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How do I get the bushing into the leaf spring??

R

RadioShackSpecial

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
Im trying to insert the new bushings into the leaf spring and seem to be having a very difficult time. How does one get the bushing into the leaf spring?

I cut/burnt the old ones out, that was some fun. Picked up some MOOG bushings and for the life of me can not get them to go in.

I have tried to pry the eye open using a screwdriver but it appears thats not enough. Do I need to rent a ball joint press and try that?

Thanks

FYI: 96, 4.0, aw4. RE lift and Bastard pack.
 
Clean up the spring "eye", put a little lube on the eye and the bushing, then use a vise or press to push it in.

Or you can go real Ghetto and a block of hardwood and a BFH.

Don't forget to do the final torque AFTER you remove the jacks/stands and the vehicle is resting on the springs.
 
joe_peters said:
Clean up the spring "eye", put a little lube on the eye and the bushing, then use a vise or press to push it in.

Or you can go real Ghetto and a block of hardwood and a BFH.

Don't forget to do the final torque AFTER you remove the jacks/stands and the vehicle is resting on the springs.
Click to expand...

All excellent advice from joe as always. I've done the vise method, its quite simple.
 
I once worked with a guy who's mantra was:

"In life... In all things... Lubrication is the key...."


Seriously tho, You said you have a bastard pack... So the first question is, do you have the right bushings?

Otherwise, like Joe said, Lots of lube and a BFH....
 
stop prying on the leaf spring eye, that's a recipe for disaster.

Put the bushings in the freezer.
Clean the leaf spring eyes with a wire brush.
Coat the entire leaf spring eye with grease.
press in new bushings using vise/ginormous c clamp/BFH and blocks of wood. Only take one bushing out of the freezer at a time, work quickly.
Freezing the bushings does two things. Shrinks the OD so it fits better, hardens the bushing so that the force pushes it into the eye instead of squishing it outwards.

If you have an impact you can use that to put the bushings in as well. You'll need a few grade 8 washers and a suitable sized bolt and nut. Do the freezing/greasing, then stick the bolt through the bushing and use the washers on the other side of leaf eye. Then use an impact to tighten the bolt and it will press the bushing right in. Use caution when doing it with air tools. Things get out of hand quickly and with that much torque amplified by the bolt threads you can damage the leaf spring.
 
joe_peters said:
Clean up the spring "eye", put a little lube on the eye and the bushing, then use a vise or press to push it in.

Or you can go real Ghetto and a block of hardwood and a BFH.

Don't forget to do the final torque AFTER you remove the jacks/stands and the vehicle is resting on the springs.
Click to expand...

Thanks Joe! I went and rented a ball joint press. Wish me luck. :thumbup:

Original_MudButt said:
I once worked with a guy who's mantra was:

"In life... In all things... Lubrication is the key...."


Seriously tho, You said you have a bastard pack... So the first question is, do you have the right bushings?

Otherwise, like Joe said, Lots of lube and a BFH....
Click to expand...

Stock main leaf, and new MOOG bushings. MOOG has them listed as OEM replacement.

87manche said:
stop prying on the leaf spring eye, that's a recipe for disaster.

Put the bushings in the freezer.
Clean the leaf spring eyes with a wire brush.
Coat the entire leaf spring eye with grease.
press in new bushings using vise/ginormous c clamp/BFH and blocks of wood. Only take one bushing out of the freezer at a time, work quickly.
Freezing the bushings does two things. Shrinks the OD so it fits better, hardens the bushing so that the force pushes it into the eye instead of squishing it outwards.

If you have an impact you can use that to put the bushings in as well. You'll need a few grade 8 washers and a suitable sized bolt and nut. Do the freezing/greasing, then stick the bolt through the bushing and use the washers on the other side of leaf eye. Then use an impact to tighten the bolt and it will press the bushing right in. Use caution when doing it with air tools. Things get out of hand quickly and with that much torque amplified by the bolt threads you can damage the leaf spring.
Click to expand...

Just put them in the freezer, so I will have to wait a bit before I get back to the Rodeo of bushing installs. I read the FSM and they say to make some odd looking puller/press thing out of All thread, sockets and nuts. Kind of like what you said, looks like an easy way to do it as well.


Thanks everyone! Have a good weekend. :guitar:
 
Good luck, let us know how it turns out.
 
87manche said:
stop prying on the leaf spring eye, that's a recipe for disaster.

Put the bushings in the freezer.
Clean the leaf spring eyes with a wire brush.
Coat the entire leaf spring eye with grease.
press in new bushings using vise/ginormous c clamp/BFH and blocks of wood. Only take one bushing out of the freezer at a time, work quickly.
Freezing the bushings does two things. Shrinks the OD so it fits better, hardens the bushing so that the force pushes it into the eye instead of squishing it outward.
Click to expand...

Did this repair about 6 months ago on a set of Alacan 4.5" leaf springs.
The original bushings lasted about 8 years.
This procedure works very well using a ball joint tool (C clamp) as a press.
 
joe_peters said:
go real Ghetto and a block of hardwood and a BFH.
Click to expand...

I love it!!!!! Thats a good one! Or like my older brother put's it a "Multi directional swing press" LOL
 
tazz said:
I love it!!!!! Thats a good one! Or like my older brother put's it a "Multi directional swing press" LOL
Click to expand...
:roflmao: that's amazing, I'm stealing it.

I always used a 6" bench vice and some blocks of wood. The first quarter inch or so is the toughest, once you get it seated and going in straight, go to town on it and it'll pop right in.
 
It's (insert favorite cold beverage name) time! :cheers:
 
I'm trying to press new bushings into my new leaf springs and having a little trouble. First I couldn't find the pipe flange as shown in the links above. I used large fender washers instead hoping they would work as well. The problem I'm having is the bushing won't stay straight. I was using my new awesome impact gun and it forces it in but it always goes a little off center. I don't have a vise to try it that way.

Would having the pipe flanges make enough of a difference that I should find and try those? Or, any suggestions on how to keep the bushing straight? I'm sure once I get that first inch things will go smoothly...
 
I used a modified pistion ring compressor on the bushing before pressing into the eye.
 
A few years ago I helped a friend of mine press his bushings in. After struggling much like describe in this post, we formulated the ultimate "ghetto" press.

We used the opening to the crawl space underneath his house. Nice solid concrete opening. Grease up the bushing real good. Place a floor jack on the ground, and the bushing/spring on the pad of the floor jacket. We then pumped up the floor jack until the bushing/spring wedged against the top of the concrete crawl space opening. A few more pumps and it pressed right in...


:viking:
 
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