I just installed new mono leaf springs, shackles, and rubber parts on my 68. I have read that I should not tighten the new bolts on the spring seat until I lower the car. What about the rear shackle and the front knuckle. Should I also leave these loose and then torque them down once the car is lowered?

Yes, after the car is lowered and bounced a few times.

The shackle bolts are the only ones you want loose until the car is on the ground.

The shackle bolts are the only ones you want loose until the car is on the ground.

Ok, so this mean I need to go ahead and tighten the leaf spring seats and the front knuckle before I lower the car back on the ground.

The shackle has a top bolt to frame and a bottom bolt to spring, do I leave both loose or just the spring leaf bolt?

Thanks everyone

Ok, so this mean I need to go ahead and tighten the leaf spring seats and the front knuckle before I lower the car back on the ground.

The shackle has a top bolt to frame and a bottom bolt to spring, do I leave both loose or just the spring leaf bolt?
That's not the way I do it.
The front of the spring has a molded steel/rubber bushing and needs to be tightened at ride height (full weight on the suspension).

That's not the way I do it.
The front of the spring has a molded steel/rubber bushing and needs to be tightened at ride height (full weight on the suspension).

The pivot is so few degrees on the front spring eye I think it's not an issue with respect to the effected ride height like the the shackle end is. What do you use to tighten the bolt and nut after the pocket is mounted into the floor?

The pivot is so few degrees on the front spring eye I think it's not an issue with respect to the effected ride height like the the shackle end is. What do you use to tighten the bolt and nut after the pocket is mounted into the floor?
Just regular box end wrenches, with the jack stands under the axle.
It may be negligible on the front of the rear spring, but any time a pressed in suspension bushing has to be tightened, I do it at ride height.

Just regular box end wrenches, with the jack stands under the axle.
It may be negligible on the front of the rear spring, but any time a pressed in suspension bushing has to be tightened, I do it at ride height.

Have you done this before? A standard wrench will not fit into the area where the bolt head is once the pocket is bolted to the floor... You can put a wrench on the nut but the whole bolt will turn. If you have subframe connectors it even makes it harder to get to the bolt head. If you have Nova spring pockets you can get a wrench on both the nut and bolt head bit then the part is wrong for your car and it will raise the rear of the car...

You lost me on the pressed in bushing part... If you tighten the bolt in the pocket you can still move the pocket around the bushing and spring eye by hand so the hanging suspension won't bind in that position when you bolt the pocket to the floor.

My only intention questioning this is to save you and others time and headaches, the shackle is the only area in the rear suspension that can bind and effect the ride height which is the only reason for not tightening the bolts until the weight of the car is on the suspension.

My only intention questioning this is to save you and others time and headaches, the shackle is the only area in the rear suspension that can bind and effect the ride height which is the only reason for not tightening the bolts until the weight of the car is on the suspension.I agree, if I remember correctly, the front spring eye/pocket can be moved by hand once the bolt/nut is tighten making it a mute point.

The shackles are ones to be left loose.

Have you done this before? A standard wrench will not fit into the area where the bolt head is once the pocket is bolted to the floor... You can put a wrench on the nut but the whole bolt will turn. If you have subframe connectors it even makes it harder to get to the bolt head. If you have Nova spring pockets you can get a wrench on both the nut and bolt head bit then the part is wrong for your car and it will raise the rear of the car...

You lost me on the pressed in bushing part... If you tighten the bolt in the pocket you can still move the pocket around the bushing and spring eye by hand so the hanging suspension won't bind in that position when you bolt the pocket to the floor.

My only intention questioning this is to save you and others time and headaches, the shackle is the only area in the rear suspension that can bind and effect the ride height which is the only reason for not tightening the bolts until the weight of the car is on the suspension.

Thanks guys. I would be lost without this forum.

Have you done this before? A standard wrench will not fit into the area where the bolt head is once the pocket is bolted to the floor... .

Of course, several times. My mistake in calling it a box end wrench, it's actually a combination wrench and I use the open end side.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m46/JamesESCA/iPhone139.jpg?t=1248742660
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m46/JamesESCA/iPhone137.jpg?t=1248742710
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m46/JamesESCA/iPhone102.jpg?t=1248742768


You lost me on the pressed in bushing part...

This is a pressed in bushing for the front of the spring. The rubber is molded to the steel and it should not spin freely when tightend.

http://www.rickscamaros.com/images/RFG/SS-6.jpg

Here are the instructions from 1968 Chevrolet Service manual.
Note instruction 5: "loosely install spring-to-underbody bracket"
Note the very last instruction 12: "lower vehicle so that weight of vehicle rest on suspension components. Torque all affected parts to specifications"

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m46/JamesESCA/iPhone108.jpg?t=1248743131
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m46/JamesESCA/iPhone080.jpg?t=1248743210

Of course, several times. My mistake in calling it a box end wrench, it's actually a combination wrench and I use the open end side.



Hey, thanks for the pics. I was wondering about that since I just got my 40 year old ones off this weekend. :angry: <-- this was me after a couple of hours.

The Chilton's says to loosen that bolt as the first order of business, so it's safe to assume that it can be tightened once the perch is mounted. Mine were so rusted that I didn't have to put a wrench on the bolt head.

Hard to argue with a book but I know from doing several spring swaps I couldn't get a wrench on the bolt head on any of them.

Doing it as I suggest doesn't cause the bushing to turn or twist in the outer sleeve. Just for grins try bolting a spring eye into place in the pocket and tighten it. Now grab the pocket and see how easy it will pivot on the spring eye and the inner sleeve the bolt goes through. There is no way you can tighten the bolt with the suspension hanging and cause the bushing assembly to bind. You can do it buy the book if your wrench will fit but if you go and bolt the pocket into the floors and can't get a wrench on the bolt head what are your options?

You can do it buy the book if your wrench will fit but if you go and bolt the pocket into the floors and can't get a wrench on the bolt head what are your options?


Take it back out and then prostrate before you?

:D

Either way, I'm lathering up everything including myself with bushing grease when I put the new ones in.

I tried to take a pic showing how tight it is and how subframe connectors (designed so you can drop the spring) block the wrench even more... Car's too low and even my phone an inch off the ground is too close to focus...

All the greese in the world won't help... :D

I tried to take a pic showing how tight it is and how subframe connectors (designed so you can drop the spring) block the wrench even more... Car's too low and even my phone an inch off the ground is too close to focus...

All the greese in the world won't help... :D

Good point. I didn't have subframe connectors when I removed everything but have a set I was planning on installing when I did the new leafs and pockets.

I am doing the same installation - mono on a 67 with traction bars. Also, I installed a new shock tower crossmember and moved the shocks inside.

Back to the original questions.

Do we tighten both shackle bolts while the car weight is loaded or just the leaf sping side?

Also, my shackles have a beveled side which way does that go toward the bushing or away?

Lastly, how tight do I torque the shacke bolts? Looks like they smashed the rubber bushing pretty good on the old ones.

Thanks!