[10secbird]

Could some of you out there give me some guidance on replacing my leaf springs. I need a summary of the r&r sequence, and should I pull the leafs with rearend still attached. Should I detach the front or rear of the spring first, etc,etc. I'll be replacing the leaf springs and installing Cal-Trac Bars, along with sub-frame connectors.
Thanks for the help

[boater bill]

Here's how I did it.
Jack up the rear, put jack stands near the front of the spring perches, but don't obstruct them.
Take off tires, unbolt rear end from springs. Jack up rear to get weight off the springs. Remove the rear shackle bolts. Now comes the fun part, remove the 3 bolts that hold in the perch the front spring bolts to. The 3 cage nuts will probably break. Then you drill the bolts until the perch will come out and move the drilled and rusted cage nuts out of the way. Unbolt the front of the spring from the perch.
Replace the cage nuts with a one piece style, ala 76 TA or newer IIRC even if they didn't break this time.
Installation is the opposite of removal

Good luck

[First Bird]

One part of the replacement sequence that I found important was bolting in the front of the spring first - as Boater Bill mentioned. Then bolt the spring to the rear shackles. This is because if you bolt the spring to the shackles first, it's difficult to pull/swing the leaf forward enough to bolt them to the front mounts.

[PLAY400]

First thing I do is raise the car, block the body, undo the u-bolts, raise the axle and put it on jack stands. I then undo the front first and bolt it up last. That way I can pull the spring forward to get at the shackle bolts with air tools. Because I have frame connectors I also replaced each bolt up front with a stud. Did it 1 at a time and Locktited them in. I had a heck of a time when I first put in the connectors and mounted the front spring pad with bolts. The way I'm set up now I can drop a spring in about 10 minutes once I have the body on stands.

BTW if you haven't had the shackles off before you will probably find the bolts pretty eaten up and stuck in the rubber bushings. I haven't been able to source the proper shackle or bolts. Had to have them machined

[10secbird]

Thanks guys, I did the job yesterday and all went pretty smooth considering the fact that my parts didn't exactly fit as they should. (sub-frame connectors, and new leaf springs were thicker due to an additional spacer of spring material essentially making the leafs as thick as a 6-leaf spring as opposed to a 5-leaf) Cal-Tracs were slick and the only part that fit as they should.