Front spring shackle cotters - 31 Coupe
 

Good evening, I am changing the front spring shackles on my 31 coupe because they are worn. Per the advice on this great forum I am using a spring spreader and proceeding with caution. I have the shackles out and drove out the worn bushings with a driver from Brattons. I have a new set of shackles I bought 20 years ago for another 1931 project but never used them. I noticed tonight they are not cross drilled for cotters. Is it legit to not use cotters? I did read in the swap column that some one sold some later version shackles with out the cotter holes. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance. Ed

Re: Front spring shackle cotters - 31 Coupe
 

These nuts aren't tight, so they will back off. Just drill a cotter pin hole.

Re: Front spring shackle cotters - 31 Coupe
 

Re: Front spring shackle cotters - 31 Coupe
 

just run a caselated nut on the bolt, to where it would be tight when installed, mark a spot between the nut slots and drill a hole there, make the hole just a little bigger than the cotter key, there are a lot of lock nuts, nylon lock nut and a deformed thread lock nut are two of the best known ,these should only be used one time

Re: Front spring shackle cotters - 31 Coupe
 

If you are planing to drill a shackle for the cotter pin, you better have a real good carbide bit they are made out of some pretty hard metal. years ago it used to say in the standard that the undrilled shackles were late 31, that has been removed from the standards. I sold six sets of undrilled NOS ford front shackle last month. there was a guy at the Portland swap meet that sells carbide drill bits for $6 ea, I drilled out two rear shackles and it took me four drill bits to do it. it drills them fine until you are ready to break through and it takes the carbide right off the end of the bit.

Re: Front spring shackle cotters - 31 Coupe
 

mine didn't have pin holes either so I used nylocks on them

Re: Front spring shackle cotters - 31 Coupe
 

Thank you for all the input. I took the shackles to my favorite machine shop and after looking at them and seeing how hard they are we decided to use lock nuts instead of burning up carbide bits. Problem solved! Again I appreciate all the great inof on this site and the willingness of everyone to help a person!