Help shackle install/removal

I got the truck on stands and a jack under the pumpkin and can’t remove the stock shackle it’s stuck in the leaf the top moves freely I’ve played with the jack and it’s all the same suggests please! Trucks in the air!


EDIT:
Everything is installed after some blood,sweat, and cursing. Ended up using a ball joint press for the passenger side and a torch and sawzal for the driver. 30k miles on the truck and those sleeves were glued in with rust. New poly bushings from coach installed.

Outcome: night and day! Tho the removal of the shackles/bushings was not fun In the end my trucks rides like butter now. Can’t belive how bad that 1in block was on the truck compared to the shackles and I think it gave my truck the perfect amount of rake. 3.5/2”.

 

angle grinder? Any pics would help

 

Is the bolt stuck in there as well?
Like 15yota said whack it with a hammer, use a pry bar.

 

I’ve tried a hammer and pry bar it’s stuck in the bushing good

 

Top moves freely not the bottom

 

are you replacing the stock shackles ?

 

How about a C clamp and press it out?

 

Not sure if I have a C clamp I’ll look I’ve been working the pry bar and yes these are the stock ones coming out

 

I would use a pickle fork on it

 

When I did mine I used a C clamp.

 

Floor jack under Diff.? The Diff/ axle needs to be supported if not. There are some good Youtube videos on shackle jobs.

 

I have a jack under the diff I’ve lowered it prettty low the top bolt of shackle moves pretty easy it’s the bottom one in the bushing

 

unbolt the sway bar arms and bring the axle down until the shackle is free (you will feel the sweet spot for the leaf packs as you lower of lift the axle as need). pry bar might help a little too.

 

Penetrating oil, let sit 1/2 hr. Spray both sides. Have a beer or two.

C-Clamp or hammer....

 

keep an eye on your brake lines too. make sure you dont stretch em out.

 

Found a big C clamp what’s the method?

 

This ^^^ at 3:30 in the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmJ6Xjjtpe8

 

Open enough to put on side of opening on threaded end of bolt, the other on shackle but not on bolt, begin to tighten.....

edit: one side on leaf spring instead of shackle, could be one piece.

 

I would hose the bushings and bolts down with some PB blaster for good measure

 

Ball joint press works wonders with a good impact. You can usually rent these at your local auto store for free.
C clamp you have to put a large enough socket on one end for the bushing to drop into. Also it’s gonna be fun if you are turning it by hand.

 

Video shows bolt and shackle one piece, on one side.

 

I thought post#8 looked the same.

 

Those rust free west coast trucks make me sick!

 

You definitely need to disconnect the sway bar. Truck up on jackstands supporting the differential with the Jack. Drop the differential all the way down until the jack comes off, then slowly lift the diff. It can’t be fully hanging it just needs a little bit of support. If you start pulling out the shackle from the top out of the frame too much it will bind up in the leaf spring. They need to come out at the same time. I used a prybar. PB blaster is your friend. I just did this on Sunday. Had the driver side out in five minutes once the truck was up on stands. Then I used a ball joint press to push out the old bushing. The cup for my ball joint press wasn’t quite deep enough to except the whole bushing. I tapped it the rest of the way out with a chisel and hammer.

 

This guy doesn’t mess around! How does it ride?

 

My jack stands aren’t tall enough then I have had the jack all the way down,little pressure etc nothing....I’ll undo the sway bar

 

I suggest anyone even with a stock set up to get some poly bushings. The way the stock ones are, completely bind up the entire shackle. So when you’re riding down the highway or dirt road you were only using the spring and the flex of the bushings. When I loosen the shackle I heard a pop once the teeth from the old bushing released. That’s why they tell you to tighten it up once the truck is on the ground or with full weight on the axle.

I would bet you could loosen both the shackles, raise the truck up by the frame and re-tighten the shackles and have a slightly lifted rear end just from re-positioning the shackle. It would probably ride like shit.

The rear end of my truck is night and day different. It feels like it matches the front. I don’t get the weird truck wiggle in the rear end when I go over bumps anymore.

If I were to have a stock truck and wanted it to stay that way, I think a perfect solution would be coachbuilder +1 shackles with a shim on each side in the front. Or any aftermarket shackle with lower poly bushings would make a huge difference. I’m telling you the truck is butter bro!!!

 

The sway bar is holding you up man. There is still tension on the spring and shackle. Get some blocks of wood to put underneath your jackstands or get some longer jackstands.