usnlightning

I beam pivot bushing replacement

1. They can be replaced in the truck. Jack the truck up high enough to have about 6 inches of clearance under the front tires.

2. Liberally apply PB Blaster to the bolts and allow 1- 2 hours to set. I tried to muscle the first one off without it and nearly busted a gut.

3. Once the bolt is out, place a floor jack under the corresponding tire and jack up on it. This will lower the bushing. The spring mount acts as a pivot and the bushing comes out pretty easily. Insert a bar (I used a 1/2 inch breaker bar) above the lowered beam and below the other beam and crossmember as shown in the pic. Then lower the jack and this will wedge the beam down, making it easier to work on. See the pics.





4. Use a drill with a 1/4 or 5/16 bit to drill out the old bushing. Once the inner collar is loose, knock it out. Then take a hammer and chisel and knock out the old bushing. There will be portions stuck to the outer collar that are difficult to get out. Spray them with the PB Blaster and let sit. Then use a 2" wire wheel on the drill and clean out the remaining rubber. Works like a charm.

5. Get a 6" length of 1/2" diameter all thread with 2 nuts and washers, install them in the pivot brackets as shown to expand the brackets and make room for the new bushings. I have to give Stephen Crumm the credit for this little brainstorm. See pic.



FYI: The bracket for the passenger side I beam is part of the actual crossmember. As such, it is very difficult to expand. I only got about a 16th of an inch movement. The other bracket is much easier to expand.

6 . Insert the bushings with the fat beveled piece from the front and the larger diameter skinny ring to the rear. See pic.



7. Insert the new inner collar as far as you can and push it the rest of the way in with a C clamp. Don't forget to grease every part of the bushing that touches metal. In addition, wire wheel the inside of the mounting bracket and apply the supplied lubricant to the inside of it as well. Makes things go a lot easier.

8. Have a friend jack the tire up again so you can remove your bar you used as a wedge, then guide the new bushing as far as it will go when your friend lets the jack down. Once you get the lip of the new bushings in the bracket, place the jack under the beam until the holes line up. Now all that's left is to wrestle the bolt in, tighten it up, and you are done.


I am not sure if this qualifies as a How-to. Moderator, if you think so, great, move it to the proper forum. I just wanted to share a few key thoughts while they were fresh in my brain. Happy Cornering!

ATL-LIGHTN

Thanks for the pics and explanation, I've always heard of this process but have yet to have a need for it with my truck. It helps with information available like that though.

So do the new bushings "squeek" at all?

EZ SPEED

Awesome !!

Thanks for the writeup

mustgofaster

USN... Good to see you got it all together. I like the instructions you made. I don't know about you, but it made a huge difference in how my L rode.

ATL... If you use the supplied grease, they won't squeak. For some added insurance you can get the graphite impregnated bushings by adding a G after the part# when you order.

Ghost

Great write up!
Thank you for taking the time and effort to do a great tech article!
This will come in handy for a lot of people!

usnlightning

Well the weather turned south today, so I may have to wait a few days to "feel" the fruits of my labor.

pika351w

Excellent! Write up. Thank you for taking the time to write it up.

This helps out a bunch. Takes the fear out of trying to do it.

Soul Rebel

Thanks! Nice write-up with some pretty good pics too. I'm sure this will be a sticky in the how to section.

usnlightning

In retrospect; if you are the kind of wrench who enjoys preliminary success, do the driver's side first. If you like to tackle the hardest stuff first, do the passenger side.

usnlightning

Whichever you think is best.

Moonshine-'94SVT

FYI - "G" actually mean Black neoprene, R is for "Red"

Part / Set Number Example- 3.4101-R

Manufacturer-
Example "3"

1- Suzuki
2- Jeep
3- General Motors
4- Ford Co.
5- Chrysler Co. & Mitsubishi
6- Scout/International
7- Nissan/Datsun
8- Toyota
9- Universal Application
10- MG
11- Mazda
12- BMW
13- Ferrari
14- Isuzu
15- Volkswagen
16- Acura & Honda
17- Volvo
18- Saturn
19- Subaru
General Description-
Example "4"

1- Motor & Transmission Mounts
2- Spring Bushings
3- Control Arm Bushings
4- Body Mounts
5- Stabilizer Bar Bushings
6- Spring Isolators & Strut Stops
7- Strut & Tracking Arm Bushings
8- Shock Eyes & End Links
9- Universal Applications
10- Rack & Pinion Bushings
11- Lubricants
12- Apparel: Shirts, Caps
13- Tie Rod & Ball Joint Boots
16- Steering Couplers
18- THE HYPER-FLEX SYSTEM™ Master Bushing Sets

Set No.-
Example "101"

101
102
104,
etc.

Color-
Example "R"

G- Black
R- Red

mustgofaster

According to Energy, when I spoke to them, the G stands for graphite impregnated, and yes the graphite impregnated bushings are black.

The following is a quote taken directly from the Energy Suspension website:

1) What is the difference between the Energy Suspension ® red and black polyurethane components?
Answer: Both are our Energy's HYPER-FLEX™ performance polyurethane formulations. Energy has impregnated selected black polyurethane components with graphite–to add a lubrication property. Additionally, both Energy Suspension ® red and black polyurethane components are engineered differently than OEM rubber components–to be free a floating and non-binding design. This allows for the additional durometer (firmness) of the components, which adds to the performance improvement of the vehicle overall.
Through its 25 years of design and formulation of polyurethane, Energy's polyurethane components are the best on the market today.

__________________
Lord,
Grant me the serenity to accept the fact that I can't pass them all,
The courage to pass most ...
And the wisdom to hide the bodies of those who refuse to get the hell out of my way!!

madramper

Can someone post the pics back up? Thanks!

EZ SPEED

Yes, please....I will probably have to do this to my Gen 1 in the very near future

Brian Baskin

Didn't even realize they got lost in the gallery fiasco. If anyone has them, e-mail them to me and I'll put them back in.