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18 Oct 2011 |

How do you replace the shackle bushes on a dual axle caravan?

Warring, Qld
COMMENTS (2)
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 year ago
ps: one thing i forgot to say
if shackle bolts are badly worn through the bushes the spring eye holes may also be worn badly
if this is the case then new springs will be required
as i dont know the age of your van this is just in case of above problem
in future when asking for advice it would be very helpful to give more information about the van/vehicle / weight /length / age /brand/offrd/ on rd to assist the people trying to give you the help needed
cheers b.t
Comment by Unknown
posted 1 year ago
hi warring?
as you havent given the size of the dual axle van or the weight
i can only give a general outline of what to do
firstly
if the van is reasonelly heavy
you will need some decent size good quality blocks of wood for the jackstands to sit on or maybe you have a solid cement floor??
2 strong safety jack stands
2 hydrualic jacks of 2-4 tonne capacity depends on van weight??
preferably trolley jacks for safety and stability
1 or 2 -1 tonne jacks

safety is a key issue while doing this job as you will need to get under the van during the preceedure
place 4 wheel chocks under opposite side van wheels and do the job on a level surface then go to other side of van
place a trolley jack on either side of the tandem wheels under the van chassis remove wheel covers and loosen wheel nuts
then jack each jack up alternatively and equally until wheels can be removed and it is still high enough to get under the van
next place your safety jack stands under the chassis next to the jacks
and just ease the van down onto them so they just take some weight but leaving the hyd jacks in place still allowing you to get underneath
remove the both wheels

the third and 4th 1-2tn jack is then placed under the axles if you can get a 4th jack it will make the job easier (this is my preference) to take the weight of the axles and spring assembly while you remove the shacklebolts/pins and replace the shackle bushes clean mud and or rustoff threads with a wire brush and
spray threads with crc
undo the shackle bolts with preferably ring spanners and sockets rather than- crescents (which have a habbit of taking the hexagon off the nuts) as they will/should be tight
now while adjusting the axle jacks to free the shackle pins/bolts you should be able to tap them out of the shackle side plates do not hit the threaded end of a shackle bolt/pin directly with a steel hammer
use a brass drift or soft hammer or hard block of wood or you will burr threads or the end of the shackle pin
now ease the axle jacks down so the bushes can be remove and replaced

note: if any shackle pins /or bolt have any sign of wear on them it is advisable to replace them with new ones as the new bushes will quickly wear
there are greasable shackles availuble
which i prefer but have to be greased on a regular bassis while travelling
but some people dont like messing with grease or doing dirty underneath jobs
but imho the greased shackles will last longer

the assembly is the reverse
use some crc while doing all of above and the refitting as it will make everything go in and out more freely after the new bushes are inserted raise/ adjust the height of the axle with the axle jacks and put the shackle bolts/pins back through the shackle plates the same as they came out and tighten all nuts and/or replace retainer pins replace wheels and raise van to remove safety stands and axle jacks then lower van back down and finish tightening the wheel nuts then go and repeat on other side
too easy aay
cheers hope this is of help
please note:
i have given this advice
but take no responsibility for the above imformation
as common sense and safety practises are required to be exercised by the person/s doing the above job
that is entirely up to you not me

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