I found another issue on my truck that needs attention. I am hoping others have already been through this and can offer some advice or helpful suggestions. Here is the deal:

1995 F-150 2WD. Rear mounting bracket on the rear leaf springs are starting to rust out. It appears they are riveted in place. I know LMC sells the brackets. Haven't check the local parts stores or dealer yet.

So here is my plan: Buy new parts. Drill out the rivets. Bolt on the new brackets. Am I missing anything? Any tips on removing the rivets? Can I do this without removing the rear gas tank? (It doesn't look like much clearance in there.)

Any help will be greatly appreciated,
S.

 

I have an 89 f150 2wd with 2 tanks. Shackle broke on one of the leaf springs, causing the bracket on the other side to break. Easiest way to get rivets out is with an angle grinder. Grind them down and pop them out with a punch or air hammer. You could also chisel them out with an air hammer and rivet cutter if you are worried about the sparks from the angle grinder next to the gas tank. I can pretty much guarantee you will also need to replace the leaf springs, at least the main leaf. The bolt will not come out due to the metal bushing in the rubber mount being locked on to the bolt from rust. No way to get the bolt out unless you cut it out. Pressing the old bushing out and the new one in to the leaf spring will cause the leaf spring to spread too much where the bushing is and will be worthless if you wanted to reuse the old leafs. I ended up replacing both rear hanger brackets, both rear shackles, both main leafs and all hardware. Got all parts from Husky Spring near where I live, they also sell online. Ended up spending about $250 for the whole project. More than I wanted to spend on an old pickup, but it rides like a new truck now. Good Luck!

 

I did this on a '94 Bronco with a body lift, so I can say: you'll need to do SOMETHING to get more access back there. If you don't want to drop the tank, lift the bed. The last diagram explains exactly how to replace a frame rivet.

. . .

 

This seems to be a common weakness on these trucks. I just replaced the brackets on my '92, and I have a '94 that needs to be done. I can tell you that it can be done with the rear tank in place, as I did, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra aggravation. Next time, I think the tank is coming off.