Hate to make another 52" front spring post but....

[Silver84k5]

Who has done the 52" inch swap, and is running a Dodge 60 front... What did you do about Spacing the leafs packs so they line up with the perches?

I think im going to keep the stock rubber bushings in the springs and just use Spacers to move the leaf packs around.. The only concern i have is keeping it all square, I dont want to be crab walking down the road.

on a side note.. .Is there an easy way to get the rubber bushings out of the rear leafpacks? I ended up melting melting them out

 

[jekbrown]

Not sure on the dodge 60... but you need spacers or wider bushings to fit make the springs work with a chevy 60.

AFA removing bushings goes, if you dont have a press or torch it takes some work. What I do is use a grinder and cut off wheel to chop the end of the bushing off so its flat... they tend to buldge outward. Anyway, I flatten them off with the cut off wheel and then use a drill to drill a series of holes around the bushing. Watch out for heat cause there is mad friction between the rubber and the bit. Anyway, keep drilling holes until its hard to drill anymore without the bit walking into another hole. Then turn the spring over and do the same thing from the other side. From there, I use screw drivers, picks, pliers, a hammer and anything else I can think of to "chunk" out the bushing one piece at a time. Do that until you can't get any more out and then repeat the process. I call it "drill and chunk". Eventually you'll get it out. Takes a lot of time without the right tools.

j

 

[Silver84k5]

Ahhh ok... Atleast i know now that im not the only one who had a bitch of a time with Rear spring bushings.

i just laid a propane torch pointing at the spring eye, and worked on something else while the rubber burned outa there. ;P

 

[pvfjr]

keep drilling holes until its hard to drill anymore without the bit walking into another hole.
j

The only way IMO.

 

[beater_k20]

i did the holes in the bushing thing, and then pressed the rubber portion of the bushing out with a c clamp and a huge socket. then just knock the metal sleeve out with the air hammer, press the other bushings in and call it good.

 

[jekbrown]

i did the holes in the bushing thing, and then pressed the rubber portion of the bushing out with a c clamp and a huge socket. then just knock the metal sleeve out with the air hammer, press the other bushings in and call it good.

you must have had some forgiving bushings. I've tried the clamp method and it has never worked for me until I remove a bunch of the bushing first.

j