1987 Chevrolet V20 front leaf spring replacement

[iamtherealJayy]

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Current predicament. The bolt going through the leaf springs appears too long I reckon and the sway bar won’t sit flush on top of springs.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

@Grit dog i try to avoid concrete lol I’ve only poured twice and don’t care to again lol they gotta be paying good for me to show up.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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Man it’s always something, axle still isn’t centered and the drivers side is about an inch lower than passenger side. Also the sway bar mount on both springs isn’t sitting flush. Ignore the different length ubolts I don’t use a grinder often

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Could the new leaf spring center bolt be longer and it’s too long for the sway bar bracket? And it’s bottomed out? Ugh I really don’t wanna take the ubolts back off especially since I cut them now and I’m honestly no good with a grinder so I doubt I’d be able to get a nut to thread back on

 

[hoagster]

Come on guy's, 1 your fighting the sway bar, 2 your fighting the front drive shaft which I didn't see anywhere that your disconnected it from the axle, 3 your fighting the steering linkage, and the shocks! I know your in a hurry but you can't be. If anything else unbolt the sway bar from the frame and loosen the big bolts from the shackle mounts so the sway bar isn't binding things up. The bushings for the sway bar need to be replaced anyway, and you are still going to have too get a front end alignment regardless of how it goes back together from here. I fought my sway bar and I didn't even have the steering pump or anything else connected, when I put mine back together!

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I actually disconnect both shocks and the steering stabilizer, I didn’t know I was supposed to disconnect the front driveshaft? But either way it’s all together now and sitting on wheels now. But the sway bar brackets are crooked. Could that be the center bolt of the leaf spring being too long? Or does that sound dumb? I mean it was bigger than the stock one but I don’t know how deep the hole in the sway bar bracket is. Also I never knew the sway bar went on the inside in the drivers side and outside on passenger side lol

 

[nvrenuf]

Cut down the spring center pin, the ubolt plates MUST sit perfectly flush.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Ugh I really didn’t wanna take the ubolts back out lol, but maybe with the sway bar removed the plates will go back on easier in theory? I’ll try that as soon as possible. Can I cut it down to the nut? Or should I leave a little extra? I also noticed the passenger side was way more stiff than drivers side and the shock was harder to get lined back up the shock needed to come down some. I’m working on getting new shocks and a new steering stabilizer when I do all the steering. Because these shocks didn’t extend nor retract.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Also how hard are sway bar bushings to replace? I’ll get some on order if it’s not something that’s gonna make the truck be apart again for several days. I was really trying to get it back together tonight but stuff happens

 

[hoagster]

I actually disconnect both shocks and the steering stabilizer, I didn’t know I was supposed to disconnect the front driveshaft? But either way it’s all together now and sitting on wheels now. But the sway bar brackets are crooked. Could that be the center bolt of the leaf spring being too long? Or does that sound dumb? I mean it was bigger than the stock one but I don’t know how deep the hole in the sway bar bracket is. Also I never knew the sway bar went on the inside in the drivers side and outside on passenger side lol

A small tweak of even one of those attachments points could affect all of them, and you removed and replaced one side then worked on the other. And with any big project if it can mess with you it will.

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As you can see I installed the springs first, then the sway bar, then the shocks, I know it's not the same but I still had a bitch of a time installing the sway bar.

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All that stuff is cuasing you problems

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I never removed the sway bar, but I did remove shocks and steering stabilizer and had the springs sitting in there bolted them up then bolted axle to them then reconnected shocks.

 

[hoagster]

Just loosen every thing up and I can't believe someone hasn't chimed in about re-using u-bolts. The bushings aren't hard but there are 4 of them, 1 each at the big bolts and at the frame. I think if you unbolt the sway bar from the frame things are going to shift. someone else already suggested that.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Well one ubolt is already new from when I had to rotate one of the blocks because it was backwards lol but I couldn’t remove them or my tires would rub more. I’ll get new ones if I need to but I didn’t get new ones for now because honestly no idea how to measure what size I needed or if they’re universal or what. I knew mine were too long and needed cut down some because they were way too long. I’ll loose then ubolts whenever it stops raining but I really don’t want to completely remove them if possible. I’ll loosen sway bar if that’ll help. Do the sway bar bushings just slide over the sway bar? How do you get it around the bends? It’s not adding up in my head because I’ve never done it

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Also @hoagster im getting an alignment after I install all the steering stuff, I just wanted to get the suspension done first so I didn’t have any terrible angles etc. and I could get anything else I might need. I just hope the axle being slightly off center doesn’t effect an alignment.

 

[nvrenuf]

Cut the center pin more or less flush with the nut. Theoretically, you will never need to unscrew that nut unless you are replacing that pin so don’t worry about the threads.