Spring hanger bushings

[TexasNomad]

Hey guys I get a new bushing kit for my truck and was wondering what is the easiest way to change the radius arms and rear leaf spring bushing out?
Any help would be awesome thanks

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Well the radius arms are easy just drill out the rivets and put new grade 8 stuff in it. We just muscled the axle forward and did it that way but if ya dont want the hassle just get a come a long or ratchet strap and pull the axle forward. The rear bushing on the leaf spring is fairly easy to do just get a impact on one side and a ratchet or wrench on the other and have at it. Youll also want an impact for the radius arm nuts or a long ratchet.

 

[miottimouse]

tex did you go with stock or poly rear bushings? if stock and they have the outer steel case remove the spring use a torch [outside] and burn the rubber out use a hack saw to score the inside of the steel to the spring eye [do not go to deep] and use a hammer and chisel to peel out the outer steel ring you will need a hyd press or a heavy c clamp to press the new bushing into the spring eye [do not use a hammer you will deform the ring]

if you have polyurathane [thats what i used] depending on the brand you may need to reuse the outer ring so just burn out rubber clean out good LUBE BUSHING SUPPLYED WITH KIT a must do to avoid squeeking and install into eye easy if 2 peice

i second with 85 f150 use a ratchet strap or a small come-a-long hooked to something solid [as that way it is cotrolled both ways] to pull arm out of the frame bracket [noting the exact location/direction of bushing and washer] but raise truck and support by the frame to remove some weight
if you were to replace i beam bushings [worth checking if any thing] also they are a lot harder to do and you WILL need a hyd press or a BIG c clamp with heavy washers the size of the outer bushing diameter THAT HAS A NUT ON THE END AND A IMPACT mine were very very hard to get out [seized for 30 odd years didnt help]
thats how me and my hd mech freind did it as i redid all mine a lot of work but well worth it in the end front end feels a lot more solid
regurds joe

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Yeah forgot to mention take most of the weight off the front end.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/radiusarm.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/radiusarm1.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/radiusarm2.jpg

Those are fly wheel bolts with upside down 7/16-20 lug nuts (3/4" wrench).
(what I had

I measured the crap(!) out of my pickup and decided the one driver's side
radius arm bracket needed to be moved forward about a 1/4". Talk about
easy to put in the new poly urethane bushings! LOL Used the "coffin
hoist" method before and didn't like the way it did my axle bushing. YMMV

The factory riveted those brackets on there for them, not for the mechanic.

Rivet removal is the "best" way to go if you plan to keep your pickup and
work on it again.

Alvin in AZ

 

[TexasNomad]

Awesome, thanks Alvin...
Umm whats a coffin hoist?

 

[Alvin in AZ]

LOL
That's just what we called them at work... "coffin hoist". {shrug}
A "come along" was used to grip the line wire, so that name was used already?
A "bull bog" had teeth and was used to grip "guy cable".

There were three "Road Masters", one was a bossy guy LOL the other was a
heavy hunk of steel an empty-derailed rail-car could be rolled up and back onto
the rail and another was a spike pulling tool to reach in and pull the spikes in
between the "legs of the frog" or between the rails where the "closure rail" gets
close to the "stock rail". A stock rail is a specially ground rail the switch point
fits into and sort of under.

Alvin in AZ (retired "signal ape")