Holy Freaking Canolies, if I ever find the ford engineer responsible for designing the rear front spring hangers, I am going to jail. Could they not find another way? I started at noon today, just quit for the night, only one and a half side done. On the first side I got the hanger off, I thought cool, hard part done on this side, wrong only half there, the rivets are just as hard to get out of the frame. Ill start back up tomorrow need more tools and gotta have some beers to calm my nerves, 12 should do it.. I didn’t thing it would take that long I did the springs, brakes, shocks, seals and bearings on the front yesterday in 4 hours…ho well..and if you want to do this job have, time, lots of cut off wheels, and definitely air tools, it can not be done with out them..

And the hangers are the same they are not offset, what I did was installed the rear shackle, then the leaf into the front hanger, then repeat on the other side and then jack up the axle into position, of it is all connected it will be off and impossible it install..

Jim

 

Jim,

It's lots of fun too, you forgot to mention that!

Just kidding, it's a hell of a job! I've got sore muscles where I didn't even know I had muscles!

Someone ask me to make a list of tools that I used during my installation but it would take a week to type it all. I've got a huge toolbox full of tools and I think I used every damn one of them! I even had to make a run to Sears for a couple of things.

Tim

 

Man,

With all the hell you guys are going through, it seems like someone ought to come up with a way to not have to remove/replace the hangers. Oh WAIT!!! I think I did!!!!

I've been hell on wheels ever since Spike_Engineering jump started that other brain cell of mine!!

I'll post the idea in a new thread soon.


Later,

 

I know of a simple way. It's so simple, you'd be surprised.

Spike

 

Spike,

Replacing the rear springs?

 

Torch them rivets off

 

yea, and one other area that is fun, the bolt that holds on spring to the front hanger, holy hell, i broke 2, 15/16 sockets and my impact wrench is on strike from that one...


jim

 

The front mounting bracket is the hanger, and the spring eye bolt hole is offset. If you are looking at the raised part of the hanger, the spring eye bolt seems to be in the center of that, but if you view the spring eye bolt hole relative to the bolt holes in the hanger that mount it to the frame, you can see the offset. The flanges on the hanger(where the bolts go through to mount to the frame) are not the same size. The offset is to the same side as the welded in gusset. Therefor, if you flip the hangers from one side of the vehicle to the other, the spring eye bolt will be more toward the front or the rear of the vehicle. Remember, you have to view the spring eye bolt hole relative to where the bolts go through the frame. All that said, the engineer at Belltech says contrary to what the instuctions say the offset should go to the front on the F150 to keep the wheel centered in the well. The whole concept of offsettig to the rear slightly is so that the pumkin does'nt slam against the end of the drive shaft under heavy bumps. Insructions say one thing, the engineer says opposite. Cheez, what a conundrum!!!

 

so this means the welded gusset goes towards the front of the truck Right?? cause that is what I did. I hope that its right. I don't wnat to take it apart again!!!!

 

Chickenears,
There's a Llama in your truck...

Roger

 

That's a Rabbit.

 

Correct, The welded gusset goes forward. The guys out at So-Cal speed shop use Belltech hangers and shackles for the rear set up on the trucks that they lower, and they install with the offset, and gusset towards the front as well!

 

i dont think they were planning on anyone taking them off the frame.