K R Wilson Spring Shackle Remover/Installer Kit

[Ron K]

Does anybody know if it is still available for sale or rent? I checked ebay and the web but could not locate one.

[deuce_roadster]

Try checking with Early Ford V8 Club members in your area. One may have KRW tools who would loan or help you.

[larrys40]

Ron,
You probably won't find one... although you might check with a V8 group in your area..... hopefully someone will have one they can help you with. This is one tool I won't lend out. I will help someone do it... but inexperience can ruin the job. So chances may be better if you find one of a local member if they can assist you.

I haven't seen an entire kit for sale in the wood box since I bought mine probably 18-20 years ago. There was the installer piece on KRwilsontools.com It sold recently for $185 asking price which was a bargain for that tool.

There is probably some alternate press piece that you could make up. It's just that one works well and is make for it. You are better off pressing them in than pounding them in. If you're a street rodder you may want to go with the urethanes. If not I would put the originals in. If you make sure your shackle bore is good and round on the housing, and sometimes you have to slightly dress the outside shackle of bur's, irregularities, etc.... a little light coat of lube and they go in just fine with the right tools.

I'm a restorer so and believe in using the original parts... so yes, I do favor the original shackles ( Ford produced). They are the best and correct diameter, hadness, and fit.
Larry S.

[Ron K]

Thanks again, I have access to a hydraulic press and it appears that a deep 3/4" deep socket might do the trick. Will the pins rotate enough after installation to connect to the shackle bar's square holes or do they need to be set on pressing in?

[deuce_roadster]

You should easily be able to rotate the shaft after installation with a crescent wrench on the square. If it doesn't turn, something is wrong.

[Mart]

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To align the pins: you can put a shackle plate over the square and your favourite 3/8" drive ratchet or T-bar in the other square to rotate the pin for alignment.

Mart.

[FlatheadTed]

Here's some shots of installing new pins, I used the hack saw threaded through to cut the outer tube of the old studs ,These studs looked like they had never been replaced ,A difficult job .

[FlatheadTed]

In the previous shots I am using a 3/8 socket as a drift tool .also you can see the reamer used to clean up the hole .You can use 60/40 grit paper wrapped around a drill to clean the hole also .The spring has give in it but the axle doesn't so make sure the new stud is going to slide in with a light interference fit .On one I had to take a light cut of the stud on the lath.

[Bruce Lancaster]

The KRW extractor tool depended on an overstressed threaded end and is generally found broken...The guy I bought my broken one from mentioned that he had never found one intact...so the splitting and collapsing method seems like the way to go here.
As FT says right above, light interference fit...but crud and badly made repro parts can make this a very heavy interference, and serious hammerwork can bend or damage the perch forging. The KRW installer was essentially a very stout and very narrow C-clamp affair, pushing an end with a hole to accept the stud and push against the shell. Starting with a good forged clamp, welding in a web might make it strong enough for this job...if not, keep cleaning out the hole and reworking the shell till there is hope.

[Ross6860]

Isn't that called a torch

[FlatheadTed]

Yes! one I needed to blow out

[Lawrie]

You can make a good tool with a few parts laying around your shop.
Get a piece of 1 in plate,cut a large C oe U shaped bit out, about 6 in inside, turn up a piece of round bar with a hole in the end to go over the old bush centre that is just under the OD of the shackle bush,and another to go over the other end of the bust with a hole so the bush can slide inside, then get a small porta power cylinder and fit it in the C part and push the shackle bush out,
also use the same parts to push the new bushes in.
Lawrie

[russcc]

Another option for pushing the stock bushing in is to get some 1" drill rod, turn it to the right diameter, drill a clearance hole for the threaded part of the shackle and use the ball joint press available from the chain auto parts as free loaner.

[DavidG]

Stay away from old stock studs with rubber insulation and try and find the asbestos-filled NOS Ford studs. The old rubber will fail in short order whereas the NOS Ford studs will hold up. Ford used rubber filled studs in '32 and wisely switched "fillings" to asbestos with the '33 models.