1987 Chevrolet V20 front leaf spring replacement

[iamtherealJayy]

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Just picked up a pair of grade 8 7/16 5” bolts with zinc nuts washers and a lock washer for each. And sadly the only kind of 9/16 bolt or nut or washer or anything of the size 9/16 the store offered was grade 5… it’s gotta make due for now. But I got the same in that. Pair of bolts, washers, lock washer and nuts. Time to fire up the sawzall lol.

 

[Grit dog]

Grade 5 bolt that diameter has a shear strength of >20klbs I'm pretty certain. It'll doo!
Coat those mf'ers in anti seize in case you forget about them for a couple years. (Actually, most any bolts that are subject to corrosion, if they don't require loc tite for some legitimate reason get anti seize on my vehicles/toys.) I can only imagine the number of grateful successive owners of my previous vehicles who get ready for a fight with something that should be rusted up, just to find it is no issue.
Guy who bought our old Dodge pickup a couple years ago just did new rotors recently. They were original and well over 200k by now. He called me and asked if I had put antiseize on them because he heard you shouldn't on brake rotor bolts because they could fall out. Told him I put that stuff on in about 2013 when I changed brake pads, so if they made it 9 years and didn't fall out, it is ok...

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I planned on using antisense but I still haven’t got the first bolt out… a Milwaukee torch sawzall blade didn’t even scratch the bolt… it melted the bushing a little bit but still not much progress. I’m going to try and get a new blade tomorrow maybe and try agsin

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I’m not sure how obvious it is in any of the pictures I’ve shown if the truck, but the front axle isn’t centered, will the new leaf springs and steering help that? Or do I have damage somewhere more than the leaf springs and steering?

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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This is the current situation, I got the front bolt out but the rear is still seized to the sleeve. I had to drill the front out out some I reckon I mushroomed it when hammering it. The back one moves but it’s just spreading the shackle. It’s seized to the sleeve and apparently one side of the shackle

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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Before I completely screw this up, are the leaf springs directional? I can’t tell a difference just looking at it and there’s no specifications on them.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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The only way I could get the front bolt in, it pulls the wheel to turn right, is that just new stiff suspension? Or am I doing it backwards, I don’t see any obvious difference in which way it goes in other than one end isn’t as tightly coiled and I have that on the front like the old ones were.

 

[Bextreme04]

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Before I completely screw this up, are the leaf springs directional? I can’t tell a difference just looking at it and there’s no specifications on them.

What do you mean? One side has a much bigger hole than the other. The bigger hole goes to the front. Driver side and passenger side are the same spring.

 

[Bextreme04]

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The only way I could get the front bolt in, it pulls the wheel to turn right, is that just new stiff suspension? Or am I doing it backwards, I don’t see any obvious difference in which way it goes in other than one end isn’t as tightly coiled and I have that on the front like the old ones were.

Your steering arm is turned to the right(rear). When the steering is centered the pitman arm should be pointing straight out away from the frame. I would expect your wheel to be turned right with the pitman arm in the position it is in the picture.

 

[Bextreme04]

Also, what springs are those? Is this where you are replacing lift blocks with actual springs? It looks like your brake lines are just barely long enough(maybe), but you should really have either a drop pitman arm or a lift steering arm. The steering angle on that is going to be atrocious the way you have it now.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I’m fine with it turning it to the right, but I can’t turn it back by hand… lol yes you’re correct I completely forgot about the bushings I wasn’t paying attention to them. I have them in the correct way. I’m just fighting the front bolt right now

 

[iamtherealJayy]

The axle isn’t connected yet, it’ll be lifted up about three inches once I connect the u bolts lol, I have extended stainless steel braided brake lines and a sway bar drop if I need it. And all new steering stuff I wanted to get the springs on before I did the steering. Yes they’re 2.5” lift procomp front leaf springs.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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See the gap between shock and mount and the sway bar bracket and axle. It will be higher at ride height lol. I’m just hoping since 2.5” lift was smallest springs I could find it doesn’t make my truck higher in front than in the rear lol.

 

[Grit dog]

I planned on using antisense but I still haven’t got the first bolt out… a Milwaukee torch sawzall blade didn’t even scratch the bolt… it melted the bushing a little bit but still not much progress. I’m going to try and get a new blade tomorrow maybe and try agsin

Did you try a carbide tipped sawzall blade? Or possibly removing the shackle with the spring if the upper bolt isn't *****?
PS, cinder blocks for jack stands makes me cringe. I know they've held up 1,000,000 cars and just as many house trailers, but just not super safe IMO.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Best I’ve got I refuse to get under the truck because trust me it’s sketchy. It won’t fall I’ve got plenty of 6x6 blocks under it but still don’t trust it. I’m lowering the jackstamd right now and the truck isn’t going down much. All I’m hearing it’s lots of creaking. Kinda sketchy. Should I try to lift the axle up to the sway bar bracket? I need to mount the shock and the ubolts and then torque down the bolts for leaf spring after I get it sitting on tires.