Replacing front shock mount bushings

[Clyde9]

From: salplmb  (Original Message)    
Sent: 11/12/2004 8:24 PM

hi everyone,
on the last couple of trips i have noticed a kind of banging and jumping around of the front end when braking or on rough road. i have looked at everything on the front end and the only thing that i can find is what looks like a lot of play in the lower shock mount. it looks like a big bolt going through a piece of steel which is bolted in with the spring pack. the end also bolts through the shock with a spacer in between. i assume this is not normal? it moves at least 1/2" to 3/4". can these be replaced or is there some kind of bushing that has gone bad? the shocks are new.
thanks for any help
sal



From: denison    
Sent: 11/13/2004 2:04 PM

You haven said what type of front suspension you have, but the shock would normally come with a rubber bushing as part of each end, and be a snug fit over the attaching bolts. If you are able to make any thing move with your hand, something isn't right.
If the shock is new the rubber bushing should be okay. Is it possible someone put in a shock that was made for a larger size mounting bolt, or that the bolt used was smaller than it was supposed to be?



From: salplmb    
Sent: 11/13/2004 3:32 PM

thanks for the reply. my front suspension is just a couple of leaf spring packs bolted on top of the i beam axle. right were the spring packs are bolted to the axle is the shock mount for the bottom of the shock. it is just a piece of real heavy steal rolled over so as to allow the bolt that goes all the way through to then also go through the end of the shock. this bolt that goes through the piece bolted on with the spring pack is what i see moving around not the end of the shock. the piece of steal that is rolled over is clamped on by the u bolts that clamp on the axle. it is the very top piece. it seems as if a bushing or something that goes in the piece of steal has a lot of play. if there is no bushing or anything then it looks like i would have to un-clamp the u bolts and replace the whole piece? in my chassis service guide it calls this part just u bolt seat. this is a 73 rm 350.
thanks
sal



From: denison    
Sent: 11/13/2004 6:17 PM

I -think- I understand your situation. There are 3 different types of lower shock attachments listed in my parts catalog. Two of them have a bolt that goes through them then into the bushing in the lower end of the shock. It could be that bolt was broken off or had to be drilled out, resulting in an oversize hole in the shock attachment. I would think it could be very hard to find that part. Its not one that wears out enough to be kept in stock anywhere - other than in the mud at a salvage yard. I would probably be looking for a bushing to drive into the bracket, then put the bolt in. And I have to believe there would have been a bushing or spacer that went over that bolt, which would allow you to tighten down the nut; and hold the bolt securely seated in the bracket; Not allowing any bolt-to-bracket movement.



From: salplmb    
Sent: 11/14/2004 10:47 AM

hi denison, thanks for the replies.
well i went out and removed the bolt from the mount and there is a lot of play in that sleeve. there is a bushing that fits in between this bracket and the shock over the bolt so that it spaces it out and can be tightened with no play from side to side. just alot of slop in the piece that the bolt goes through. when i changed the shocks there was no bushing on this bolt going through this bracket. any ideas on were to find a bushing that might fit? i checked both sides and they are both the same. my service manual dose not list a part # for this piece. I'm afraid that if i try to remove and replace this piece i have to un-bolt the spring packs and I'm worried that it might mess up the shims that set up the tilt of the axle. i don't even know what to call this piece so as to ask around at some wrecking yards. i was thinking maybe i could find a larger diameter bolt or maybe just weld it in place. i don't really see the need for the bolt to be able to be removed at all. if i was to put the the threaded end towards the the shock eye then i can just remove the nut and washer to replace the shocks if necessary? i would think that this bolt should be a certain grade or something because of the stress of the shocks? any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
thanks again.
sal



From: denison    
Sent: 11/15/2004 1:09 PM

     I'm not sure where to look for sleeves or bushings;  I would ask a good hardware store guys where to look.  Around here its the kind of thing a machinists supply outlet might carry, or a Graingers Industrial supply.
    The only problem with welding the bolt to the bracket is that the bracket would have to be off the vehicle, and even a grade 8 bolt is probably going to lose a little strength during the welding process. 
   The shim between the springs and your axle would only have to be put back the same way it came out.  Typically they are a 2 to 4 degree taper, tilting the kingpin axis a little bit forward at the bottom.     



From: HeavyHaulTrucker    
Sent: 12/19/2004 11:16 PM

Sal, go to a local spring shop.  They will probably have a good supply of rubber bushings that they would be willing to look through to find you a bushing that would work.

John



From: firebug9-1-1    
Sent: 12/27/2004 7:50 PM

any kind of a bearing supply should have sleeves   IE Purvis Bearing, or Precision Bearing...  Also I have had excellent luck at a place called Metal Supermarket.  You can buy a DOM (Drawn over mandrel) that is pretty much any size that you need.  You buy it by the pound and they will cut it to what ever length you need... I think they have a 3.00 minimum, its not much. 

Rob



From: In2fire1    
Sent: 1/27/2006 11:20 PM

Hi,
Working under the MH today and found my front drivers side shock is hanging from the top bolt only. As Sal mention I have his same set up with a little piece of bent metal on top of my leaf springs that the bolt slides through and into the bottom of shock "mine is missing". Two Question, first how do I get the passenger side out so I can take it with me to find another one? Second Where can I find this part do spring shops have these?

Thanks for the info. in advance Gil



From: In2fire1    
Sent: 1/31/2006 5:04 PM

Sorry guys I found the answer in message search under "Shock" still would like to know how to take the bolt off the other side. Gil