I'm looking in to replace my rear leaf spring bushings. Some have the common type, some have the molded type. They are pretty unclear when they say look at the back of the shackle. The big spring eyes have steel sleeves, but the small shackle bushing does not. What's the deal here?

 

Have you done this before? It's a real hassle getting those things changed out. It's not fun at all.

Some have sleeves, some don't. If you put plastic bushings back in you will probably have to re-use the center sleeve.

 

Haven't done the leaf springs, but I've done the I-beam bushings and sway bar bushings. Same sort of deal. A royal pain that is. My OE rubber bushings are junk. What I don't understand about the common vs molded identification is the big holes have sleeves, but the small bottom shackle bushing on mine is molded. And they don't clarify which they're talking about.

 

Not sure what you are asking. Here's 2 links with some part numbers and pictures.

Truck Parts and Truck Accessories

Truck Parts and Truck Accessories

 

I need to know what the hell they're talking about, when they describe some are common, and some are molded. They're clear as mud as of which bushings they're talking about. Are the BIG eyelet bushings sometimes sleeved and sometimes molded, or are they talking about the small bottom bushing that's sometimes molded and sometimes sleeved.

 

That's an odd way for someone to categorize bushing types. So you are looking to replace the rear of rear spring eye bushings? Are the leaf springs stock right now? If so, you should have a rubber encased bushing in there, which has the metal outside sleeve, rubber inside and metal tube where the bolt goes. Is that the type you are wanting to replace your current one with?


-Junior

 

Everything is stock original. The two big eyes for the main spring are rubber with a steel shell. The bottom rear shackle bushing is molded. I want to replace them all with polyurethane bushings as I have with everything else.

 

Ohh ok. Unfortunately we don't carry the poly, only OEM style rubber encased. Sorry man, I was hoping I could help you out.

 

That's alright, but maybe you have the answer I need. I need to know which bushing hole they're talking about when they say molded or common. Is it just the bottom small shackle bushing that can be the two variants, or all of them?

 

Like others who have posted here, I'm not sure what you are talking about. The thing that has me confused is when you talk about the big spring eye and the small shackle bushing. My truck is 11 years newer, so maybe that's the difference, but my '97 F-250HD uses the exact same bushings in both ends of the rear spring shackle. The one in the spring eye at the top end of the shackle and the one at the bottom end of the shackle where it attaches to the rear spring hanger. So are you looking at the lower bushing without its outer sleeve and thinking it's smaller than the same bushing above where you are including the sleeve?

 

Here's a picture of my spring/shackle hookup.




The spring eye, as well as the one in the front have a sleeved bushing. The bushing in the bottom of the shackle is smaller, and is molded. The only thing I need to know is how they're describing the kits, if the spring eye bushings are the ones that are either molded or common, or if they're talking about the small bottom shackle bushing that is molded on mine. And yes, the bottom shackle bushing looks quite a bit smaller than the spring eye.

 

I'm not near my books right now but both those bushings should be a one piece press in type from factory. You can probably find after market that is poly and a 2 piece configuration with a tube for the bolt that you don't have to press in, just literally push in from both sides with your hands.

If your having a hard time finding exactly what you want you may have to get some measurements of the bushing like the OD of it and go from there. Just thinking out loud here..

 

They're all "1 piece" since they're factory bushings. Except the spring bushing is common and the shackle bushing is molded. I just need to know which one they're specifying that can be either one so I can order the right kit. I'm going to order the 2 piece poly bushings like I did with the sway bar bushings I did.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record over here lol.

 

The picture looks the same as my '97 which, as I said, has the same part number bushings in both of those locations. The spring eye looks bigger because the spring leaf is so much thicker than the shackle sleeve wall around the lower bushing. That and the fact that I have no idea what is meant by "common" and "molded" when talking about factory bushings. I guess I'm not going to be any help. Hopefully ATS Junior can figure out what you need once he hits the books.

 

I hope so, the common vs molded thing. Common means the rubber bushing has a metal sleeve, the molded version is the bushing was poured hot in to the eye hole and cured. Who knows why they did both.