Any tricks to get the bushings out of spring eyes??

Well mine are seized in my leaf eyes and I can't get the things out, any tricks I don't know about???

 

A hydraulic press and some lube will generally push them out. Sometimes heating the spring eye too. I have tried to beat them out and that never seems to work, but the hydraulic press makes short work of it. An appropriately sized deep well socket on both ends will help, a thin one to do the pushing and a fat one to act as a pocket.

Don

 

I usually heat the spring eye and then use a punch tip on the air chisel. They drive right out.

 

I use an air hammer and a cutting bit. Cut it in several pieces and push it out.

 

REALLY stubborn ones can be burnt out with an oxy-act torch, Stinks to high heaven but gets them out. Keith

 

Use a press and some heat.

 

A socket and big f'n hammer works for me.

 

I had a pair of stubborn ones at my last job that a press w/o heat couldn't get. The torch tanks were out of gas, so, instead, I drilled a couple relief holes (in the bushing) and it helped pop it out.

 

Good Luck! Lots of heat.

It's just as hard to put them in. Maybe harder without damaging. You might want to go plastic.

My vise hasn't worked right since.

 

If you don't have a press, use Don's set up with a long bolt with two lubed washers and a nut on the big socket end. Tighten nut to pull the bushing out.

 

As mentioned above, either the long bolt, or, if that does not work, drill out the bushing with multiple small holes and chisel out the shell.

 

If you've got to hammer and punch/chisel them, don't forget to string together a bunch of expletives. It helps.

 

My Dad has made special chisels out of SBC fuel pump push rods. Just take it to your bench grinder and grind a notch into the center of one, or both ends. So now each end has two lips (like a taco shell). You can grind it as sharp as you want to dig in. it will cut a slice into a bushing and curl it out of the way. Works excellent.

 

Snap a pic of this, one day, if possible. I'm having a hard time picturing it.

 

Soak 'em in gas and light 'em up. Just make sure the neighbors know or the fire dept. might show up.

 

Kinnda like this...

 

Those saying burn them out, I am assuming yours are made with rubber around the bushing, my 56 leafs don't have any rubber???

Mine appear to be a soft tin or copper or something, I tried to burn them out of the hanger and blew a hole in the hanger. So whatever it is is not soft enough to melt out. Hanger was shot anyways so no loss there, figured I try it forst but can't trash my leafs.

I think the socket thing will work, Ill give it a try. I have a huge c clamp that may work well with them.

 

Do not use the C-clamp.....use a bolt. The bolts are pretty much useless afterwards many times, no point in screwing up a good C-clamp.

Are they threaded like the Chevy truck bushings?

 

Take the blade out of a hacksaw, slide it through the bolt hole, connect it to the saw frame and cut a slot through to the notch in the spring eye. They come right out. For those who can't do anything by hand, you can put the blade in a reciprocating saw.

 

I have found that a narrow chisel in an air hammer works well. Place it between the spring and the sleeve. Finish it off with the puch in the air hammer.

 

I beat mine out with a hammer and punch. It sucked shit though, I don't recommend that all.

 

This method has worked for me.