I have watched a few videos on how to replace the bushing and have a question regarding the coil spring.
The videos show removing the coil spring completely, My question was can i remove the upper coil retainer and bolt and gently lower the i beam and the leave the bottom of the coil bolted to the i beam will this work or cause problems?

- Jake

 

Hi Jake.......I replaced my bushings a few years ago (also a 2WD) & I took the coils right out.

I can't exactly remember why that was, probably because it was too difficult to push/pull the I-beam & radius arm forward enough, if it was still all assembled.

I don't remember any real problem with the job; probably the hardest part was removing the 3/4" nuts & bolt from the I-beam, but that wasn't a big deal (no road salt here). It will be a bit quicker if you don't have a front swaybar.

IIRC I sat the truck up with the chassis rails on axle stands, positioned back behind the radius arm brackets.
I didn't need to remove any rivets or brackets etc, as some owners seem to do.

PS - nice looking truck!

 

I don't see why you would need to undo the spring at the bottom?

The thing is not removing the strut bracket from the frame I am sure you would have to undo the brake line. That leads to brake bleeding and maybe other things like broken bleeder or bed master because you pushed the seal cups into rusty part of the boar.

Un do rivits from bracket to frame, drop bracket, replace bushing and use nuts& bolts to hold bracket to frame.
Dave - - - -

 

You are not talking the pivot bushings in the beams are you?

Still don't need to undo the lower spring
Dave - - - -

 

radius arm bushings is what im talking about you are thinking about the i beam pivot bushings.

 

My first post was the right bushings.


I would remove the rivets so you can remove the bracket from the frame.

Again if you undo the radius arm nut and undo the spring from the top you still cant get enough room to change out the bushings. You would need to undo the beam pivot bolt and undo the brake line.


Like I said about bleeding the brakes could lead to other ad things.
My parts truck has 1 bracket bolted on so someone has changed that side out at some point.
Dave ----

 

Mine had the rivets removed years and years ago made changing the radius arm bushing so much easier. Which reminds me I been meaning to pull mine off to cover the polyurethane bushings with some grease, put them in like 15 years ago when I didn't know any better without grease.

 

I would think if you're doing the radius arm bushings then why not do the i-beam pivot bushings as well.

I did the king pins on mine and did them all. I did have the added 'luxury' of having a 12 ton press so for me it was a gimmie on doing all of it at one shot and dropping the whole assembly as is.

A couple of jack stands under the rails, a floor jack under the knuckle and drop the whole assembly as one after undoing the upper spring clamp, shock and brake caliper. It'll be too limited in travel without undoing the pivot bolts.

 

The only thing you need to do with the coil spring is remove the spring hold tab at the top of the spring. I did my radius arm bushings and I beam bushings at the same time. Just remove the axle to do the I beam bushings. It'll go much faster. If you just want to change the radius arm bushings. Here's how you do it. Unbolt the radius arm nut, unbolt the bottom shock bolt, unbolt the spring retainer at the top of the spring tower, but make sure you do that last and let the jack that's under the axle lower a bit so there's no tension on the spring. Unbolt the I beam pivot bushing, get it out of it's bracket, pull the axle back just far enough to change the bushings, slide it back up and bolt it all back together. Did this the very first time in an hour on my truck.