Hey, Mike!
Good thing I’ve been browsing your site over the past few weeks, I’m afraid I may have rendered my springs useless.
I decided to rebuild my leaf springs, and after buying a bunch of new parts for them (good stuff, by the way!) I think I butchered the install.
I didn’t get the bushings from you guys, but I figured it’d be fine to ask anyways…
In order to get the old bushings out of the eyes, I torched them out…
and, well, I torched the rubber AND the metal around it. I was hoping for it to slide out easier.
I used a small propane torch, one that you’d use to solder a small pipe, and it was directed straight at the rubber and the surrounding metal for about 10-15 minutes.
I know 300 degrees is the magic number here.. so I’m hoping that I’m safe, but in your expert opinion.. did I wreck my springs?
Kavi
Kavi,
Removing old steel encased rubber bushings can be a real b*&%ch, and burning them is one of the best ways to get them out.
All one needs to do is let the rubber burn for 3 to 5 minutes and them smack the eye sideways and watch the burning bushing come flying out.
Be sure to do this outside in the wide open spaces.
Once the rubber is gone you will still have the steel sleeve in the eye.
Simply take a punch or a chisel and peel the sleeve inward.
Once the diameter of the sleeve has been knocked towards the center of the eye it can be hammered out fairly easy.
Clean up the inside of the eye and press in the new bushing.
The magic number is 400 degrees before the spring steel begins to soften, so if you kept it below that you should be OK.
FYI – most of the time when the steel encased bushings are shot, so is the spring.
-Mike
