stands to get the frame in position to line up the leave spring with the new bracket.

I suggest bolting the bracket to the frame then maneuvering the spring into place for the bolt. The bracket on the driver side is a pain to bolt on if you don't drop the tank. But i figured id have more work dropping the tank and putting it back into place then i would getting the bolts in which i think i was right.
After the bracket is mounted and spring is in position tap the new bolt in and screw it into the nut with locking plate.

If you choose to take on this project i would suggest replacing both sides because if ones bad the other probably is just as bad. The passenger side is a cake walk to replace other than the grinding of the rivets.
Now that you've replaced your brackets and have everything bolted down everything is reverse for putting the bed back on. Just be careful on the driver side where the filler neck is when you are dropping the bed back on. Also make sure that the clips for the bed bolts are lined up with the holes on the frame.

I chose to clean up and reuse my bed bolts, i know there are only five in the pic the 6th one that was a pain to get out and twisted the hell out of my socket was still in the bed until i ran to the auto parts and got a new stronger T-55 socket.
OLD BRACKET

NEW BRACKET


Well there ya are the How To on replacing leave spring brackets, hope this helps if you have any other questions feel free to pm me.

We need more articles in the tech library. This will help with the newbs.

Nice write-up! I unfortunately learned that these brackets rot the hard way, my front left bracket fell apart while I was driving my truck. I was forced to get a junkyard bracket and carefully grind off the rivets for a quick-fix because after it happened I found out that the two closest Ford dealers didn't have them in stock and I needed the truck operational the next day. I didn't remove the bed to do the bracket, but from my experience it looks like your method of removing the bed could make it much easier especially if you're doing all four.

Thanks, yeah it is def easier to take the bed off, you can get in there and work so much easier and don't have to work about laying on the ground or getting sparks thrown in your face from the grinder from no t having enough room to work. I was kinda hesitant of taking the bed off but it was easier then changing plugs in the ranger.

I'm doing the whole shebang next weekend (mounts, shackles, and poly bushings on both sides). I had the bed off to repair the fuel pump connector and realized that the front mounts had rusted so bad they were only attached on one side. The rear ones were so-so, but the shackles are pretty far gone too. I'll try to snap some pics if I remember.

Did the rivet heads go pretty fast with a grinder?

I have to do this sometime this week.. I priced the bracket at $26 before shipping for lmc truck and I'm calling Advance Auto tomorrow to get a price from them.

I had to do one on my truck this week. I used gr 8 1/2" bolts though. Call it overkill, but I think 3/8" hardware is a little light for this job. I got my bracket for $30 CDN$.

I've got a grade 8 for replacing the bolt in the actual spring, but the brackets just going on with grade three bolts. I wanted at least grade 5, but my dad has poor listening skills and he was the one that picked them up.

I did it with the bed still on. It's not as hard as you make it sound. You just have to spend a lot of time on your back.

I don't want my LEAF spring to leave!!! Sorry had to do it.
The brackets are now available from Dorman, Anywhere that you can buy Dorman products you can order the brackets-usually next day.

Did you undercoat the frame while you were in there? If so id like to see some picks of that too. Im fixing to paint my frame again on my 87.

My box needs to come off but my clips wont let go good write up people.