Another leaf spring bushing question

Ongoing saga - there are other threads if anyone wants background.
Anyway, I brought the shackles (one aftermarket & one original) & mangled bushing in to a local spring shop & the owner suggested to go back to the original shackle. He said these bushings

would work as long as they, obviously, fit in the aftermarket springs. I expect they will since they were supplied by the seller of said springs.
Prior to talking with him & being unsure what to do, I ordered some energy suspension bushings, which I may run into a fitment issue with as well, yes?
I have pressed the mangled bushing out, however the outer sleeve did not come out.
Questions - which bushings would be recommended ES or the ones pictured above?
If ES, am I correct in thinking the outer sleeve stays in the spring?
One benefit to the ES is removal down the road. Those others look like a PITB to remove. I do know the ES ones need to be greased though.

 

The outer sleeve and rubber bushing are one piece, when the OEM rubber style bushing gets pressed out the outer sleeve comes with it.

The ES poly bushings go in and come out by hand

Both should fit, someone correct me if I'm wrong. It's just a matter of whether or not you want rubber or poly bushings. Poly lasts longer but tends to make more noise, lube them up well with the supplied grease that ES sends with them.

Rubber tends to not last as long but stays quiet generally.

Also the rubber bushings need to be pressed in, poly you can do by hand as they are two piece.

 

I haven't installed the OEM style rubber bushings before so I'm not sure if by 'press' you can get away with doing it via c-clamp, or if you need a legit press to get the job done. Someone with that experience should chime in.

 

Ok. So even with the ES bushings I still would need to get that outer sleeve left behind from the original bushing, out of the spring somehow.

 

That's the part I'm not 100% about because I've never had to remove the OEM bushings, when I replaced my leaf springs the new ones came with poly bushings. I'm not sure if the sleeve should press out with the bushing (I would think so?) or if it gets removed some other way

I suppose if the rubber inside has deteriorated enough and the sleeve is seized inside the spring then it might become a job for torch/heat

 

Ok. Gotcha now. Maybe someone will chime in as to whether there’s any benefit with ES bushings to leaving the sleeve in place

 

Yeah I don't know if the ES bushings will fit in there with the sleeve still in like that, unless I'm totally wrong and that sleeve is just supposed to stay. I don't think it is though because new OEM rubber bushings come with a new outer sleeve. Might need to torch it out assuming it's seized in

 

I am curious to hear from anyone who's removed the OE rubber bushings to install new ones or poly though. Surely someone has and can confirm.

 

Right. I am sure that if I was to install the OE, that would have to come out.
Other thing is I wonder if I should go with whiteline bushings. I read they have less squeak. I can return the ES ones easily enough.

 

I wasn't aware that Whiteline made leaf spring bushings, I've only heard of their LCA bushings. The LCA ones do have a good reputation though I have heard others say they squeak too. I think it just depends on greasing them as well as your environment.

Poly is pretty much guaranteed to make noise eventually. Having greaseable bolts in them helps so you can add grease over time without removing them to do so.

 

Problem with that is the stock shackles are studded, so no switching out bolts for me.

 

Gotta remember Those Fine People in California Have No Idea what we deal with when taking anything apart in our nice damp winter chemical climate

Since things change all the time last time I installed the Energy Suspension bushing the outer steel shell from the Factory bushing was used.

Have Energy Suspension upgraded to supplying the steel shells??

Maybe with the weight I carry most times the bushings don`t squeak I never heard them.

 

The poly bushings for my leaf springs, both the Alcans and the Dakars before them didn't come with outer steel sleeves. You just slide the bushings in and put the inner sleeve through the middle

 

That is How my Last ones where But it has been years.

 

Ok. I had seen a thread at some point in which the member was asking what to do since he had removed the outer sleeves. Just didn’t think it would end up being relevant to me at any point. Plus he didn’t go into exactly why this was a problem. Whoever replied seemed to not need any more details, so I was left in the dark.
Here’s to hoping the other sleeve stays put because I suppose they can decide to come out with the rubber.

 

@eon_blue
@Wyoming09

Apparently you are supposed to remove it.

 

I called ES & the only reason is for fitment.