Thor Forums

[MRichaud]

WHEW! Finally got the bugger installed! I'd watched a couple of videos and figured, "I can do this"... On one, it shows the technician removing the two large nuts (1 1/8"!!) holding the leaf spring u-bolts - with a portable impact wrench - no problem.


Well, I don't have one of those, but I do have a 1/2" breaker bar and a 3 foot piece of pipe; so I was sure I could break them loose. UH-UH! No way! Those puppies' torque spec is 250 ft. lbs.! I'd even soaked them overnight with PB Blaster. Still no way. Thought about investing in a suitable portable impact wrench, but the ones that can ~supposedly~ handle a job like that are pretty pricey.


But I do have a very good portable compressor and an impact wrench that's rated at a max of 450 ft. lbs., so I loaded all that up in the Xterra and headed over to the storage facility once again. Fired up the generator and plugged the compressor in. Hammered away at it for quite a while and it finally started to move. With my 70-year-old self lying on my back, squeezed under the coach and jockeying the stabilizer into place, I finally got it all installed. Ran the nuts up with the impact wrench and let it hammer away at them until they wouldn't move any more, then just for good measure I went at them with the breaker bar and pipe - no movement. So hopefully they're on there tight enough. Will check them after driving a few miles and see how they are.



SHEESH - glad that one's over!


Mickey