The bolts that go through the rear leaf springs (tie bolts) sheared off on my truck. I've got the 4.5" Skyjacker suspension with the add-a-leaf in the rear. You can see the rear axle has shifted a little but it has stopped now. What would have caused these bolts to break? I haven't fourwheeled with the truck since I lifted it (haven't had time). The u-bolts were tight. We cranked on them for 30 minutes a side. The tie bolts were tight also. When we put the rear end back together, we noticed that the tie bolts on both sides were angled forward. One more so than the other. By roommates truck who has the same lift (professionally installed) bolts were doing the same thing. I didn't have the rear add-a-leaf compressed all the way flat against the old springs. There was a 1/4" gap between them. Do yall think that caused it? Skyjacker is sending me new bolts and I'm gonna tear into it this weekend. Any suggestions on this problem? Thanks for the help yall.

 

Not sure I follow you on the 1/4 gap. Sounds like your saying you didnt or couldent tighten up the center pin bolts all the way. There is a huge amount of stress on them from the spring pack to start. For the diff to slide you would have to sheared the head off. These and the U bolts need to be torqued to the right spec. The center pins are only 5/16s or 3/8 on yours I would imaging. I use a pair of C clamp type vise grips to pull the springs together then a drift punch to align the leafs and then put the pin in. The diff sliding could be disastorous. Pushing the drive line up smoking the TC or going back so far it pull the splines out of the DS. Typically U bolts only torque to 80/100 lbs or so, dont over do it.

 

sounds like you didn't have it tight enough when you put it on. replace them, tighten the he11 out of them then put a few miles on it and do it again.

 

The head didn't shear off of these bolts. It broke right in the middle. What about the spacers they give you that re angle the rear axle. On the drivers side, I have the 90* angle on the bottom. On the passenger side, the 90* angle is on top. The thick part is towards the back on both.

 

Are you sure you got the right bolts?

Different bolts for 1500's and 2500/3500's.
Pretty sure they are different bolts for Diesel vs V-8-V10 as well.

Mine are fine 1 1/2 years later.
With some moderate to heavy wheeling.

You say you "cranked on them for 30 minutes", did you torque them to the right spec?

The angling spacer on mine is installed with the 90* on the bottom on both sides (I'm pretty sure)

Add-A-Leafs are both butted right up against the original springs.

I can snap a pic tomorrow if it'll help.
I'll try to get both the spacer and the add-a-leaf in the shot.


phox

 

You want your adjustment shims on the bottom on both sides. If you have them any other way, the springs will not be drawn down tight to the axle mount by the U-bolts. If there is any space at all between the axle mount and the bottom of the spring pack, that will let the axle shift and snap your centerbolts.

 

That would be great phox. I'm pretty sure they are the right bolts. I said for the 2500 Cummins 4X4. Who knows though. I had to switch the rear end kit out for the 2500 and even then, they didn't give me the right nuts for the new u-bolts. So I had to reuse the factory u-bolts and nuts. When I say cranked on them, I meant the u-bolts. The instructions said do not draw the springs together with the tie bolt but to do it with the u-bolts. I'm gonna try and clamp them together as far as I can with a pair of c-clamps and see where that gets me. Thanks for the help yall.

 

RCW, the adjustment shims are on the bottom of the spring, right on top of the factory block. Are saying that the shims should be on the bottom of the factory block, in between the block and axle?

 

I think he just misunderstood your description of how they were installed.
I had to read it twice thinking no way you had one on top of the springs and one on bottom.

Shim goes between the factory block and the bottom spring, 90 degree side mates up with the factory block.


phox

 

Blue, mine broke too. Just the left side though. Broke right in the middle. I bought the truck as a basketcase lifted beast and I think maybe that was some of my problem so when I did a shackle flip I found the broken bolt.

 

Jambii, that's exactly what happened with mine. Same side and spot. The right side is pretty much gone to so it's broke to me. What do you mean "that was some of the problem"?

 

Ok, here's your pic from when you first installed it.



I tried to get a shot from the same place for comparison,
all shots are of the drivers side.



Everything looks right, except why is your center pin bolt so long?
I see you don't have the camper package overloads, but it still looks much longer than mine.
As you can tell, my add-a-leaf has become one with the other leafs, you can't even tell the others are a year older than it, everything has the same nice rusty glow.
Also notice, there is no space at all between it and the original leafs.

Here's a shot of the add-a-leaf front side, butted right up against the old springs.
It looks like it has slid out a little, but I haven't noticed any ill effects.



Here's a view of the rear side.



Here's a shot of the whole shebang, showing the factory lift block, angling spacer, overload spring, add-a-leaf, original 3 springs, then some more spacers and the camper package overload.



Hope it helps.


phox

 

He bought it already lifted, and lifted poorly.


phox

 

Thinking about it some more.

Your center bolts look way more angled than mine.

Factory setup, they should be straight up and down, perpendicular to the lift block.

Once you put the angled spacer in, the center bolts should now be angled only as much as that spacer changed the angle,
so they should now be perpindicular to the top of that spacer.

Mine look like they are only shifted about 1/2 inch off the perpendicular.
(big word, but you're in college now )

On the first pic of mine, draw a straight line from the center of the original lift block, that would be perpendicular,
my bolt is only a little bit to the left of that line.

Your pic doesn't show the center of the block, so it's hard to draw the straight line, but it looks a lot left of it.


phox

 

phox, we removed my overload springs because one, I don't tow anything, and two, because skyjacker didn't include the right nuts to screw on to the new u-bolts and the factory one's are to small. The reason mine is so much longer is because I never cut it. You are supposed to cut it. I know mine are leaning. They were that way the night we put them on. Never figured out why though. Maybe since the bolts are longer, they look like they are farther off center. Hopefully it'll quit raining long enough tomorrow for me to fix everything. I'll let yall know what I find.

Just cause I'm in college doesn't mean I know all those big fancy schmancy words.