Hotchkis leaf springs install

[67cuda360]

I'm in the process of taking my old leaf springs out and replacing them with the Hotchkis sport suspension. I'm planning on using the original front mounting plates since I've read on this forum that the ones that come with the kit sometimes sit too low (about 1 inch)

anyways, I'm trying to take the four bolts off that hold the front mounting plate so that I can take the front leaf spring bushing out (see picture from the instruction manual) and one just snapped off.

The area seems to be coated in some undercoating and I think that might have stuck the bolt and surface area together. My question is, does the Hotchkis kit I ordered (HSS-24385) come with the mounting hardware (bolts, nuts and washers) or am I supposed to use the original ones?

Any suggestions on getting the rest of the bolts off without breaking them?

 

[fastbackmopar]

Yes, the new Hotchkis springs come with all the hardware. If your worried about snapping off more bolts, you can try heating them up with a small torch. Just watch out the undercoating dosen't catch on fire.

 

[67cuda360]

yeah that's what I was afraid of, I might choose snapped bolts over burning undercoating LOL. Thanks for letting me know about the hardware I assumed it would be included but I wasn't sure.

P.s. those nuts and washers on the image. Are they one piece (washer and nut welded to each other) or are they an actual separate nut and washer. Reason I ask when the bolt snapped it looks like the nut and washer are one piece.

 

[fastbackmopar]

They are separate nuts and washers. The nuts are the plastic lock kind. The bolts and nuts Hotchkis uses are actually pretty nice. I'm running their springs on my Scamp. I ran the front mount that came with the kit and it was a little too low. I'd hit the foor with the front snubber mount on bumps when I had passengers. I changed mine to the factory ones this winter and it's better.

 

[67cuda360]

My current springs are sitting pretty low with 26 inch tires. The springs are completely flat with the weight of the vehicle on them. So I hope the Hotchkis springs won't make it sit even lower then it is now

 

[moparmat2000]

Spray the nuts and studs with WD40, and let it sit for a day or so. The wd40 will soften the undercoating to where you can use a small toothbrush sized steel wire brush to scrub it off the threads of the studs, then apply more wd40 and start removing the nuts. If they start to bind up when taking them off then retighten em a bit, and clean the stud with the wire brush some more. Then back em out again. Its a pain in the A$$ but it works with no snapped studs. WD40 is gonna b your best friend for this one.

 

[67cuda360]

thanks moparmat2000, I'll have to give that a try on the other side, I've got the one side out but all the bolts snapped Now I just have to get rid of the leftover pressed in studs on the front hanger LOL

 

[moparmat2000]

Glad i could help you. With these old cars penetrating oil, and a wire brush end up being your best friend. Sometimes on stuck rusty nuts i warm them up with a bernsomatic torch with mapp gas its a bit hotter, then i spray the nut and threads with wd40 it soaks.up the penetrant into the threads pretty good so you can get em loose.

When the nut you are loosening starts to bind up a little its because theres dirt and rust jamming it up in the threads. This is why you retighten it a bit, and wire brush the threads to try to remove the excess rust and dirt. Then spray more penetrating oil and back em out some more.

You may have to repeat this process several times on more stubborn ones, this is where ya gotta be patient, and just keep tightening and loosening.

I was thinking of doing the hotchkis rear springs on my 67 coupe. Let me know how well your install goes.

Matt

 

[67cuda360]

So just installed the new hotchkis leaf springs and the car sits even lower then it sat on the tired old springs. I re-used the front leaf spring hangers (to avoid it even sitting lower) now my 255/60 R15's rub on the wheelwell lips when I go over a bump. Any suggestions on how to raise the rear by 0.5 - 0.75 of an inch?

Below is a new thread with the same question.
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=230821