Frame / Springs: Rear Spring Bushings

[brian6373]

Hey all.
I just spent about seven hours replacing the rear spring bushings in my '63 Lark 4 door, or I should say half of the bushings. I pulled the spring pack off the pass. side and used an air hammer to remove the old bushings and installing the new ones. Then came time to remove the bushing in the frame. It took me 4 hours of torch, chisel, and air hammer to get that boogger out. The new one went in without too much trouble with the air hammer. There's not a lot of room, what with the gas tank and exhaust pipe right there and the inside of the fender on the other side, so getting tools into that small space was a real challenge. The outside metal of the old bushung had pretty much welded itself to the bushing boss in the frame.
Has anyone fround an easy, slick way of doing this? I only got the pass side done today, and I'm not looking forward to having to do this again tomorrow the same way on the drivers side. At least I won't have to fight around the exhaust pipe!
Thanks in advance for the advice and suggestions.
Brian

[rusty nut garage]

Try this site https://www.studebakerparts.com/stud.../shklbush.html
I've done several of thes sometimes a few minutes one rust avanti several several hours

QUOTE=brian6373;628538]Hey all.
I just spent about seven hours replacing the rear spring bushings in my '63 Lark 4 door, or I should say half of the bushings. I pulled the spring pack off the pass. side and used an air hammer to remove the old bushings and installing the new ones. Then came time to remove the bushing in the frame. It took me 4 hours of torch, chisel, and air hammer to get that boogger out. The new one went in without too much trouble with the air hammer. There's not a lot of room, what with the gas tank and exhaust pipe right there and the inside of the fender on the other side, so getting tools into that small space was a real challenge. The outside metal of the old bushung had pretty much welded itself to the bushing boss in the frame.
Has anyone fround an easy, slick way of doing this? I only got the pass side done today, and I'm not looking forward to having to do this again tomorrow the same way on the drivers side. At least I won't have to fight around the exhaust pipe!
Thanks in advance for the advice and suggestions.
Brian[/QUOTE]

[Baker54]

I just went through this last week. I used a drill bit to remove the rubber and get the center out then I used my Sawzall to cut the outer sleeve in two places being careful not to cut the frame. However, my gas tank was out so I had more room.

[53k]

Hey all.
I just spent about seven hours replacing the rear spring bushings in my '63 Lark 4 door, or I should say half of the bushings. I pulled the spring pack off the pass. side and used an air hammer to remove the old bushings and installing the new ones. Then came time to remove the bushing in the frame. It took me 4 hours of torch, chisel, and air hammer to get that boogger out. The new one went in without too much trouble with the air hammer. There's not a lot of room, what with the gas tank and exhaust pipe right there and the inside of the fender on the other side, so getting tools into that small space was a real challenge. The outside metal of the old bushung had pretty much welded itself to the bushing boss in the frame.
Has anyone fround an easy, slick way of doing this? I only got the pass side done today, and I'm not looking forward to having to do this again tomorrow the same way on the drivers side. At least I won't have to fight around the exhaust pipe!
Thanks in advance for the advice and suggestions.
Brian

It is definitely a lot easier if you take off the gas tank- not too hard on a Lark. I didn't even drain mine. I let it down using a hydraulic table (Harbor Freight gem) and rolled it away. You can use a torch to burn out the old rubber. The, as Baker 54 suggested, carefully cut the old shell in two pieces then knock it out.. Use never-seize for the installation- Makes it easier to pull the bushing in to the hole and next time the removal will be a LOT easier (for you or a future owner). I made pullers and pushers using large bolts and sockets that fit against the outer shell for the smaller bushings and sockets and a carpenter's clamp for the larger ones (see picture below).



This has been discussed in detail in the past, but I don't have much luck searching the Forum.

[brian6373]

Thanks everyone. It looks like removing the gas tank to give you more room is the way to go. When I did the bushings in the spring I mounted the spring pack in the vice. I then used an air hammer with the point bit to remove the rubber and center steel tube. I used the the air hammer again with the bit that looks like a curved chisel with a notch that cuts a groove to remove the outer part of the bushing. ( I don't know what that bit is called). It worked pretty well doing it that way. To install the new bushing I took a 7/16 x 6" bolt, a washer, and a socket with the same O.D. for the driver. I drove in the new bushing using the air hammer with a bit that looks like a mushroom. I didn't think to use a lubricant, I'll do that on the drivers side. This process took me about an hour to do both spring bushings. When I went after the bushing in the frame I took a map gas torch and burned out the rubber. I was a little leary of the gas tank and open flame. Not being able to get my air chisel in there I made a puller using a couple of sockets and a 3/8 bolt. After breaking the bolt I figured that wasn't going to work! I then used an air saw that just fit inside the fender and made two cuts top and bottom, Unfortunatly the blade left anbout a quater inch uncut on the gas tank end do to the blade length. Back to the air hammer with a 12" chisel bit angled under the fender and into the bushing. Eventually I was able to push out the old bushing shell. I installed the new bushing the same way I did on the springs. I think I'll do the drivers side next weekend and I'll take some pictures. Today I think I'll go over to H.F. and get one of those drop tables.
Great advice guys. Thanks much.
Brian

[Alan]

Use a piece of 7/16" X 20 all thread and a chunk of 1 1/4" aluminum bar stock, hollowed out to fit the bushing. and a piece of aluminum to use as a pusher. The bushing is out in 10 min. And you don't have to remove the tank.

[56GH]

After several hours of frustration trying to do the same on my 1953 Champion coupe, I got fed up and removed the springs and brought them to a spring shop. They had a huge arbor press that pushed the old ones out like butter and pressed in the new ones so easily!

Bill L.

[Alan]

The springs, yes. The ones up in the frame will be a little harder.

[showbizkid]

I took mine to a spring shop and even they had a rough time getting the frame bushings out. They had to drop the fuel tank, and even then it took them quite a bit of work to make the change.

[r1lark]

I normally burn (or cut, on the frame bushings if the gas tank is still in) the rubber out, and then carefully use a hacksaw to split the outer shell of the bushing. After that, tap the bushing shell out with a punch and hammer.

[JoeHall]

The springs, yes. The ones up in the frame will be a little harder.

That may be an understatement

[Skybolt]

Sorry to bring up an old post but I was looking for something else and read this and wanted to make sure to pass on what I learned about this topic.

The easiest way I have found to remove the rear bushings is to wedge a flat bladed screwdriver or something of the sort into where the rolled eye meets the spring again. This prys the eye open a little and the bushing then can be driven out easily. It's not without effort or finessing but it the most effective way if one does not have a press.

Len

[Xcalibur]

...and, after you go to all this trouble, why mess with the old rubber things when putting it back together? I looked and found urethane at an off-road truck place that would fit the frame and turned delrin (zerked) for the springs. This was a loooong time ago, so I suspect one could find urethane for the whole shooting-match today. Btw, when I later swapped the whole works out for a Jag IRS, a friend took my delrin and urethane and put in his car... still there and functioning fine MANY years later. Some like options... All the best and Happy Holidays!

[dnevin]

I took mine to a spring shop...

Clark, I think that might be considered cheating.

[Alan]

This is the way I do it.

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