need help with leaf rear springs

[59Mutt]

hello, im working on a 59. my leaf spring broke so my buddy gave me the ones from his 57. well the way it mounts is a little different. i tried removing the stud that goes through the eye because mine is different. but it wont move. do i just pound it out or is there another method? the one on the left is the 57 the right is my broken one with the 59 style. thanks.

[mr48chev]

It should come out but 50+ years of rust doesn't help. soaking it with PB blaster and then using a hydraulic press to push it out would probably be the best way.

Revised after seeing the other posts below. Yep they do thread in and out of the bushing. My brain wasn't fully awake when I wrote the answer above.

[59Mutt]

thanks. its soaking inn pb blaster now. i tried using my hammer but ill take it to my buddies shop where he has a press. thanks for the info.

[troy54gmc]

hey mutt im not sure if yours are like my originals were because mines a 54 but mine were threaded in. needed to unscrew them. i hammered on them for 20mins before i figured this out.

[59Mutt]

i appreciate the heads up, were yours female like 57's or male like my current 59?

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by 59Mutt

hello, im working on a 59. my leaf spring broke so my buddy gave me the ones from his 57. well the way it mounts is a little different. i tried removing the stud that goes through the eye because mine is different. but it wont move. do i just pound it out or is there another method? the one on the left is the 57 the right is my broken one with the 59 style. thanks.

They do screw out as the others have said. I would press the entire unit out (bushing and pin) and buy new ones and have them pressed in. Buy the ones like the 58. The kit should come with the pin, bushing, foam seals and the nuts w/ lock washers. For about $50 you should be able to get the kits for both sides.

Also buy the correct center bolts for the springs don't use a grade 8 with a ground down top. The spring center bolts are suppose to give if they get slammed hard so it doesn't break the spring. Clamp the spring stack together then tighen the center bolt. Its only about a grade 3 bolt so don't over crank the nut.

[59Mutt]

thank you for the very valuable info. i did notice the nut on the good ones was stripped and i thought this was unusual as it hardley happens to me. i did go out and buy a grade 8 nut for the replacement but it was wrong....glad it was and i used the one from the craked stack. i tightened it but not gorilla style. the pass side is ok and i only need this one, i have good soft foam gaskets adn the bushing looks ok...needless to say im trying to get away cheap. this is an important project( it was my dads i sold it and after 8 years got it back.) i just want to drive in locally and later really dig in when the kids are big and my girl works full time. for now im pinching pennies fellas. thanks again.

[59Mutt]

ok, i cheated...i had it swaped by Long Beach Spring in long beacg ca...very quick and it was easy for them...thanks again!!!

[59Mutt]

so i installed the springs but a couple folks say it dog tracks. i measured the front of the back tire to frame and it was 9 1/2 on the passenger side. and 9 1/2 on the rear of the drivers back tire. so it may be cocked. so my question today is.....what should be the distance from the front spring eye to the axle locating pin if reversed? how about stock? maybe i have one reversed. but i measured it before to make sure but maybe i made a mistake.