Rear Spring Hanger Too Tight / Wont Fit

[ArmyFJ]

Well I was trying to change my rear springs and the springs and bushings will not fit under the rear spring hangers (the inside ones with the spring pin). I don’t have a hydro press / spreader etc. but I was told, and it sounds like a good idea to use a threaded rod to open the up with two nuts and washers going from in side out. I guess it might work but I am looking for other ideas from people that have had this problem before. I searched for some ideas here in the forum but didn't see anything. Stuffs in pieces so quick help is appreciated. Thanks. Matthew

 

[lavarunner]

heat wrench

 

[ArmyFJ]

Like a MAPP torch? and then spread it?

Matthew

 

[2badfjs]

Like a MAPP torch? and then spread it?

Matthew

YUP, but be carefull, it wont take much

 

[ArmyFJ]

Cool. Would you take the springs out to do it, or let them rest on under and "open" it as it heats up? They are underneath right now. Not sure on the thermal resistance of poly bushings. BTW thanks for the quick help guys.

Matthew

 

[2badfjs]

Cool. Would you take the springs out to do it, or let them rest on under and "open" it as it heats up? They are underneath right now. Not sure on the thermal resistance of poly bushings. BTW thanks for the quick help guys.

Matthew

i'd at least move the springs and bushings away from the heat for sure, and wait for the hanger to cool down.
also apply some grease to the all parts of the bushings, inside and out.

dont tighten any of the bolts till you have the rig at rest on the ground, pre-loading the bushings is BAD!
even the u-bolt plates

 

[ArmyFJ]

Will do thanks a lot for the info.

Matthew

 

[e rock]

I always just 'clearanced' the bushings with a belt sander. Poly bushings are not terribly forgiving, and shaving down the head just a bit is often just the ticket for making them fit in the hanger.

The spring pins are shouldered so the hanger can't be deformed by overtightening. If you bend the hanger out, it'll just clamp back together when you tighten down the spring pin nut.

 

[ArmyFJ]

Thanks I might try a little of that as well. That sounds like a good idea; I would just be worried about the bushing splitting at the edges. However, I did notice they were very thick shoulders.

Matthew

 

[2badfjs]

dont over tighten them or make them "squish"

 

[e rock]

dont over tighten them or make them "squish"

He's talking about the stationary hangers - not the shackles. Unless you loctite the nut or use nylocks, the correct way to mount the spring pin is to cinch down the nut & split washer and allow the shouldered pin to do it's job of maintaining spacing. The same applies for the stock shackles.

For aftermarket shackles, yes, be careful not to overtighten the bolts and squish the bushings.

 

[ArmyFJ]

I will be using stock shackles with aftermarket springs and bushings. Thanks for the information.

Matthew

 

[Mark W]

If I unbderstand you, the spring hanger on the frame is the issue. Your springs/bushing are wider that the opening between the two sides of the hanger. No big deal, commonly encountered. Forget heat and presses and such. Grad a three pound hammer and give a good tap or three to the inside faces of three hanger. test fit the spring/bushing and try again 'til it slips together.

A thin, wide paint scraper (one of the nice flexible ones) will help slip the assembly in if need be (use it like a shoehorn). Or you can just tap it 'til it is wide enough to slip in with no assistence.

When you tighted tighten the nut on the spring pin down, it will pull the hanger sides back to where the belong.


Mark...

 

[ArmyFJ]

I tried a hammer, on both sides for about 30 min, they did not move. There is some scarring on the hangers from rocks and such and they appear to be slightly convex from being beaten (by the rocks). Thanks for the thought though.

Matthew

 

[honk]

I just use a big crescent wrench to bend the sides out.

 

[pbgbottle]

another question o.k. since the stock shackle pins are press fit into the shackles . keeping the bolt moving in the bushing .what is everybody doing with the aftermaket bolts and shackle to keep the bolt from sticking in the bushing .and causing the bolt to wear the shackle out (oval the holes ).instead of moving in the bushing .i never here of anybody tacking there bolt to the shackle plates .or press fitting them in the shackle like stock .not sure if that makes sense . even tightening the bolt loose .eventuallythe bolt will seize in the spring bushings .and then when the suspension cycles . the shackle is actually wearing on the bolt .ovaling the shackle hole or rubbing through the bolt .instead of wearing out the bushings . i would think the bolts should be pressed in or tacked to the shackle plates no ,just a thought .

He's talking about the stationary hangers - not the shackles. Unless you loctite the nut or use nylocks, the correct way to mount the spring pin is to cinch down the nut & split washer and allow the shouldered pin to do it's job of maintaining spacing. The same applies for the stock shackles.

For aftermarket shackles, yes, be careful not to overtighten the bolts and squish the bushings.

 

[ArmyFJ]

That’s a good point. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about it yet but I bet a little weld would fix that problem. Speaking of which I fixed mine using the threaded rod (I had a MAPP torch on stand by) but the rod worked really well. 30 seconds for each side (Fender Washer x 2, Flat Washer, Nut - Nut, Flat Washer, Fender Washer x 2) all on 3/8-16 threaded rod. Bent the rod a little but worked great. Thanks for all the input.

Matthew

 

[2badfjs]

grease everything/anti seize works also on the bushings

where's the pics?

 

[fj40forlife]

You need a bfh. Try some pry bars thats how I got mine in

 

[ArmyFJ]

BFH does more damage than good in tight places like that. However, it is good to go now. I will post pics as soon as my camera charges up. For now, I need a new drive shaft - binding out the output shaft yoke, and still need to install the extended brake line. But, its front wheel drive (talk about some torque steer) so I can at least get it to the body shop for new quarter panels, fenders, and paint, while I wait for the drive shaft.

Matthew