Spring hanger/shackle pins

[Old Radio Tech]

1965 K10 Suburban with leaf springs front and rear. Replacing the hanger/shackle pins and bushings. Working on the rear. Got the front hanger pins out by hammering out from the inside (slide hammer did not work). I can't get at the lower rear shackle pins to hammer out from the inside without dropping the gas tank first. Before I start beating on them from the outside in wanted to get some feedback from the forum. Can the pins be removed from the outside in or will they get tighter with each blow?

[61K10]

I didn't replace mine yet (should have when bed was off) are the pins tapered? front are the same i think. I have new pins will look.

[Old Radio Tech]

Pins aren't tapered but the pin hole may be. The front fronts are screw in pins. Hope I haven't confused anyone. With leaf springs front and rear, you have the front of the front, the rear of the front, the front of the rear, and the rear of the rear. I'm trying to remove the rear of the rear.

[61K10]

The side of the shackle that the threads of the pin come out of, is smaller than the fat side of the pin. So the pin thread side has to push back through the shackle. The pin has a champfer (flat tapered spot to lock the pin. a few pics. hope this helps

[Old Radio Tech]

I'm talking about the large eye pin that goes through the spring. The manual says to remove the grease zirt and insert an adapter attached to a slide hammer to remove the eye pin. That didn't work on the rear front pin probably because of rust. Several days of spraying and rapping to loosen it didn't do the trick. Finally discovered that there is a hole in the mount from the frame inside and the inside end of the pin is exposed there. A punch and hammer coaxed the pin out. Wanting to do the same with the rear rear eye pin but the gas tank is in the way. was asking if anyone else has been through this and if that eye pin can be pounded inward toward the gas tank for removal.

[padresag]

he was just making sure that you knew to take out the tapered lock pin first. there are lots that don't realize what it is. when someone has a problem that is usually the first thing to point at as you didn't mention removing it
ron

[Old Radio Tech]

Understood. Tapered lock pins removed first. Tried the slide hammer on the rear with same result. threads stripped. Will drop the gas tank tomorrow.

[61K10]

should come out either way. nothing tapered.

[Old Radio Tech]

Tank down, springs out. Ready to have new bushings pressed in. Had the idea to swap sides with the springs and flip them front to rear, so what was drivers rear rear (shackle end)would be passenger rear front (hanger end). Good idea or bad?

[Captainfab]

That will partly depend on whether the spring center pin is in the middle front to back.

Originally Posted by Old Radio Tech

Tank down, springs out. Ready to have new bushings pressed in. Had the idea to swap sides with the springs and flip them front to rear, so what was drivers rear rear (shackle end)would be passenger rear front (hanger end). Good idea or bad?

[Old Radio Tech]

Center pin is in the middle. I would think that pressures on the spring steel would be different from axle center to the front than to the rear and the steel may not like the change. That it may weaken the steel. I noticed that there is much more wear on the bushings in the rear/shackle end, which it seems is by design, that the shackle takes more of the movement.