41 front leaf spring bushings

[mrtexas]

Just noticed the front bushings on my wagon need to be replaced. Can I remove the bushings by jacking up the end of the spring on one end?

[fordor41]

when we did our '41, I removed the spring assy. It takes some doing to get all the bushing material out. believe it would be more work in the car than out.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by mrtexas

Just noticed the front bushings on my wagon need to be replaced. Can I remove the bushings by jacking up the end of the spring on one end?

[Pete]

You CAN replace them that way but it is much easier with the spring on the bench.
You might consider replacing them with moly filled Delrin bushings also. No tools required to install and they last forever.

[19Fordy]

Make the job a lot easier by using a spring spreader to remove the spring so you can work on it at your workbench instead of laying on you back under the car as mentioned above.

You will be glad you did.

[rockfla]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

IF you have access to a shop press and take the spring off, I'll send you my bushing press I made and you can press them in and out in about two minutes!!

[19Fordy]

Now that is an offer you can't refuse!

[fordor41]

Originally Posted by Pete

You CAN replace them that way but it is much easier with the spring on the bench.
You might consider replacing them with moly filled Delrin bushings also. No tools required to install and they last forever.

I used moly fill nylon 6/6 on our '41. lasted almost 25 yrs until we sold the car.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by fordor41

I used moly fill nylon 6/6 on our '41. lasted almost 25 yrs until we sold the car.

Same stuff. We use it in race cars also.

[corvette8n]

Originally Posted by fordor41

I used moly fill nylon 6/6 on our '41. lasted almost 25 yrs until we sold the car.

Where did you get moly bushings?

[19Fordy]

Here's some additional bushing supply info.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Replacement-Nylon-Shackle-Bushings-2-1-4-Inch-Spring,35666.html?sku=91033325-1&utm_matchtype={match_type}&msclkid=3fecf257ff541 e4e87a39743be27fc07&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc &utm_campaign=SMI%20-%20Shopping%20(CSE)%20(Bing)&utm_term=110030995555 1&utm_content=Speedway%20%20(Feb28_2020)

[fordor41]

I got ours from McMaster-Carr Supply

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by Pete

You CAN replace them that way but it is much easier with the spring on the bench.
You might consider replacing them with moly filled Delrin bushings also. No tools required to install and they last forever.

"Forever" - defined as until the Delrin cold-flows out of wherever
it's not encapsulated.

Encapsulated Delrin bushings w. aluminum housing.
We manufactured and sold these for many applications when I was GM at Global West.
Sadly nothing off the shelf is available for the OP's 1941 application though.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

"Forever" - defined as until the Delrin cold-flows out of wherever
it's not encapsulated.

Encapsulated Delrin bushings w. aluminum housing.
We manufactured and sold these for many applications when I was GM at Global West.
Sadly nothing off the shelf is available for the OP's 1941 application though.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

"Forever" - defined as until the Delrin cold-flows out of wherever it's not encapsulated.

It is pretty well encapsulated in this application.
The ones on my race car were installed 20 years ago and are all still intact with about 8 race programs a summer on them.
I may change them some day because they are getting dirty.

[fordor41]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

"Forever" - defined as until the Delrin cold-flows out of wherever
it's not encapsulated.

Encapsulated Delrin bushings w. aluminum housing.
We manufactured and sold these for many applications when I was GM at Global West.
Sadly nothing off the shelf is available for the OP's 1941 application though.

I purchased the material, moly impregnated nylon , and turned ours on a lathe in about 1994. I checked them maybe 15 yrs later and they were just like new and we put 200K miles on our '41 by 2016 and the bushings were still there.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by fordor41

I purchased the material, moly impregnated nylon , and turned ours on a lathe in about 1994. I checked them maybe 15 yrs later and they were just like new and we put 200K miles on our '41 by 2016 and the bushings were still there.

I'm not surprised, most Nylon is much higher durometer than Delrin.

[Als48]

One needs to be selective when choosing plastic materials. Kind of off the subject, but we had some really expensive pumps in the Nuclear fuel plant I worked in for almost 35 years, called Normetex. I think they were bellows sealed or at least some type of nearly foolproof seal for pumping gaseous UF6 and were fantastic pumps. Anyway they had a plastic float in the lube oil reservoir that was crucial to the pumps' reliability. (Million dollar pumps failing because of a $5 part) I became involved in an engineering study back in the 90's, (as I was an engineering/lab tech), to determine why the floats were failing. It turned out that the floats were being dissolved by the synthetic oil being used in the pumps. The French Company wanted to redesign the floats from metal or some other plastic. The cheap way out was to go to non-synthetic lube oil. Which was what my studies suggested and the plant did so, successfully.

Al Hook

[drolston]

Plan B
Because the bushings are so badly worn out, I suspect that you might not have too much trouble knocking them out of the spring eyes with the spring still on the car.
Worth a try anyway.
- Jack up the front end of the car high enough to get the front tires off the floor and set it on jack stands. The axle will be suspended by the shock links. Hand brake on hard and rear wheels chocked.

- Remove the nuts from the shackle bolts.

- Center a bottle jack or screw jack against the bottom one spring eye. Raise the pressure on the jack until the load is off of the front shackle bar and you can wiggle it a bit. It should knock off easily.
- Adjust the jack a bit to get the back shackle loose, and knock it off.
- Lower the jack slowly to let the spring down
- Repeat on the other side.
- The spring eyes will now be easily accessible to see if you can knock them out.
- Pick a deep well socket that will just fit into the spring eye opening, and the shackle bolt will fit into the socket. With any luck you can knock them out with a ball peen hammer on that socket. Some heat on the eye might help.

- Not a fan of those shackles/bushings with one end fixed; I would use stock type replacement shackles with the square ends, and reuse your stock shackles..

- Make sure the spring eyes are cleaned out and polished inside. Free of burrs. Again, with a little luck you can knock in the replacements. They need to be tight but polish then down enough that they go in fairly easily. A very light coat of oil. Heat will help.

- If any of this does not work out, it is now very easy to drop the spring to go to a shop with proper press equipment.



Good luck.