'47-'54 Chevy Truck Threaded Leaf Spring Bushing Removal

Do I need a big press? Or are the bushings themselves threaded into the leaf springs? Can I replace them with some smooth-bore bushings and just use some grade 8 bolts? These springs are being used on another vehicle.

 

The threaded shackle pins screw into the bushings which are also threaded. The bushing can be pressed out of the spring eye. Once you have the bushing out of the spring you can retrofit a smooth steel or nylon sleeve/bushing and standard grade 8 bolts. I removed the pins from the bushings and used a 1/2 or 5/8 bolt and numerous washers, sockets, etc. of various sizes and was able to pull the old bushings out by hand. A press would be nice. Sam

 

I made a driver by using the biggest carriage bolt that would fit inside the threads, screwing a couple of nuts on it and stacking a few flat washers against the nuts. Make sure enough of the bolt goes into the spring threaded bushing to provide a good pilot. Grind the washers down to fit through the spring eye. Lock the nuts together so they don't loosen. The bushings are a heavy press fit.

 

you can cut em out with a torch if you're handy, just don't cut into the springeye.
...make one cut thru em, then drive em out with a punch.

 

Yup, no matter how many times you hit them with a punch and hammer, they won't come out until you unthread them...

I removed all of mine with the hot wrench.

 

Heat mine and then unthreaded, worked pretty well.

 

...the bushings will punch out ,they are threaded on the inside for the shackle bolt, make a cut with a torch and drive em out after the bolt is out.