Front spring Bushings
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Joined: Apr 2010
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Front spring Bushings
Need some help with the front spring bushings
89 f350 4x4 dually
I have been using pb blaster on them for about 2 days to loosen everything up. Went out today and loosened up the front bolts and the bolts seem to move in the bushing so the bolts should come out easily.
How hard is it to get the bushing out? Beat it out with hammer or just torch out old ones?
I am thinking of doing it one at a time? or do I need to take the whole spring off and do one whole side at a time?
Also the front shackle where it is connected to the frame of the truck and moves is there a bushing there? That looks incredible hard to get to, so I dont want to tackle that if not needed.
89 f350 4x4 dually
I have been using pb blaster on them for about 2 days to loosen everything up. Went out today and loosened up the front bolts and the bolts seem to move in the bushing so the bolts should come out easily.
How hard is it to get the bushing out? Beat it out with hammer or just torch out old ones?
I am thinking of doing it one at a time? or do I need to take the whole spring off and do one whole side at a time?
Also the front shackle where it is connected to the frame of the truck and moves is there a bushing there? That looks incredible hard to get to, so I dont want to tackle that if not needed.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Eaton, CO
I've never done those bushings on these trucks, but I've done them on Jeeps. I had to use PB Blaster like you did and to get the old bushings out, I used a MAPP gas torch to heat them up and push them out if they were stuck. Some of them I had to drill and heat. Each time it was a real PITA and I was on my back swinging a BFH after heating bushings for hours.
What bushings did you buy? Black ES poly or OEM rubber?
What bushings did you buy? Black ES poly or OEM rubber?
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Joined: Apr 2010
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You guys are not motivating me at all to tackle this.
I searched another forum and they say to drive a screwdriver in the eye of the spring to open it and then drive the bushing out. We will see if that works. If it involves a BFH it cant be good.
I just got the OEM rubber bushings. The truck will occasionally do the death wobble. I took it to a shop and asked around and talked to a few people more overly qualified than myself. They all recommended that was the problem. The old ones are pretty worn.
The truck is a workhorse and not a DD so I can devote a day to beating on her!
I searched another forum and they say to drive a screwdriver in the eye of the spring to open it and then drive the bushing out. We will see if that works. If it involves a BFH it cant be good.
I just got the OEM rubber bushings. The truck will occasionally do the death wobble. I took it to a shop and asked around and talked to a few people more overly qualified than myself. They all recommended that was the problem. The old ones are pretty worn.
The truck is a workhorse and not a DD so I can devote a day to beating on her!
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,528
Likes: 0
From: Peterborough, Ontario
If you find it a real fight, here's a possible solution. Use a drill to drill a series of holes through the rubber so you can knock the inner portion out. Then you can take the blade out of a hacksaw, slide it through, put the blade back in the saw, and cut though a side of the bushing. (Good spot for this is at the eye of the spring.) A sawzall may be just the ticket, I didn't have one at the time.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 15
From: Nutter Fort, WV
My guess is you have more of an issue with the front shackle than you do with spring bushings.
When I bought a new set of springs for my 86, I found I wasted the spring money.
The spring bushings were fine, the springs were fine.
The shackle where the upper bolt goes through the frame was shot, the bushing was completely shot, the side of the shackle had a notch where the bolt was wearing into it, and the bolt was over 1/2 way worn through.
So a set of shackles and new mounting hardware was where I should have spent my money instead of new shackles, mounting hardware and new springs.
That would have turned a 600 dollar job into a 100 dollar job.
Front bumper off, BFH, PB Blaster, heat and four letter word dictionary are all required tools and processes.
When I bought a new set of springs for my 86, I found I wasted the spring money.
The spring bushings were fine, the springs were fine.
The shackle where the upper bolt goes through the frame was shot, the bushing was completely shot, the side of the shackle had a notch where the bolt was wearing into it, and the bolt was over 1/2 way worn through.
So a set of shackles and new mounting hardware was where I should have spent my money instead of new shackles, mounting hardware and new springs.
That would have turned a 600 dollar job into a 100 dollar job.
Front bumper off, BFH, PB Blaster, heat and four letter word dictionary are all required tools and processes.
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