Sunday 5-19-19
8.75 Axle Install
· Leaf Springs and Front mounts/hangers: assemble loose on work table. Front mounts have horizontal edge facing up, angle edge faces down. Run bolt through from the outside, nut at inside, hand tight. (Front Mount: POR 15 had closed up the boltholes slightly. Half inch drill and appropriate sized bit to drill out the paint, so Bolt could go through.) Bolt goes through front mount, through spring eye, through front mount, nut on the inside.
Rubber Isolators installed on axle spring perches/mounts
· Leaf Springs: cardboard on floor, so center portion of leaf spring can rest on floor without getting scratched. Family helped while I guided the studs of the front mount through the mounting holes in the subframe. Attached nuts on front side, opposite side of subframe, 9/16 long socket (ls), 3/8 ratchet (R), leave slightly loose, so leaf spring can be moved to match position of axle. Did left side and right side the same way.
· 8.75 axle: we carried the axle from the workbench in the garage out to the jack which was behind the Fury. I had a green towel over the jack saddle. Family were at the axle shaft mounting flanges of the axle housing making sure it stayed level. Another family member held up the nose of the axle from under the car while I pushed the hydraulic Jack under the car. As I got under the wheel well, lifted axle and continued to move forward until it was positioned over top of the mounting studs on the Leaf Springs.
· Leaf spring mount for the axle housing has a lower metal mount, which is also the shock mount, then there’s a lower rubber insulator that goes on the stud at the bottom of leaf spring, then there is a matching rubber insulator that goes on the stud above the leaf spring, then there is another metal piece which goes over the upper insulator and centers on a circular rubber protrusion at the top of that insulator. The axle has a large circular hole in its mount which goes over the flanged area of this metal mount that goes around the circular rubber portion of the insulator.
· U-bolt’s mount over the axle and through both metal pieces. They are parallel to the sides of the car. Attached nuts with heavy-duty washers. Tighten evenly, ¾ long socket, ½ ratchet. Did not final torque. Left slightly loose to give play in the assembly so that the rear shackles and rear mounts could be put into position.
· Getting these spring perches for the axle lined up properly requires lots of movements and adjustment. It’s also handy to have a hammer and a block of wood to tap the U-bolt’s back into vertical position if they move and cant to the outside.
· Rear shackles and rear mounts: lift axle at center using hydraulic Jack. Shackles fold and look like 2 ends of a scissor close together. The open scissor is above the level of the rear of the leaf spring. Move the rear mount portion to flush with the subframe/torque box and its 3 mounting holes. Install 3 bolts through rear mount, each side. 9/16 long socket, 3/8 ratchet, leave slightly loose.
Torque:
· Front Mount/Hanger Nuts. RS in pic. Both sides: 30-30 foot-pounds, 9/16 ls, 3/8 R & TW
Spring eye side, RS, torque last
Rear Mount/Hanger Bolts (RS: Shackle in pic) 30-30 foot-pounds 9/16 ls, 3/8 R & TW
RS torque box view
Clean torque box
You will be driving it again soon
