Body Mounts - upper bushing retainers/washers

[6.2Blazer]

Okay, I'm in the process of installing a poly body mount kit on my '90. On the 3 forward mounting locations you have to reuse the factory upper and lower bushing retainers/washers. The problem is that a couple of the upper washers are pretty much rusted beyond use.

GM and LMC both carry these, but they come with a rubber bushing already attached and therefore cost around $15........not horrible until you need several of them, and also will rip up and throwaway the rubber bushing as soon as you open them up.

Are there any alternatives? I thought of pulling some off a junkyard truck but that's a real PITA considering it's a crapshoot as to whether you will find any in better conditions (rustbelt area).

 

[Muddytazz]

1/8" plate steel and weld a piece of tubing to it for the bolt sleeve all cut to size.

 

[diesel4me]

bushings and sleeves..

I found that "Strut Bar Bushings" from an older GM car work well as body mount bushings..they come with metal sleeves and big thick cupped washers..they used them on full sized GM cars until 1970 or so..also the "Radius Arm Bushings" used on Ford trucks have similar bushings and washers..when you worked in a junkyard,you learn to look at ALL the cars and trucks for parts that will work!--they aren't the exact perfect size as the originals,but they work fine..

We have industrial supply places that sell washers up to 6" o.d.,with a 2.5" hole!..but they usually wont sell less than a full box!

 

[6.2Blazer]

I already have the poly bushing kit, so I need cup washers/retainers that will work with the new poly bushings.

The sleeves on the upper washers are oval shaped that correspond to an oval shaped hole on the poly bushing, so that makes it a bit more difficult to fabricate. It looks like it would chew up the bushing pretty fast if you just used pipe or something equivalent for the sleeve because of the much smaller surface contact area.

 

[ryoken]

think they where $12 at my dealer.. i had the same issue.. only bought one, but wouldn't have minded getting 3..

maybe try a different dealer? the lower cup washers where $7....

 

[6.2Blazer]

I get a price break through the local dealer.......list is $20 and I'm getting them for about $15 and change. Even LMC is $12.95 but I have to pay shipping so it's not really any cheaper.

 

[thatK30guy]

I have a big box full of those metal washer thingies WITHOUT the rubber mounts. Yep, a whole big box full of them and every one of them is rust free. I saved them from dismantling jobs I did on trucks so people like you would need some can get them from me.

How many do you need?