VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans REPLACING SPRINGS ON A 57 3100 PICK UP

Looking for a little info today if possible. Finally got some time on a neighbors rack and am going to replace the leaf springs on my 57 pick up. I purchased all new pins and bushings, shackles the works. The front look pretty straight forward,, any advice on them would be appreciated. As for the rears, it asppears that there is a nut at the bottom of bracket that is rivited to the frame that the front of the rear spring attaches to. Looks as if it is there to allow clearance to remove the pin since there is no clearance to remove the pin without removing the bed. Probably simple but how does it come apart? Any advice would be appreciated.thanks, Bill Pearson...... Wishing Dry Roads To You ALL.

Hope this isn't too late. I rebuilt the spring mounts on a 55 1st series a few months ago. The bed was not in place (rotted out), but having a bed in place shouldn't make it harder to remove. The front spring mount is riveted onto the frame. The spring is connected to the front mount by a threaded pin and a nut. The pin threads into the mount and also into the nut.

Removal of the front spring mount (the fixed mount, not the one with the shackle) is straightforward. Instructions, courtesy of TOMCP are here:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1955truck2/55ctsm0469.htm

Assuming you've gotten the axle off, here's how I removed the front spring mount:
remove the grease zerk.
Remove the nut from the pin - this is the one on the inside. You need a 1" socket on a breaker bar. Hold the outer nut (if necessary) with a 15/16" socket or box-end wrench.
Remove the pin by unscrewing it from the mount. You'll likely have to replace the brass bushing and pin. Drive it out with a hammer. Replace it with a new one and ream it until the new pin slides right in.
assembly is reverse of removal.