For those that have replaced leaf spring hangers...

[F8LBITE]

Well I have the 6 bolts removed from the bed, the gas filler bolts removed, and the taillight and license plate light harnesses unplugged. So bright and early tomorrow my wife and I will attempt to lift it off. It does feel super light.

I crawled under and inspected the other brackets and 3 out of the 4 are pretty rusty. I'm thinking I might as well replace all 4.

And with the box out of the way, it'll be a good time to replace my frozen e-brake cable.

 

[Andy D]

Yah I'm interested too. My Ranger came to me with some real crude patches welded here and there on the cab and bed. One spring hanger has been replaced. It looks like the bed was off and went back crooked. Bolts are missing and the rear bumper is mounted wrong too. Makes my hacks look better than average .

 

[countryboy]

if you have a air compressor a cut off wheel and airchisle is the best way to remove the rivets from the old brackets. when you replace the rear shackle brackets i would replace the shackles as well. i learned this the hardway i went cheap and didn't when i did mine 2 oil changes later the shackles were broke. so i got to take the bed off again.

 

[racsan]

my experiance has been that while the rear brackets go bad first, the fronts arent too far behind. for the l.f. bracket if ou dont pull the bed, you'll have to drop the fuel tank. by all means do the shackles also. i did my spring-eye bushings as well. i shouldnt have to mess with my rear suspention now for the rest of the life of the truck. (or by the time i do, the rest of the truck will have probly been replaced around it), lol.

 

[F8LBITE]

Here is my progress so far. I still have to replace the leaf spring bushings, replace frozen ebrake cable, shocks, and then it's reassembly time. I haven't been working on it too hard or steady, but I'll probably do an hour or two each night this week.

 

[Jimbo45]

Good job Randy! Are you painting the frame? I'm planning to order all 4 hangers and shackles and shocks tonight, so I can get started too. I discovered yesterday that mine are worse than I thought....right front is completely seperated in two pieces!

 

[F8LBITE]

2 pieces! Yikes! Yes I'm just using Rustoleum primer & paint and just brushing it on after I hit it with my grinder to knock of the bigger crud. I hope the bushings go fairly easy so I can get on to the ebrake cable.

 

[racsan]

bushings were the most difficult for me, had to heat things up with a torch, to put the new ones in i first cleaned the inside of the spring eye real good, lubed it up with anti-sieze, took a long bolt with a old mower blade on each side (to act as a washer) and tightened a nut to "draw" the bushing into the spring eye.

 

[F8LBITE]

Good tip. Thanks to everyone for your input. It helps out a lot

 

[F8LBITE]

I was able to work on the Ranger for the first time since Christmas Eve and fortunately I was able to make quick work out of removing the leaf spring bushings. I used a 2 jawed puller and placed a bolt with some washers that we're approximately the same diameter as the bushing, and they came right out. Hopefully tomorrow I'll work on it for another hour and start the reassembly.

 

[Jimbo45]

Good work Randy! I really hadn't planned to replace my leaf bushings, but maybe I will, since it would be a good time to do so. Thanks for the pics! I am itching to get mine started. Its kinda scarey driving with one of them broken!

 

[F8LBITE]

My thought was since I was right there might as well change them. I bet it would be scary especially since it's your front one broken.

When do you expect your parts to be in?

 

[Jimbo45]

My thought was since I was right there might as well change them. I bet it would be scary especially since it's your front one broken.

When do you expect your parts to be in?

Yeah, I sweat a little everytime I drive over a rr crossing. The pops and bangs that I hear when braking hard, are really what ups the pucker factor though!

Well, I worked last night, and didn't order because I wanted to take time and really look the rear suspension over, to ensure that my list is complete. I hope to accomplish that this morning, and order today. So, maybe get the parts in Monday or Tuesday.

Hey, my steering wheel is a touch off center....maybe getting the hangers fixed and the axle riding where it should be, will fix that!

 

[racsan]

i ordered my parts through this company, came with all hardware needed, delievery was fast and id order from them again. you can get nearly anything from them suspention wise, here the page for my application:
http://stengelbros.3dcartstores.com/ST-835_p_7363.html
shackles come with bushings installed, spring eye bushings available, not sure why the price difference between front/rear spring eye bushings, they look the same to me, something must be different though.
i coated all my new hangers with areosol truck bed undercoating before installing.

 

[Jimbo45]

Thanks for the lead on the parts, racsan. Are these Chinese parts (not that they would be worse than the stock ones, though) or are the marked with a manufacturer? I am wondering if the (2) bushing sets would do both front spring eyes (or back ones), or if the bushings are in halves, and those sets only do one end of one spring?

I just climbed under my truck to get a closer look at the leaf spring bushings, and hit the bed bolts, hanger and spring bolts, and shock bolts with some WD-40. To get an early soak on them before I get the parts. I took at pic of the right front hanger....oh my....