So I am in the process of trying to take the leaf springs off my 93 but i can't get the spring bolts off . I was wondering what ways you guys have managed to get them off without an impact wrench. currently I have been blasting it with PB blaster about every half hour for the last two hours and trying to pry on it with no luck. I was also thinking about maybe going to purchase an electric impact wrench from home depot. If i did that what kind of wrench should I be looking at? budget on that is about $200 - $250.

 

do you have a breaker bar? access appears to be very good. put a box end wrench on one side and breaker bar on the other. push pull etc with your legs, arms whatever it takes. it's just a bolt, it can't be that tough.

worst case you break it and have to drive it out with a punch, then replace it...??

 

Heat them up! Get em glowing red and try again.

 

breaker bar is what I have been prying with. They're on there pretty good.

 

Like said, heat can really help. A regular propane torch on the nut, (to expand it a bit) Then a "dedicated" reef on it...give it all you got!

 

Heat indeed, see if you can access an oxy-acetylene torch

 

Have you tried tightening it then loosening it?

 

Wish I could, but I don't have access to a torch. I think the money would be more justified in a good electric impact wrench for this

 

I have. I can't get them to move in either direction and my own body weight isnt enough to help either. Little guy problems I guess

 

LOL yeah I guess not every one is 6'2 and 250 lol It dont hurt tho. The harbor freight electric impact is not bad I hear you might try it or look at it. Is your jeep still on the tires or do you have it jacked up off the ground?

 

I use Map-Pro gas and there wasn't been a bolt that it hasn't been able to loosen up. Map-pro runs about 150 degrees hotter than normal propane gas so that extra heat definitely helps. It comes in a yellow bottle and screws right on to your torch head. It's only slightly more expensive than the blue crap. Like $5 more.

 

Maybe XJriot, or somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the propane and MAP gas torch "head" are the same. Just a handy thing to have around anyway. (I have them everywhere like reading glasses and lighters)(No bull). Sweat copper plumbing, heat some tube to fit, even solder smalish wires...(in a pinch). Once I used two on a stuck brake drum on something. Nothing against an impact, but the torch will do lots of other things, and is not as spendy. I DO have an 02/Accedline rig, as well as air tools, but I usually just grab the little propane torch. (those other two are awkward to break out)

 

The problem isn't usually the bolt itself, it's the sleeve in the leaf spring bushing. Dust gathers in the space in between the sleeve and bolt and eventually welds the two together. The shackle is the same way. If the leaves are scrap, cut the main eye off and work your way to the sleeve, find the parting line and open it up. The bolt frees up and comes out. I do that with a lot of the troublesome springs at work.

 

Yep the head is the same. I used propane when I was wrenching at a shop then tried out map-pro while working on my own stuff and I've never looked back. The combination of pb blaster and a nice hot torch does amazing things.

 

The rear driver side is jacked up