removing a lift with BASIC tools.

[Deer_hunter_088]

Okay so im tired of having to climb in my truck to do repairs, and was wondering how to remove the rear blocks, with basic tools, and how to make the fromt shackles the right length, again with basic tools. like i got some sockets, a jack, and impact, some pb blaster, and a ratchet, pliers, knives, etc to work with. anyone have any tips?

[davepl]

Well the most basic advice I can give you is:

- Soak everything well in PB. Repeat in a couple of hours.
- Don't bother touching it for a week, find something else to do, but soak the bolts every day with PB
- After a week it should come apart. If not, try some heat.

The key I'm trying to get across is that PB works over time, and sometimes a lot of time! But that approach allowed me to disassemble my truck with hand tools and not have to cut anything, even though it was 45 years together.

[jeffahart]

Yes easy money. The main tools are good jack stands! Get the frame on stands and load off the axle. You can get the bolts off with a breaker bar. As for the front, I assume you have new spring for front already. But for extended front shackles, you can drill holes up higher and cut off excess. But if you have some type of out of the normal lift post pics. It's a one man job, good jacks and jack stands are the main tool here.

[HO455]

I got a set of 6 ton jack stands for my 4x4 conversion project from harbor freight that have worked well and are about 2 foot high, ( a must for lifted rigs). I'm sure several vendors sell the same ones (in a different color). I think they were forty bucks. I jacked the axle up removed the wheels and set it down with the stands under the frame. And I still had plenty of room for a jack under the axle.

[TwoFiftyShifter]

I'm a firm believer in grinding the u bolts off and replacing with new.

[69chevytrucker]

Originally Posted by TwoFiftyShifter

I'm a firm believer in grinding the u bolts off and replacing with new.

i agree the only way to go cut the u-bolts off put on new ones they are fine thread and torqued on takes way too long to spin them off they are cheap enough to cut

[HO455]

How much lift are you looking to have when finished? How high is it now? There some may be some lift in the springs and if it was done right the drive shaft lengths may have been altered as well as the pinon angle depending on how high it is. The front shackles are not hard to find OE style or aftermarket or make your own.
http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/hdshackles.htm

[Deer_hunter_088]

I was thinking jack the truck yp,put it on jack stands, cut u bolts, put new ones on after removing blocks, but what about the front?

[Deer_hunter_088]

It has driveshafts that can telescope. and has about 3-4 in.

[special-K]

If you're just tired of climbing in working on the truck, take the tires off and let the rotors/drums sit on 2x blocks. It will be lower than a stock truck with tires on.

[randy500]

Good advise on soaking the U bolts. You must clean them first with a wire brush on a drill if you don't the gunk in the threads which is usually 2-3 nut lengths will build up and bind the nuts to the bolts. Clean them up good and then oil em, the impact should take them off. Or cut them since you will probably need new ones without the lift blocks in the rear.

[special-K]

I cut u-bolts and soak everything else. When I changed out my original springs on my '72 last year, all the front spring eye bolts and u-bolts threaded off as if the truck was new. I reused the spring eye bolts. I saved the u-bolts.

[Deer_hunter_088]

Also it looks like my mother will be driving this truck too (shes 5'0) and i dont want her to have to climb pluss it fits 40's without rubbing, and i want to run like 33/35s or smaller.