I know you are not supposed to reuse them, and I never have before, but...


I just broke a leaf on my van. I secured a matching pair of '95 B-1500 springs and new u-bolts from Rockauto.com.

I don't think I will have weather or dailight to clean and paint everything.

If I install this stuff now, can I reuse the u-bolts when it's warmer, and I have a chance to paint everything, or are they ruined once they are torqued the first time?

the only reason for not reusing leaf spring u bolts would be due to rust and corrosion. Put some anti sieze on the threads and they will come apart with less hassel

Cool. thanks.

(thought I read something about streching/twisting, or something by virtue of simply installing them.)

I've always had to cut them off because of rust, so I never knew about if they weren't rusted.

I've never heard that before, a torque-to-yield u-bolt? Doesn't sound safe to me.

I've always reused u-bolts, haven't broken one yet, but that's just my 2 cents.

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at $50 for a set, I'd replace them. Cheap Insurance on an Old Car.
Do They SALT the roads in NJ?

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1964 Dart GT

Hell yes! During all the snow/ice/freezing rain storms we've had this past winter the DOT put down enough salt to turn every car & truck that "crusty-white" color. You could HEAR the metal rusting away.

@ Ed
If you want to put antiseize on the U-bolt threads, you need to reduce the torque some (don't know by how much)- because antiseize is a high pressure lubricant. I'd also put jam nuts on 'em - then recheck torque in a few hundred miles. Sometimes things can "settle" with use, & you DON'T want to lose a U-bolt.

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63 Valiant Wagon
225 - 4 bbl

$50 a set??? Where, from YearOne? Try $3 from ESPO each.

Just watch the threads, they tend to get munged. Before unthreading, wire brush or clean the threads as best you can.

Don't use an impact. It will heat the nuts up and gall the threads.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

+1

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

Are you going to replace them now and asking if you can reuse these later when you pull them to paint?

Dave

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86 Miser 170,000+
2 1/4" exhaust
Holley 1920 #55
HEI MSD BLaster 2
17.8 mpg

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1964 Dart GT

Exactly.

I took them off this past weekend.

One actually came off without breaking (threw it out anyway).

Thanks for all the replies.

Firm Feel is great, but if you can find the same product elsewhere, it will be cheaper. U-bolts are 1/4 the price at ESPO, torsion bars are 1/2 price at Just Suspension, but things like seamless tube tie rods aren't available anywhere else. So I use Firm Feel when I need to, but shop around first.

Ed, I've heard many people caution against reusing u-bolts as well, but have yet to have a u-bolt failure myself (broken leaf spring centering pins and stressed u-bolts pretty badly, though). Funny I never hear the same logic applied to head bolts, or lug studs, or anything else for that matter?

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I rarely reuse axle u-bolts for two reasons: (1) I usually can't get the nuts off without the nuts seizing and me having to cut the bolts off anyway, and (2) I can get a set of four brand new u-bolts bentup for about $20 at the local springs shop. Why chance it when it is so cheap to just buy new?

Head bolts don't have the same corrosion issues as rear axle u-bolts, lug studs are nearly always protected rom rust by the lug nut or hubcap.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

If I am not mistaken, don't factory U bolts have the inside of the U-bolt flatter so that they have a larger surface area when you clamp them down? Seems like I remember that from somewhere.

I have always re-used U bolts with no problem. I wire wheel the old ones and spray with Kroil before I start the removal process.

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6