Rear Shackles

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65Vart

65Vart

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Question re rear shaclkes. I was able to wrestle my 7 1/4 out without un doing the rear shackles. No way on god's earth the 8 3/4 is going back in that way! I took the nuts off the rear shackles but the bolts don't want to pound thru the bushings. Not enough roon to get a good swing at it either! Any tricks here?? must drop the springs.

65Dart 005.jpg
 
put a pipe (or use the handle from your floor jack) in between the 2 halves of the shackle and pry the one side off. The "bolts" may be welded into the other side and beating on them will not work so well because the rubber takes up the shock anyway. Once the flat side is off, pry the remaining side away from the spring.
 
You may need to slightly raise the spring to get the unsprung weight off of it. I can't really remember how I did mine. I think I may have used some channel lock pliers to push it out flush and grab it from the other side and just turn it out using the threads to let it move. It wouldn't hurt to soak it with a penetrating fluid either.
 
The bolts are pressed into the shackle. Take the nuts and loose shackle off. Then use a jack to unload weight, then pull the bolt/shackle out of the bushings.
 
green1 said:
The bolts are pressed into the shackle. Take the nuts and loose shackle off. Then use a jack to unload weight, then pull the bolt/shackle out of the bushings.
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Understood, I feel like an idiot, Better clean up the threads on the ends I was smashing at as well. I hope I added a bit of humour to everyone's Friday evening:read2:
 
I got so mad, I took the damn springs out to do the work.
Then I got even maddederederrerrrr
 
LOL, now it's coming back...I think I did the same thing:) Somehow I realized there are two pieces.
 
They aren't exactly easy to pry apart either. If its never been apart the bushings have a way of vulcanizing to the shaft, making them seriously difficult to remove. I recently had one so stuck on my Challenger that as I pried on the shackle (right next to the bolt mind you) I actually bent the shackle arm without even budging the bolt out of the frame.

The easy way to do this? Use a propane torch to nuke the bushings. Old bushings melt, shackle falls out. Taa-daa. :cheers: Its so worth buying the new bushings it isn't even funny.

Just be aware that's not an option if the gas tank is still in the car (as mine was). And as always, after any operation using a torch of any kind, make sure you check on your car repeatedly until it completely cools.

If it was me, I'd get a couple of friends and just leave the springs alone. You could also drop the front of the springs by unbolting the hangers, but again, if these have never been apart you may need new hangers (or at least a few studs) after you've removed them.
 
Just undo the hanger from frame and drop it,leave the bolts on the shackle ends when hammering.You have my cell # Wally,I could come over Sunday and give you a hand.I could bring my 66 Dart over and let you have a lookysee.LOL.PM me if you need a hand.
 
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