The Ford Barn

jwilliams81 · 01-02-2018, 11:44 AM

Hey guys,

I had never used a shackle bushing reamer and was nervous I could screw something up. I had read a lot and was trying to find a video of one in use, but had no luck. So I bought the reamer and made a video for others to check out.

Here is the link:
https://youtu.be/nu15rEbWZR0

SeaSlugs · 01-02-2018, 01:46 PM

I like it - i dont see anything major to comment on. Personally i would use more oil as you ream - can never have enough cutting oil when reaming. Also once you remove the ream you blew it off which is good but i like to slip it back in the cardboard tube to protect the flutes - hate to drop a wrench or the ream and damage/nick it. Probably over protective but deffinately cannot hurt. I also wad up a paper towel or shop rag and wipe the crud out of it - this also evenly spreads the cutting oil as an anti rust agent and its clean for the next job. DONT put the towel in your palm and grab and try to wipe it off like a socket wrench - if it can cut metal it will shred right thru a towel into your hand.

Also should wear safety glasses when blowing particles out of holes - i know i sound like an old lady but particles in eyes is no fun.

jwilliams81 · 01-02-2018, 02:52 PM

NO.. you don't sound like an old lady at all. Those are all very valid tips. Especially the eye protection. Thanks for the input. The adjustable wrench instead of the proper handle was annoying, even to me haha.
More oil makes a ton of sense.
Eye protection is the biggest thing that I should have done. Thanks for pointing it out.

burner31 · 01-02-2018, 06:09 PM

Very good job.
I've never posted any to youtube, how do you post a video to that?

Jacksonlll · 01-02-2018, 07:41 PM

Easy. Get a YouTube acct. On video Mgr, hit the upload button , then the big arrow, find your video and it will up load. A few things to fill in, but that is all easy and not critical.

SeaSlugs · 01-02-2018, 09:25 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jwilliams81

NO.. you don't sound like an old lady at all. Those are all very valid tips. Especially the eye protection. Thanks for the input. The adjustable wrench instead of the proper handle was annoying, even to me haha.
More oil makes a ton of sense.
Eye protection is the biggest thing that I should have done. Thanks for pointing it out.

i cant say ive ever used a proper wrench while using a large ream - skinny ones sure as they can bend easily.

Synchro909 · 01-02-2018, 09:50 PM

Where do you get shackle kits with bushes that need reeming? The ones I have ever bought from the vendors were sooo loose, it was a joke.

SeaSlugs · 01-02-2018, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Where do you get shackle kits with bushes that need reeming? The ones I have ever bought from the vendors were sooo loose, it was a joke.

loose after you pressed them in? Did they actually press in or just kinda slide?

Synchro909 · 01-02-2018, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaSlugs

loose after you pressed them in? Did they actually press in or just kinda slide?

I had to push them in and lousy loose afterwards. I suspect they were some of the rubbish we talk about so often here.

Other club members have the same issue. One even throws away the bushes that come in the kit and makes his own. I have some on order now and if they are the same, I will let the vendor know and probably make my own too. It's not difficult but something we shouldn't have to do.

SeaSlugs · 01-03-2018, 12:07 AM

Huh weird - when I redid my front end maybe 2010? 2011 ish mine fit tight and needed reamed. I believe they came from Snyders.

Larry Jenkins · 01-03-2018, 01:16 AM

Buy some Oilite bronze to machine your new bushings. McMaster-Carr.

jwilliams81 · 01-03-2018, 12:05 PM

I bought my springs from a-springs.com.
They come with new brass bushings installed on the springs and I ordered new brass bushings for the shackles as well.
I used the original shackles that came with the car.

Gold Digger · 01-03-2018, 07:45 PM

It looks to me like the reamer for doing that kind of job needs a pilot ground on the starting end so it will follow the center line of the hole. Maybe I'm just not good enough at holding a reamer straight in a situation like this. After owning and operating a Tool&Die shop for the last 37 years you would think I would have caught on.

Purdy Swoft · 01-03-2018, 08:45 PM

Back in the 90s most if no all of the shackle bushings needed to be reamed after installation. At the time Brattons offered a reamer for the shackle bushings that was reasonably priced and easy enough for the common man to use. Bratton no longer offers the bushing reamer, I'm glad that I still have mine . Snyders offers a slightly different shackle reamer . All of the shackle bushings that I have used were steel . Some offer a special drill bit for drilling the bushings instead of reaming but I wouldn't reccomend it . Brattons now offer pre reamed bushings and a bushing driver that works for removing and replacing shackle bushings and rear brake camshaft bushings as well. When the bushing driver is used it removes the risk of distorting the bushings when installing . I have bought new springs with the bushings installed from Smith and Jones in Columbia south Carolina . The clearance on shackle bushings isn't as critical as clearance on engine parts . After the spring spreader is released any slack will be taken up .

Synchro909 · 01-04-2018, 05:05 PM

Purdy is correct. A good fit is not necessary. Running a drill through the hole is plenty good enough. The spring tension and weight of the car sort things out very quickly. Besides, VERY FEW springs haven't got a twist in them from the manufacturing and tempering process. A tight fit makes fitting the shackle pins difficult.

Nathan_1929 · 01-05-2018, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Where do you get shackle kits with bushes that need reeming? The ones I have ever bought from the vendors were sooo loose, it was a joke.

I just replaced the shackle bushings in my front end. Sure as can be, I don't even need to use the nice reamer I just bought. They're so loose and sloppy, it's offensive. They're worse than the worn out ones I pressed out.

What's worse is I have a lathe and should have just made my own.

Synchro909 · 01-05-2018, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan_1929

I just replaced the shackle bushings in my front end. Sure as can be, I don't even need to use the nice reamer I just bought. They're so loose and sloppy, it's offensive. They're worse than the worn out ones I pressed out.

What's worse is I have a lathe and should have just made my own.

Oh dear, and here was I hoping that I had some from a crappy manufacturer and that they would be out of the system by now.

Tom Wesenberg · 01-06-2018, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan_1929

I just replaced the shackle bushings in my front end. Sure as can be, I don't even need to use the nice reamer I just bought. They're so loose and sloppy, it's offensive. They're worse than the worn out ones I pressed out.

What's worse is I have a lathe and should have just made my own.

I used to buy the shackle kit and the replacement bushings from Bratton's. Toss the shackle kit bushings in your spare parts bin, then use the shackles and replacement bushings. They were always a perfect fit together. This was 10 years ago, so things may have changed.

01-02-2018, 11:44 AM	#1
jwilliams81 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Cincinnati OH Posts: 422	Shackle bushing reamer use Hey guys, I had never used a shackle bushing reamer and was nervous I could screw something up. I had read a lot and was trying to find a video of one in use, but had no luck. So I bought the reamer and made a video for others to check out. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/nu15rEbWZR0 __________________ 1931 Murray Town Sedan. Black body with Apple Green pin stripe. 1923 Model T Touring with electric start. Low radiator Cincinnati, Ohio

01-02-2018, 01:46 PM	#2
SeaSlugs Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central, IL Posts: 3,968	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use I like it - i dont see anything major to comment on. Personally i would use more oil as you ream - can never have enough cutting oil when reaming. Also once you remove the ream you blew it off which is good but i like to slip it back in the cardboard tube to protect the flutes - hate to drop a wrench or the ream and damage/nick it. Probably over protective but deffinately cannot hurt. I also wad up a paper towel or shop rag and wipe the crud out of it - this also evenly spreads the cutting oil as an anti rust agent and its clean for the next job. DONT put the towel in your palm and grab and try to wipe it off like a socket wrench - if it can cut metal it will shred right thru a towel into your hand. Also should wear safety glasses when blowing particles out of holes - i know i sound like an old lady but particles in eyes is no fun. __________________ 1929 Model AA - Need long splash aprons!

01-02-2018, 02:52 PM	#3
jwilliams81 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Cincinnati OH Posts: 422	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use NO.. you don't sound like an old lady at all. Those are all very valid tips. Especially the eye protection. Thanks for the input. The adjustable wrench instead of the proper handle was annoying, even to me haha. More oil makes a ton of sense. Eye protection is the biggest thing that I should have done. Thanks for pointing it out. __________________ 1931 Murray Town Sedan. Black body with Apple Green pin stripe. 1923 Model T Touring with electric start. Low radiator Cincinnati, Ohio

01-02-2018, 06:09 PM	#4
burner31 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Shawnee, Ok Posts: 3,479	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use Very good job. I've never posted any to youtube, how do you post a video to that? __________________ Keith Shawnee OK '31 SW 160-B

01-02-2018, 07:41 PM	#5
Jacksonlll Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Michigan-- Member of Oakleaf of MARC Posts: 1,686	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use Easy. Get a YouTube acct. On video Mgr, hit the upload button , then the big arrow, find your video and it will up load. A few things to fill in, but that is all easy and not critical.

01-02-2018, 09:50 PM	#7
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,043	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use Where do you get shackle kits with bushes that need reeming? The ones I have ever bought from the vendors were sooo loose, it was a joke. __________________ I sometimes wonder what happened to the people who asked me for directions. Even at my age, I still like to look at a young, attractive woman but I can't really remember why.

01-03-2018, 12:07 AM	#10
SeaSlugs Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central, IL Posts: 3,968	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use Huh weird - when I redid my front end maybe 2010? 2011 ish mine fit tight and needed reamed. I believe they came from Snyders. __________________ 1929 Model AA - Need long splash aprons!

01-03-2018, 01:16 AM	#11
Larry Jenkins BANNED Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: East Central Iowa Posts: 1,275	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use Buy some Oilite bronze to machine your new bushings. McMaster-Carr. __________________ Good enough.. Isn't.

01-03-2018, 12:05 PM	#12
jwilliams81 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Cincinnati OH Posts: 422	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use I bought my springs from a-springs.com. They come with new brass bushings installed on the springs and I ordered new brass bushings for the shackles as well. I used the original shackles that came with the car. __________________ 1931 Murray Town Sedan. Black body with Apple Green pin stripe. 1923 Model T Touring with electric start. Low radiator Cincinnati, Ohio

01-03-2018, 07:45 PM	#13
Gold Digger Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Arkansas & Alaska Posts: 685	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use It looks to me like the reamer for doing that kind of job needs a pilot ground on the starting end so it will follow the center line of the hole. Maybe I'm just not good enough at holding a reamer straight in a situation like this. After owning and operating a Tool&Die shop for the last 37 years you would think I would have caught on.

01-03-2018, 08:45 PM	#14
Purdy Swoft Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alabama Posts: 8,099	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use Back in the 90s most if no all of the shackle bushings needed to be reamed after installation. At the time Brattons offered a reamer for the shackle bushings that was reasonably priced and easy enough for the common man to use. Bratton no longer offers the bushing reamer, I'm glad that I still have mine . Snyders offers a slightly different shackle reamer . All of the shackle bushings that I have used were steel . Some offer a special drill bit for drilling the bushings instead of reaming but I wouldn't reccomend it . Brattons now offer pre reamed bushings and a bushing driver that works for removing and replacing shackle bushings and rear brake camshaft bushings as well. When the bushing driver is used it removes the risk of distorting the bushings when installing . I have bought new springs with the bushings installed from Smith and Jones in Columbia south Carolina . The clearance on shackle bushings isn't as critical as clearance on engine parts . After the spring spreader is released any slack will be taken up .

01-04-2018, 05:05 PM	#15
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,043	Re: Shackle bushing reamer use Purdy is correct. A good fit is not necessary. Running a drill through the hole is plenty good enough. The spring tension and weight of the car sort things out very quickly. Besides, VERY FEW springs haven't got a twist in them from the manufacturing and tempering process. A tight fit makes fitting the shackle pins difficult. __________________ I sometimes wonder what happened to the people who asked me for directions. Even at my age, I still like to look at a young, attractive woman but I can't really remember why.