leaf spring bushing replacement - DIY or have a shop do it

[Piratehunter]

'97 K2500, leaf spring bushings are shot. I've watched a few videos and reviewed several threads here on replacing them. have quotes that range from $500 to $800 to replace them. the effort of actually replacing them once the leaf springs are out doesn't look so hard, its the getting the leafs out that look difficult, pita, and somewhat dangerous to do in the driveway without shop lift tools, taking the bed off, and not having bushing presses or air hammers.
So, the questions are; if you;ve done this diy, what were lessons learned, how would you tackle it differently, or would you pay to have it done?

 

[RichLo]

They aren't under spring pressure once you remove the shocks and have it jacked up. Nothing dangerous like your probably thinking with MacPherson struts, jack it on the frame and let the axle hang. You'll just need to remove 4 bolts... That difficulty depends on how rusty they are currently, I'd start soaking them ASAP.

Just try to not use too much heat if you can avoid it otherwise you could weaken the spring rate. I would use a Sawzall if they don't come out with wrenches.

 

[Das Hatt]

I changed out my leaf spring bushings and replace them with poly this summer. Once I got a system down, it wasn't too bad.

I cut the outer shell of the bushing through the gap on the underside of the leaf spring using a cut off wheel on my angle grinder. Then used a ball joint press to push out the metal tube in the middle of the bushing. Then used a hammer and lady slipper to fold in the perimeter of the outer shell of the bushing sleeve that did not have the lip on it. Then hammered the bushing sleeve and all the rubber out the other end.

 

[offroadtahoe]

Not too hard,alot easier replaced with poly,I used offroad design Kevlar grease bolt bushings

 

[Schurkey]

I've never done bonded, pressed-in leaf spring bushings. If the process is different from control arm bushings, I don't know about it. The only leaf spring bushings I've done were simple slip-fit Poly replacements for slip-fit rubber bushings having no outer shell. The bushing halves just fall out of the leaf eye.

All the control arm bushings I've installed have been Polyurethane; which means the outer shells the rubber bushings are in don't need to be removed.

Warm up the outer shells as evenly as possible with a propane torch, the rubber poops out of the shell. Clean up the shell with emery cloth or sandpaper, grease the shell and the Poly bushing, and shove the new bushing into the original shell. There likely is an inner sleeve that needs to be pushed into the Poly bushing, and then the bolt goes through that.

IF (big IF) this was a Camaro/Firebird or N.O.V.A., I'd tell you that you're wasting your time. Buy new leaf springs with new bushings already installed. The OEM F/X body leaf springs are ALWAYS cracked and should be scrapped. But that's not my experience with the GMT400 leaves.

 

[Drunkcanuk]

A quick search shows brand new leafs for like $250 each. I'd just buy new ones and save the headache of doing bushings if you don't have the right tools. It may be a bugger getting the bolts out though, believe me!!!! I cut the heads off and stacked washers on the other side and drew the remaining bolt out. On the front drivers side, you will probably have to get a sawzall in there to cut the bolt so you don't make any sparks next to the fuel tank.

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[packer0440]

+1 on getting the bolts out of the spring eyes. If rust isn’t too bad they will come out with a little hammering. In my case I needed to cut both ends of the bolts off with a large cut off wheel between the shackles and the remaining shank would come out with the bushing

 

[Piratehunter]

thanks everyone...yea its getting the bolts out of the spring eyes that looks most concerning. there are several good ways to get the bushing out of the eyes. ORilleys has a loaner ball joint press, I've got a sawzall and air impact and air chisel. I don't have a rust issue really, but I'll start hitting all the parts with pb blaster.

 

[Piratehunter]

so, I replaced the RS5000 shocks with 100k+ miles with RS9000, good results. going to replace the 5+1 leaf springs with 7+1 3300# springs from General Spring soon. pulled the air lift bags, they were great for level roads, but bound up in the back country and kept breaking the air line nipples.

 

[Supercharged111]

My trucks are CO trucks. I've done leaf spring bushings to both trucks in sig, not yet to the plow truck. Removing the springs isn't all that bad, hell I swapped one out on a winter evening on my inclined driveway. I hear the center sleeve until it slips out of the molten rubber, forgot what I did with the rubber, then used an air chisel to cut the outer shell. Press in new with a ball joint press. My truck came with a conglomeration of a 7 main leaf pack, flipped lower overload, and I don't remember if it even had an upper. It rode like crap. Course doesn't ride that great now with 2 upper overloads either.