Kamo build

Where I am at as far as parts replaced:
- fixed the temperature gauge (disco sensor)
-spray painted the hood and pass side bare metal showing
-replaced window seals
-replaced spark plugs
-attempted at breaking the bolt on oil filter adapter, no luck.
-started on lift

Front came out fairly easy. Didn't need a strut spring compressor to take it out but definitely needed it putting the new ones in. No broke bolts, no power tools. I sprayed pb blaster on all the bolts I saw earlier that week. I installed the steering stabilizer when I had everything out and that was a bit of a pain but the pitman arm puller and pb blaster did the trick..

I started on the rear today while waiting to figure out what shocks are going in it and got the rear shocks out clean with no broken bolts.

I loosened the bolts on the rear leave springs, those bolts were interesting and I haven't gotten the leaf out yet. Apparently, you must remove the shackle bc the bolt for the rear eye is too long soo.. I started working on that and it was uncooperative so I sprayed all that with pb blaster and I'll come back to it when I get more time (I really only have time to work on it when the family is asleep or weekends assuming they aren't interrupting me or having me run them on errands.. )

This jeep has been in west texas an has very little rust which has been awesome. I've not encountered any issues with broken bolts but I still have a few left to take care of. So that's where I am at in this.

So this is where I'm stuck. Rear leave spring shackle bolt. Went to take the leave spring off and surprise! It's too long to pull out.. so the shackle needs to come off, I've gotten it to turn a couple times as you can see but this thing is beastly. starting to strip the bolt. Kept poppin when I was putting my back into that breaker bar. Alreafy pb blastered it lastnight and this morning after moving it a 1/8-1/4 turn.. Any ideas?

Moving on.. I finagled that bolt out twisting it enough round the fuel tank to pull it out.. next problem. Who the hell thought of having customers install the leave spring bushings should be fired...

Oh, old vs new leaves..

Sooo I have the passenger side leaf in, working on driver side leaf now.. this is the "makeshift press" I used for the eye bushings.

Note.. the makeshift press is only a one time use I guess.. threads stripped out.

So I moved on to my old trusty red... thankfully I got it started before all the usable threads were gone..

The second one is always easier.. having some trouble lining the leaf center pin and hole up in this one as well.. haven't gotten it in this side quite yet but both leavves are in.

So no shocks in front or rear, center pins are in slot on leaves and im at 23" in rear. Started at 17.5".

Not sure on * but here is a pic of the passenger side shackle.