Help with Leaf spring bushings.

Im having a heck of a time with this. I can not get the bushings out of the front section of the leaf springs. Im about to burn them out with a torch (but I dont have one lol). If you have any safer suggestions, please help me out.

I also ran into another problem with removing the drivers side leaf spring. You have to unbolt the bracket that the leaf spring sits in so you can take out the bolt. The only issue is, The clips that hold the nuts broke. 2 of them to be exact. I believe this was touched on before, but I dont remember what people used to hold the bolts inside the frame and floor pan keep them from turning. Any help with this as well would be great. I think Im going to take a quick nap :sleep:. That should give me some energy for round 2 :mad:

Thanks again
-dan

Sorry Dan..........No help here, mabey some one else will chime in....:turn:

I wrote a check............and it was done....:D

Good Luck

I wrote a check............and it was done....:D

Good Luck

Why didnt i think of that lol. :D :rolleyes:

-dan

Im having a heck of a time with this. I can not get the bushings out of the front section of the leaf springs. Im about to burn them out with a torch (but I dont have one lol). If you have any safer suggestions, please help me out.

I also ran into another problem with removing the drivers side leaf spring. You have to unbolt the bracket that the leaf spring sits in so you can take out the bolt. The only issue is, The clips that hold the nuts broke. 2 of them to be exact. I believe this was touched on before, but I dont remember what people used to hold the bolts inside the frame and floor pan keep them from turning. Any help with this as well would be great. I think Im going to take a quick nap :sleep:. That should give me some energy for round 2 :mad:

Thanks again
-dan

The clip nuts for the front spring plates will snap and just spin. I had to grind the bolt heads off to remove the front spring plates. I also had my machine shop press out/in the new spring eye bushings for my Caltrac setup.

Well, I got the bushings out. Wasnt to bad. I used a large c-clamp designed for tanks and a piece of pipe. I put the pipe ove one side of the bushing and used the clamp to press the bushing out. Wasnt as easy as it sounds though. Took me about an hour to do both springs. As for the clips, what could I do about bolting things back up? I was still able to get them out but there is no way they will tighten.

John, Im with you. Ill wright a check next time. :cool:

-dan

Well, I got the bushings out. Wasnt to bad. I used a large c-clamp designed for tanks and a piece of pipe. I put the pipe ove one side of the bushing and used the clamp to press the bushing out. Wasnt as easy as it sounds though. Took me about an hour to do both springs. As for the clips, what could I do about bolting things back up? I was still able to get them out but there is no way they will tighten.

John, Im with you. Ill wright a check next time. :cool:

-dan

Get new clip nuts for a couple bucks. Your local spring shop should have them.

Get new clip nuts for a couple bucks. Your local spring shop should have them.

I looked up yellow pages for a chassis or spring shop and none of them exist around me. I guess I will have to order some from a restoration company. Thanks for helping get started. I just finished taking the springs off of the car, taking out the bushings and metal cylinders :confused: that are in the front eye of the leaf spring. They had to be removed because I am using polyurethane bushings. I was also able to press all of the bushings in, now I just need to find some clips and bolt it all back together.

Im a bit tired now, Ive been going strong since 9 a.m. with only small brakes to ask questions. I just finished for the night.

-dan

If I remember correctly there is small slots in the body where you can slip a wrench in and onto the nuts to hold them when they break off. I used a small drill bit and drilled SEVERAL holes into the bushings and then pushed them out.

When I had my Mustang, to get the rubber bushings out of the axle I used a drill bit. I drilled into the bushing and just went around the outside of the bushing repeatedly and walked it out. It worked like a charm.

When I had my Mustang, to get the rubber bushings out of the axle I used a drill bit. I drilled into the bushing and just went around the outside of the bushing repeatedly and walked it out. It worked like a charm.

Using a c-clamp made it pretty easy. It just has to be a very strong and large one lol. The first large clamp I used, i bent. Thats a solid steel clamp thats 3/4 inch by 1 1/2 inch thickness. I had to step up to the bigger one I have on the shelf. I should take pic of these things. My grandfather borrowed :D them when he was in the army. They were used to help hold the body together on tanks when they welded thing together. They are about 3 times older then me but they still work great. The clamp pushed the bushings straight out one side. I just had to use a big bar along with that clamp and pipe.

My grandfather borrowed them when he was in the army.


:salute:...........Borrowed, and did not return after all these years.................Shhhhhhhhhhh!........ :shhh:

I looked up yellow pages for a chassis or spring shop and none of them exist around me. I guess I will have to order some from a restoration company. Thanks for helping get started. I just finished taking the springs off of the car, taking out the bushings and metal cylinders :confused: that are in the front eye of the leaf spring. They had to be removed because I am using polyurethane bushings. I was also able to press all of the bushings in, now I just need to find some clips and bolt it all back together.

Im a bit tired now, Ive been going strong since 9 a.m. with only small brakes to ask questions. I just finished for the night.

-dan

Here's what you need.
http://i6.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/f0/34/f8d1_1.JPG

I looked up yellow pages for a chassis or spring shop and none of them exist around me. I guess I will have to order some from a restoration company. Thanks for helping get started. I just finished taking the springs off of the car, taking out the bushings and metal cylinders :confused: that are in the front eye of the leaf spring. They had to be removed because I am using polyurethane bushings. I was also able to press all of the bushings in, now I just need to find some clips and bolt it all back together.

Im a bit tired now, Ive been going strong since 9 a.m. with only small brakes to ask questions. I just finished for the night.

-dan

Here ya go http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=025&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=380026910630&rd=1 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=025&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=380026910630&rd=1)

Here ya go http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=025&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=380026910630&rd=1

Thanks for the link. I was able to find some that worked at a hardware store. They are exactly the same except the bend is a little different. Nothing a hammer cant fix. :D. I finished it all up today. WOW, what a difference. I was expecting this to be a waist of time, but I was wrong. No more side to side movement which means my tires dont rub anymore. Also, the ride is much tighter and it no longer wonders at higher speeds. It just feels like a new car. The only thing I am kicking myself for is, not installing sub frame connectors why I had it all apart. Oh well, next month. :rolleyes:

Thanks again for all the help guys. Much appreciated.

-dan

dan i just had my front pressed out today also, much easier than the burning and pounding that i was doing, did you replace the rear bushings? i'am but the ones i got from my parts store fit kinda sloppy any ideas thanks Tim

Thanks for the link. I was able to find some that worked at a hardware store. They are exactly the same except the bend is a little different. Nothing a hammer cant fix. :D. I finished it all up today. WOW, what a difference. I was expecting this to be a waist of time, but I was wrong. No more side to side movement which means my tires dont rub anymore. Also, the ride is much tighter and it no longer wonders at higher speeds. It just feels like a new car. The only thing I am kicking myself for is, not installing sub frame connectors why I had it all apart. Oh well, next month. :rolleyes:

Thanks again for all the help guys. Much appreciated.

-dan

Dan I'm with you on this one. I know exactly what your feeling. I did all of my rear suspension and finished it thinking it was done with and i wouldn't have to touch it but now i want traction control in the back sooooo i guess it comes apart again. :rolleyes:

danthegeek , how did you eventually get to the clip nuts on the front spring plate to get them out? Did you grind the heads off the bolts or did you find somewhere you could reach in and hold the nut from spinning ? I just started the same job on a 71 Nova and ran into the same problem. Thanks .

danthegeek , how did you eventually get to the clip nuts on the front spring plate to get them out? Did you grind the heads off the bolts or did you find somewhere you could reach in and hold the nut from spinning ? I just started the same job on a 71 Nova and ran into the same problem. Thanks .

The only correct way is to grind the heads off the three bolts and remove them after you get the plate off.

The only correct way is to grind the heads off the three bolts and remove them after you get the plate off.

Thats the best way. Just go to the hardware store and get new ones. Any other method is a waste of time and energy.

-dan