Rear Leaf Spring Bushing Replacement

[Kimbo]

Looks like the bushings (rear leaf springs) on the 83 21ft Sunrader are finally shot. Has anyone done this? Looking at the polyurethane ones from Energy Suspension.

[WME]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Biggest improvement in handling of all the projects.

Some springs have different size eyes in the front and back so check before you order.

WME

Looks like the bushings (rear leaf springs) on the 83 21ft Sunrader are finally shot. Has anyone done this? Looking at the polyurethane ones from Energy Suspension.

[BobBeery]

Two weeks ago I had a spring shop add a leaf to the rear springs of my 87 Dolphin. They found all the bushings were shot. Since this was a while-you-wait job (I had to get to work) there was no opportunity to order bushings; they had to fabricate something then and there. They found some nylon bushings for the front of a certain Jeep that had the right inside diameter and length but too large on the outside diameter. Then they ground them on a bench grinder until they were small enough to fit. If you do this job youself be sure to have a good jack and use good jackstands, there is a lot of weight there and you will be pushing sideways some. BobBeery

[Gulfstream Greg]

The polyurethane ones are the way to go. As WME stated handling will improve dramatically. There is a special grease for them so make sure you get that also. Bought my last set from JCWhitney. Not sure they went back as far as 83 though.

[Kimbo]

The polyurethane ones are the way to go. As WME stated handling will improve dramatically. There is a special grease for them so make sure you get that also. Bought my last set from JCWhitney. Not sure they went back as far as 83 though.

Called Energy Suspension and they have a bushing kit for 79-83 Toyota P/Us. P/N is 8.2101 and all 12 bushings have an OD of 1.167". Their kit for 84-88 have 8 bushings at 1.167" OD and 4 spring eye bushings at 1.5" OD. That P/N is 8.2103. I'm crawling underneath tomorrow to see if the forward spring eyes on my 1 ton setup are 1.167" or 1.5". I have already verified that the rear spring eyes are 1.167".

[WME]

If you run out of the special grease. "Whale snot" works. Its water proof grease for outboard lower drive units.

[Kimbo]

All bushings on my rig are 1.167". Just finished putting it back together. Off to order the bushings. Drivers side will be a pain. Have to drop the black water tank to take apart the rear shackle.

[Kimbo]

Well, replaced the bushings on the passenger side. All 6 were completely worn through......that is to say, metal on metal. Same for the forward one on the drivers side. Can't get at the rear ones on that side until I drop the black water tank, but I can tell from looking at them that they are totally shot as well. Moral of this story.........Check 'em and change 'em. Best $21 spent.

[Kimbo]

Got the last 4 bushings changed after dropping the black water tank. Out of the 12 bushings all but one were worn all the way through. Rear suspension is quiet and tight now. Air bags work great as well.

[powdrhound]

Check off the bushings!

And again proved that doing the job Right is so much easier than doing the job Quick.

I finally installed the urethane bushings that I picked up right after getting the SkiBumMobile, but before I figured out that I would have to drop the gray and propane tanks.

I was given this opportunity because I pulled the tanks to have the frame extensions reinforced and some side support added. After cracking the plywood panel under the fridge with the Big Bump on the far side of that cattle guard. (It did not look that deep, and I was going way too fast for it. I was surprised I had not cracked the frame. Big engineering mistake on Sunraders, using the floor as the main cross support. I almost have the stove cabinet leveled, and will work on the fridge panel next. I do wish I could have added many more cross supports.)

Day One: Dove right into the shackle bushings. Combo of jacks, blocks, air bags, etc, allowed me to pull them. Worn, but not real bad. Lube up the bushings (nasty stick stuff they supplied) and ran into Greg's problem of the thicker flanges, so now the shackle is 1/4" too narrow. Prothane had no suggestions. Figured out that the belt sander could shave down the flanges real nicely. Perfect fit.

Now to the front. Start on the side where I don't have to drop the gas tank. Jacks, blocks, drive the pin. More jack, and I can reach the bushings. A lot of tension. No fingers in the way while cleaning, just in case the jack slips and there goes a finger tip... Lube the bushing and sleeve, slide them in place... Oh Oh. Wrong bushing. So this 1986 chassis does use the same bushing for all 6 spots. My kit, from the now defunct Downey Off Road, gave me 8 smaller and 4 larger bushings.

One would think that by now I would have seen this thread, and LOOKED before pulling the front pin. Nope. Too cold and windy to think clearly. And schedule pressure convinces me to just put back the old ones, to complete the job Later. Sort thru the old bushings to find the “best” two, back off the jack a bit, and the spring is now 1/2” back too far. Hmmm. Twenty minutes later, I give up prying everywhere and nowhere, and drop the spring totally. With my hand between it and the asphalt crumbles. Getting real grouchy by now.

OK, now the front is pinned, the shackle is on, and no way to line the spring pin with the axle hole. Arrgh. More jacks, blocks, prying and cussing. Finally drop the drive line. Voila. Frozen to the bone. Torquing the U-bolts is good exercise while lying down!

Day Two: Last night's research shows full kits at Kragen and AutoZone, but special order. NAPA has individual bushings, but only rubber ones. This morning's calls gives me a 1:30 delivery if I order at NAPA by 10:30, AutoZone by next week for the whole kit, and Kragen lost in the system transition to O'Riley – they can't locate in their store system what I see on their website...

Off to NAPA. A mixed system is better than a worn system.

Back home, I start doing what the book actually tells me to do. Just pull the springs off totally from the beginning. Drop the gas tank, drop the drive line, drop the springs. Pick up the new bushings and some marine grease. Decided to use the urethane bushings in front, and use the rubber ones on the lower shackle. Found that I had to trim 1/4” of length on the rubber bushings.

This time, the springs slide back on, the axle lines up easily, the Sun is out, and birds are singing.

Tomorrow, I will bounce the rig a bit and torque the bushing bolts to 67 ft lbs. And the bushing job will be done.

Except for reinstalling the gas tank, the gray tank, the propane tank, the pantry, the stove, seal up the floor all over the place, and ??? I am almost back on the road!

I need a few ski trips to recover, before I start on that fridge panel and supports.....