Where to grease spring bushings?

EDIT:
I have searched all over but need experiences from y'all. I am trying to figure out if you need to use bushing grease on the INSIDE ONLY, so that the bushing "sticks" to the leaf spring, while he center bolt moves freely, or OUTSIDE AND INSIDE, so that it is just quieter. What's the verdict? I am reading conflicting advice but the majority says to grease the whole damn bushing, outside/inside, bolts, sleeves, all of it.

Also, what torque do poly bushings need to be at? I feel like the factory torque settings are "squishing" the outside flanges of the bushings.



Older post:
Hey guys, my passenger side front bushing is making an awful noise. I used superlube on everything last time I did this, but I think for some reason I skipped that one bushing. I was just wondering how I could loosen the springs just so that I can remove the front bolt and bushings and give them a good cleanup and lube, without having to take apart everything. Last time I did this, I had to use some weird geometry and ratchet straps to pull the main spring eye back to the hanger hole to slide the bolt in. I would rather not have to do that again.

Also, I want to make sure because I seem to forget, only the INSIDE of the bushing receives lube?

Thanks

 

If you jack up the truck to full droop on the passenger side, you should be able to remove the front bolt, lube the bushing, and then re-install. I'd do it like this:

1. Remove either the top or bottom of the passenger side rear shock. Bottom is generally easier, in my experience.
2. Jack up passenger side on frame (floor jack) and then lower it down to be resting on a jack stand.
3. Use the floor jack under the rear diff to lift the rear passenger wheel/tire off the ground and remove it.
4. Lower the floor jack under the diff to full droop of the passenger leaf.
5. Remove the front leaf bolt.
6. Lower the floor jack just a bit more so that the front eye is accessible. Lube it.

Reinstall in reverse.

Edit: Torque spec on that front leaf bushing bolt is 116 ft-lbs.

 

Just jack it up to relieve weight off the spring pack. Jack up the front eye slightly to relieve pressure off the front bolt. Remove bolt. Use bottle jack to bend leaf pack down enough to remove bushing.

Lube em up like a biscuit in gravy.

 

as usual, shocks are limiting droop.... any tips for removing the shocks? I feel like my usual method of smacking them with a rubber mallet isn't the best way to do it..

 

Best of Luck I have never been able to get any of those bolts out without destroying the bushing or the bolt or both

 

Bolts come off fine, but I need to remove the shocks. They don't want to slide off the mounting points..

 

Um. yeah. Not sure why this is warped.


Anyways... as for coating the bushings. Should I do the inside? Outside? Both?

 

All done. Still had to use a ratchet strap. But that's ok.

 

Can anyone recommend a bushing kit for aftermarket leaf springs that use the stock shackles?

 

Bump... edited original post and title. Need help

 

I have these: 20k and no issues. Oem leaves use the same bushings front and rear.

Oem torque on the bolts didn't seem to be bothered, because of the inner sleeve.

Lather them bitches in ES grease. All sides. I've never had a squeak for two years now. And I have Dakars...

 

I asked a similar question a week or two ago with no response... what I ended up doing was coating the whole bushing in grease, all sides, all surfaces, everywhere there was poly to metal contact. So far so good, no creaks or popping.

 

Interesting. I guess I will do that next time I get squeaking.

You can see why I'm confused... these guys say not to lube the outside:
https://youtu.be/zwg8Y_TzUBM

While these guys slather the whole thing in grease:
https://youtu.be/fpEZUbHVhUs

Both are reputable companies.. so it's hard to figure out who to believe. Experiences seem to trump all of that though.

 

@License2Ill, are you using the stock shackles?

 

No I'm using OME shackles and their yellow bushings. Front eyelet bushings that I'm running now, are the ones I linked.

OME sells stock 1st Gen yellow bushings also.

The front bushings looked like a slathered glazed donut before I installed it.

 

Hmm. Yeah I am not sure if I will be able to use those. I'm using stock shackles and I don't think they use the center metal sleeve as it's the same ID as the shackle pins. I tried to get the OME SB89 but those didn't work, either. I could only use the upper shackle bushings from that kit. I may have to call Wheeler's and ask them what I need. It seems hard to find the right thing, since I have Alcan's with the stock shackles.

 

Here's one way to think about it: when the spring rotates around bolt (with or without the center sleeve) the bushing is moving with the spring, and the only relative movement is between the bolt/sleeve and the inside of the poly bushing. So even if you do lube up the outside of the bushing, where it slides into the eye of the spring, it is not going to move there anyway.

 

I need to grease mine. I just installed all pro expo leafs, and they came with the bushings already pressed in so I didn’t think about it. But geez they are load.

No need to remove the shock?

 

Depends on if they're limiting your droop. More than likely they will.

 

^^^ Yep, this. I forgot to add it b/c I was replacing leafs when I did it, and so had the u-bolts off as well. Added the step above to my list, thx all.