Rear Coil Question

[WRO44]

Gents-

OK so I am replacing my rear coil springs and have a few questions/issues.

1. Does the retainer cup have a square nut welded to it?
2. Unfortunately I broke the bolt heads off both sides from the bottom....any suggestions on getting them off? I don't have a torch....

Thanks in advance!

[protrash64]

I didnt on my truck. I used new hardware when I replaced my springs. I would think that you could hammer the bolt straight up thru. I know it was fun trying to get my fingers back in there to put it together!!

[62 Bowtie]

yes the cup has a nut welded. not sure how your gonna get it out without cutting or torching

[Matt's k5]

pound the bolt up thru and cut the nut off of the retainer

[bubba327]

A little heat works wonders-- even if it is a propane bottle torch. Do not heat the springs , they will lose the temper.

[protrash64]

Check this out.......no nut. Is this the part you're talking about? These are replacement, but my originals were the same as the pic.

[halfcockedcustoms]

On mine ,,tops had no nut,,bottoms had nut welded on.....

[protrash64]

Wierd.....another 60-66 mystery I guess. Sure would be nice to have it welded on; it was a ***** to get the hardware started inside the coil.

[bubba327]

Originally Posted by halfcockedcustoms

On mine ,,tops had no nut,,bottoms had nut welded on.....

yup --mine also

[LILRED66]

No nut on top retainer cups...square weld-nut on bottom retainer cups. I have have several good examples in my lot and have replaced several for myself and others. Weld-nuts on both top & bottom, to eliminate the nuisance of getting your fingers in there to start the nuts.

[WRO44]

Well thanks for all the replies gents, I hit them with some penetrating oil and will go back at it again today. I am going to take the tops off and see if the old bolt can be pulled through. If not I guess I will have to go buy an electric cut off or something.

[fleetsidelarry]

WRO44, I had a similar problem. As you know, the lower bolts go through the trailing arms, and, if they're like mine, the entire length of the bolt is rusted solid to the trailing arm, not just to the welded nut. It is virtually impossible to get penetrating oil down around this length of bolt. You can get heat to the area.

Like you, I was replacing my springs (my old ones were worthless, having been torched by the P.O.). If I remember correctly (I DO suffer from CRS), I got the spring tops loose then cut the springs down low to get them out of the way AFTER PROPERLY SUPPORTING BOTH THE FRAME AND THE REAR AXEL AND DELOADING THE SPRINGS. Then you can use a chisel as a wedge between the spring/cup and the trailing arm. If you can loosen it any at all you can start getting oil to it. Driving the bolt up from the bottom is difficult because it is tough to get a good swing with the tool of choice, the BFH.

[WRO44]

Alright fellas- I broke down and just bought an angle grinder and cut the spring off. The top retainer cup came off easily after I cut the bolt. HOWEVER.... the bottom bolt that ran all the way through the trailing arm is still being a PITA! I think I am just going to end up drilling the darn thing out. I will keep ya'll posted on the progress.

[fleetsidelarry]

Did you get the lower cups off? If not, now that the springs are out of the way, soak the cup nuts good and use a crescent wrench to see if you can get the cups off. Even if they snap off you can then just drive the rest of the bolt DOWN through the trailing arms which will be way easier than trying to drive them UP as you can support the arms and get a better swing with the hammer. I my opinion, drilling will be tough. I think once you can get a good whack at that bolt it will start, also, with the cups out of the way you can soak the bolt better.

[WRO44]

SUCCESS! Finally got both the bottom bolts all the way out. The driver side I was a little smarter and just ground the nut off leaving the bolt to swing a BFH at...she popped right out. The passenger side was a little tougher....soked with a bunch of penetraiting oil and heated it a few times, then finally drilled a hole in the top, got a punch in there and then went at it with the famed BFH! All in all it was a successful weekend, now just gotta wait till the new cups and bolts come in and install! Thanks again for all the help gents!

[fleetsidelarry]

Allright! Just a suggestion, when I reassembled mine, I coated the entire length of the bolts with grease to, hopefully, make it easier to take apart next time.

[WRO44]

Well I got the new springs and everything on last night....everything was looking good, until I lowered the driver side off the jack/jackstand and it kept going...and going. Well I think i got two different sized springs. I will swap them tonight just to ensure it isn't the frame or anything. The company is being really great about it though, as soon as I double check to ensure it isn't the frame they will shoot off a new spring to me. I just can't wait to drive her again!

[LILRED66]

An air hammer with a pointed tip is a geat way to drive the bottom bolts out of the trailing arm. Also, with your impact and a 3/4 socket, turn the bolt clockwise and counter-clockwise several times. This, along with penetrating oil & heat, will allow the rust to break up and the bolt to be easily removed.

I have also tapped on the die-pressed hump at the center chord of the trailing arm, on both sides, to help break up the rust in the bolt cavity.

Jacking the frame up until the rear wheels are barely contacting the surface and not able to rotate, will relieve the energy of the coils, avoiding any runaway springs. Remove the lower caps and bolts first. The coil can then be moved to the side of the top flange of the trailing arm, to allow a deep-well socket and an long extension to be inserted through the bottom of the coil spring and allow loosening of the top bolt. The coil will fall out in your hand, once the bolt begins to loosen and fall from the weld nut in the frame rail.

When installing new coils, install the top retaining cup and bolt, finger tight, followed by the lower cup and thru-bolt. Once both top and bottom bolts are started properly and finger tight, relieve the jack, to allow the frame to rest on the coils on the trailing arms. This will secure them, to allow tightening and torquing the bolts.

[tapeworm]

Originally Posted by protrash64

Check this out.......no nut. Is this the part you're talking about? These are replacement, but my originals were the same as the pic.

Tony-

Are the top cups and bottom ones the same? I'm asking since my bottom ones are gone. One of the previous owners never put them back in after heating and cutting the springs
(they are not pretty looking)

[LILRED66]

tapeworm:

The top coil retaining cups do not have a weld nut on them. The weld nut is on the top side of the lower frame flange and the bolt goes through the retainer cup, into the weld nut from inside the coil. Getting the bolt in from the top and tightening it, if there was a weld nut in the cup, would be very difficult.

The bottom coil retaining cups have a weld nut. The bolt goes through the pocket in the trailing arm and into the bottom coil retainer cup with the weld nut on it. Inserting and tightening the bolt from the underside of the trailing arm, into the cup, is easier than from the top, inside the coil.

[tapeworm]

Originally Posted by LILRED66

tapeworm:

The top coil retaining cups do not have a weld nut on them. The weld nut is on the top side of the lower frame flange and the bolt goes through the retainer cup, into the weld nut from inside the coil. Getting the bolt in from the top and tightening it, if there was a weld nut in the cup, would be very difficult.

The bottom coil retaining cups have a weld nut. The bolt goes through the pocket in the trailing arm and into the bottom coil retainer cup with the weld nut on it. Inserting and tightening the bolt from the underside of the trailing arm, into the cup, is easier than from the top, inside the coil.

Thanks!

My bottom ones are not even there (no bolts either)

[LILRED66]

Originally Posted by tapeworm

Thanks!

My bottom ones are not even there (no bolts either)

I have purchased the complete kit, including two top coil spring retainer cups, two bottom coil spring retainer cups and the mounting hardware for around $20.00, plus tax. Replacing the entire set, is a good thing to do, especially, if they are missing altogether.

[tapeworm]

I was just thinking the same thing-

I think I saw the kit at Classic Parts

Thanks again!

[WRO44]

I got mine for like $20 shipped through CPP on thier Ebay store.