g741.org

cant get all of the u bolt nuts off the rear ,got 4 off but the others spin a little , but are too tight ,have soaked them , gonna try a bigger breaker bar I think I will try and heat them,no gas tank so no exploding m37.any suggestions,also the rear lower shock bolts are frozen , got the top ones off, bottom wont budge.any ideas ,or can I find new or used rear u bolts anywhere .??

Never, ever, re-use U bolts. Cut them off, and then head over to your local spring shop and have them bend up a new set. Easy as pie, and cost about $50 dollars-ish. U bolts stretch over time, and should be re-torqued to spec after about a hundred miles of driving. Because of this "stretch", used U bolts will never stay tight if you try to reuse them again. The spring shop should include new hardened washers and new nuts with the new u bolts.

As for the lower shock mounts, a little heat and some penetrating oil should do the trick. Make sure the cotter-pin has been completely removed (my CDN. M37 had castle nuts on both sides)...

Good luck!

im with Yota cut em off, but try removing the shock nut before you remove the U bolts and since your there replace the center bolt. a rusty jacking center bolt can lead to broken leaves.

RMS wrote:im with Yota cut em off, but try removing the shock nut before you remove the U bolts and since your there replace the center bolt. a rusty jacking center bolt can lead to broken leaves.

At best a few broken leaves. At worst, the axle will no longer be located on the spring pack and can float around if you manage to hit a good pot hole or bump. The potential for disaster under those circumstances is incalculable...