'00 GMC Sierra rear axle

you also may have stretched the u bolts.. Buy new ones or you'll be wasting
your time.

"SnoMan" <admin RemoveThis @snoman.com> wrote in message
news:ecrer2hhqhu2rmsp64fja0bhiv871n3ied@4ax.com...
> On 24 Jan 2007 05:32:02 -0800, drewhageman RemoveThis @comcast.net wrote:
>
>>For whatever reason my passenger rear wheel is set back about 3"
>>further than my driver side. I have once loosened the U-bolts and
>>hammered everything back in line and re-tightened and everything was
>>perfect for about a day than it slid back again. So I am dog-tracking
>>like a son of a gun. What else will hold the axle in line? I am
>>pretty amateur so I don't understand really know how these are kept in
>>line and can't imagine it is just the U-bolts that clamp the axle to
>>the spring.
>
> There is a bolt with a round head that sticksout bottom of spring pack
> and sits in a hole in axle perch to prevent this. Your is missing or
> has likely sheared off. You need to get a big C clamp to clamp on
> leafs to keep them compressed the jack up truck and remove saddle
> clamp holding spring to axle and replace the bolt in spring center
> with one from a spring shop. They are usually like 4 to 6 inches long
> or longer when you get them but you can cut them to length. (I install
> them and tighten then down and then cut stud off 1/2 inch or so above
> nut)
> -----------------
> TheSnoMan.com
 >> Stay informed about: '00 GMC Sierra rear axle 

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:04:19 -0500, "Chevrolet" <lblower.RemoveThis@cogeco.ca>
wrote:

>you also may have stretched the u bolts.. Buy new ones or you'll be wasting
>your time.
Even if they were stretched (which is not very likely) they would have
to be really loose if bolt was not sheared off.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com
 >> Stay informed about: '00 GMC Sierra rear axle 

With the pin missing it wouldn't matter as it would shift all the time.
BUT ask anyone who has retightened U Bolts.. they have to be tightened
equally OR you stretch them. It is almost impossible to tighten them equally
all the time.. Just trying to help him out. If he is going to all the
trouble to fix the problem.. why not tell him what could also cause problems
in the future
"SnoMan" <admin.DeleteThis@snoman.com> wrote in message
news:qi2gr2hb02sn5jgtiqp0o2hav1defr6ij0@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:04:19 -0500, "Chevrolet" <lblower.DeleteThis@cogeco.ca>
> wrote:
>
>>you also may have stretched the u bolts.. Buy new ones or you'll be
>>wasting
>>your time.
> Even if they were stretched (which is not very likely) they would have
> to be really loose if bolt was not sheared off.
> -----------------
> TheSnoMan.com
 >> Stay informed about: '00 GMC Sierra rear axle 

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:24:32 -0500, "Chevrolet" <lblower RemoveThis @cogeco.ca>
wrote:

> With the pin missing it wouldn't matter as it would shift all the time.
>BUT ask anyone who has retightened U Bolts.. they have to be tightened
>equally OR you stretch them. It is almost impossible to tighten them equally
>all the time.. Just trying to help him out. If he is going to all the
>trouble to fix the problem.. why not tell him what could also cause problems
>in the future

I have been messing with ubolts of springs for about 30 years now and
have yet to have one strech. I have seen them strip out from rust but
to stretch them you would have to seriously over torque them. People
that run larger space blocks likely have the greatest chance of
stretching a ubolt but if that is the case, they need a bigger
diameter ubolt because spacer blocks place a lot of extra stress on
ubolts and springs from axle torque. If the centering bolt is
missing, the axle will move with time even if ubolts are snug.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com
 >> Stay informed about: '00 GMC Sierra rear axle 

Thanks for the help. Yup, I'm missing the bolt/pin. I can see one in
the other side but nothing on my problem side. The one on the other
side isn't quite like you describe snoman, but can see the problem.
Now, I have a 6" lift on this thing, so am I going to need a super long
bolt to get through all of those leaf blocks? Just so I understand
correctly, the bolt goes down through the spring and into the axle
right? But it doesn't come out the bottom of the axle, right? I might
just take apart the other side to see what it looks like.


On Jan 24, 8:37 pm, SnoMan <a... DeleteThis @snoman.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:24:32 -0500, "Chevrolet" <lblo... DeleteThis @cogeco.ca>
> wrote:
>
> > With the pin missing it wouldn't matter as it would shift all the time.
> >BUT ask anyone who has retightened U Bolts.. they have to be tightened
> >equally OR you stretch them. It is almost impossible to tighten them equally
> >all the time.. Just trying to help him out. If he is going to all the
> >trouble to fix the problem.. why not tell him what could also cause problems
> >in the futureI have been messing with ubolts of springs for about 30 years now and
> have yet to have one strech. I have seen them strip out from rust but
> to stretch them you would have to seriously over torque them. People
> that run larger space blocks likely have the greatest chance of
> stretching a ubolt but if that is the case, they need a bigger
> diameter ubolt because spacer blocks place a lot of extra stress on
> ubolts and springs from axle torque. If the centering bolt is
> missing, the axle will move with time even if ubolts are snug.
> -----------------
> TheSnoMan.com
 >> Stay informed about: '00 GMC Sierra rear axle 

On 25 Jan 2007 14:00:43 -0800, drewhageman DeleteThis @comcast.net wrote:

>Thanks for the help. Yup, I'm missing the bolt/pin. I can see one in
>the other side but nothing on my problem side. The one on the other
>side isn't quite like you describe snoman, but can see the problem.
>Now, I have a 6" lift on this thing, so am I going to need a super long
>bolt to get through all of those leaf blocks? Just so I understand
>correctly, the bolt goes down through the spring and into the axle
>right? But it doesn't come out the bottom of the axle, right? I might
>just take apart the other side to see what it looks like.


Usually the center bolt goes just thru springs and spacer block has a
hole for it to sit in and then it has a pin on axle side than sits in
notch in axle saddle. BTW, if you have big spacers they are very hard
on springs and uclamps and you might consider getting some larger
diameter Ubolt to keep them from stretching for axle torque on spacer
block. Basically any spacer block over about 3 inches is really not
the wisest thing to do to lift a vehicle. YOu also want a very thick
spring stack above block be cause the bigger the block the more it
tend to cause axle to wrap up in springs and strain Uclamps even
further.
-----------------
TheSnoMan.com
 >> Stay informed about: '00 GMC Sierra rear axle