Skip to main content

Installing Polyurethane Leaf Spring Bushings

15:19
38:09
40.4K views

At 15:19 in

Our GMT400 Suburban Frame Off Big Block Build is Rolling! (Junkyard 14 Bolt Prepped By Logan)

What happens here

Remove the rubber bushings from the new leaf springs and the OEM shackles using a press. This will allow for the installation of new polyurethane bushings. Once the old bushings are pressed out, carefully press in the new polyurethane bushings with greasable bolts. This upgrade will reduce flex, improve performance, and tighten up the rear suspension, especially important for a high-horsepower application.

Goal: Replace rubber bushings with polyurethane for enhanced suspension performance.

Tools and materials

  • Greasable Bolts Offroad Design — Allowing for periodic greasing of the polyurethane bushings
  • Hydraulic Press — Removing old bushings and installing new ones
  • New Leaf Springs RockAuto — Upgraded suspension components that will receive new bushings
  • OEM Shackles General Motors — Suspension components that will receive new bushings
  • Polyurethane Bushings Kit Offroad Design — Replacing old rubber bushings in leaf springs and shackles
  • Polyurethane Grease Offroad Design — Lubricating bushings during installation

What they say

Hide

got the new leaf springs here which are very heavy we're going to press out these rubber bushings and replace them these polyurethane ones with grease able Bolts from the same place Offroad Design that made the motor mounts that we had to modify uh just got these Springs from Rock Auto they're nothing special but they're new and they're nice we're doing the spring and the shackle so we got OEM GM shackles we got to press these out also and I've never had a leaf spring vehicle with any significant amount of power before so and poly bushings in there tighten everything up to reduce the possibility of wheel hop or axle wrap which it's still going to have we're going to have to do something with traction bars Cal tracks or something but this will make that less of an issue because if you think about it when the axle is boled to the leaf it's containing the twisting of the axle and it's transmitting the forward push to the frame so it's pulling on the back bushing and it's pushing on the front everything thing that the truck does powerwise in two wheel drive theoretically anyway comes from the push and pull on the leaf spring eyes so those bushings not being able to move as much will get that movement to the frame faster and more effectively does that make sense yeah yeah so let's figure out how to get this done well we did get the leaf spring bushings pressed out did not film any of it because it was one of those times where I was too angry to film it because they'll holding those things that weigh 50 lbs or whatever 4 feet off the ground and trying to do the thing I was just like no I'm not doing this they do come out there's plenty of videos on that you just won't learn that here now we get to do the fun part which

Auto-generated from the video audio.