Spring eye bushings
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Elder User
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 729
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From: Peoria, Arizona
Spring eye bushings
Have a question for you all.
My dad came out a couple weekends ago to work on the old truck with me. We tore it down to the frame and cleaned/painted everything. We also installed new bushings in the springs and frame. We also put in new pins.
My question is this. The pins slid in snugly but smoothly in the rear and in the frame part of the hanger in the front but the pins going into the spring eye bushings were a real bugger to get in and after installing them the springs dont move smoothly. I also noticed some brass shavings on the floor after.
Called mid fifty and they were great as usual. Said that they would ship some others out if I thought they werent right but sometimes spring eyes need reaming.
How does a person ream a brand new bushing and why would you need to do that. Shouldnt they just be correct?
My dad came out a couple weekends ago to work on the old truck with me. We tore it down to the frame and cleaned/painted everything. We also installed new bushings in the springs and frame. We also put in new pins.
My question is this. The pins slid in snugly but smoothly in the rear and in the frame part of the hanger in the front but the pins going into the spring eye bushings were a real bugger to get in and after installing them the springs dont move smoothly. I also noticed some brass shavings on the floor after.
Called mid fifty and they were great as usual. Said that they would ship some others out if I thought they werent right but sometimes spring eyes need reaming.
How does a person ream a brand new bushing and why would you need to do that. Shouldnt they just be correct?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,303
Likes: 1,062
From: NM
They are just like kingpin bushings. When they are pressed in, they crush down on the inside diameter, they get deformed from the pressing operation (did you hammer them in?) too. I just had new bushings pressed in my rear springs and had the shop ream them to the correct fit. I couldn't even get the pin started on the one bushing I put in myself.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,303
Likes: 1,062
From: NM
I'd just ream the ones that are already installed. If you have any more to install, pressing is better for them. The one I installed I hammered, and only because the old bushing was still halfway in the eye. I couldn't even get the new bushings started on eyes that had the old bushings removed. They should be a real tight fit if the the eye hasn't opened up.
oldmerc
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,538
Likes: 5
From: Edmonton,Alberta
Probably best to have them pressed in ( less crush and distortion ) and the have them reamed to a tight slide in fit . A spring shop should be able to do that . However if you have it all together and everything takes grease they will eventually wear in .
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Elder User
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 729
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From: Peoria, Arizona
Its all together now. My worry is the grooves that are in the bushing might have been destroyed? Wouldnt they be nixed anyway with a reaming? I'll probably just keep going with them as is and if it feels like I've got bricks for suspension I'll deal with it then.
Thanks all
Thanks all
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,303
Likes: 1,062
From: NM
Actually I was kind of worried about grease getting distributed along the pins with mine, being reamed to a slide fit. The grease wants to go out the ends as much as around the pins. But what can you do? They're a wear item for sure.
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FTE fan
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,674
Likes: 11
From: paradise, northern calif.
It apears that you have got your questions answered and your task complete, but I thought I mite show an inexpensive reamer set sold at H.F. that I found susficeint when rebuilding my steering box. This is oviously not profesional grade but for some of the bushings like the ones you dealt with they should fine. Not for king pins as you must do both bushings in line at the same time from what ive read. Disregard the scale to the right of the reamer set, it was for adjusting the preload on my steering box, and just happend to be in the picture.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 7
From: Erie, pa
I usuall us a couple os sockets, one bigger than the bushing, one the same size, connected with some allthread and some washers and nuts - Put it all together with a socket on each side and and crank it down - It worked on my 48 F1 - Gooder enough for me
Roast em' if you got 'em
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22,033
Likes: 10,023
From: Rio Rancho, NM
Back when I did my springs one side slipped in with minor tapping, the other side needed some more "agressive" persuasion. I had checke the bushings on the pins before installing them, afterwards the one side that I had to persuade was very tight and the pin didn't want to go in. Looking at the bushing you could tell that it had crushed in a bit but not uniformly. I ened up taking a rat tail file to the high areas and gently worked it down until I could get the pin to fit.
On trial fits I could see the high spots in the bushing from trying to install the pin so it was fairly easy to work it into shape.
Good luck
Bobby
On trial fits I could see the high spots in the bushing from trying to install the pin so it was fairly easy to work it into shape.
Good luck
Bobby
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 7
From: Erie, pa
Thats pretty much what I did with sockets
I did have one bushing that was worn almost all the way thru on one side - Couldn'd find anything to match up for a straight push - Ended up taking a hacksaw and with the blade facing in, after disasembly, I was able to cut the bushing enough to collapse it and to pop out
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 701
Likes: 1
From: Echuca VIC Australia
I built almost the same as fixnair as well. There was a few though that had worn too far and had no shoulder to press on. I ended up finding a piece of threaded bar just the right size that it would screw into the old bush cutting a thread as it went, a big hammer on the bar and out they came. Probably should have cut it like you did Dick.
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