Mounting plate holes.

[John Hofstetter <hofs@domain.elided>]

>Now My last question. I had Triangle Spring make me new u-bolts. But
>instead of 1/2" bolt like stock I had them make me 5/8" bolts for the
>added strength. Now my spring brackets aren't drilled out for the 5/8"
>holes. I tryed to burn the bracket with a torch but it is very thick and
>my tip on the torch wouldn't direct enough heat to do it. Should I go
>buy a 5/8" drill bit and open the holes up, then?
>
>Dan Nees

Yes, those holes need to be drilled, Dan, not burned out, even if your 
torch was up to it. 
Am I sure those holes need to be drilled, not burned. You bet! Harbor 
Freight will sell you a set of large drills called Silver and Deming for 
about the price of one 5/8's drill at your local hardware store. The 
drills are made in China but are really OK. I use my set quite a bit.

I don't know the technically correct answer to your question about 
squeezing down on the poly bushings, but I decided to just start to 
compress the shoulders and left it there. It didn't seem to me that the 
sleeves in the polys provided a limit for the shackles to be tightened 
down like the sleeves in rubber bushings do. I put my whole tube of 
grease in the first two shackles and had to get some more. I figured if a 
little was good, a whole lot was better. Actually, it didn't seem like a 
lot. 
John H.