Trailing Arm Brushing Question

[sanger24]

Looking for a little help. I am replacing the trailing arm brushings on my 68 C10. The brushings have a moulded shoulder on one side and the other shoulder is pressed in after.

So when I am installing them does the shouder moulded onto the brushing go on the inside or on the outside as it is fited onto the truck.

Thanks for any help.
sanger24@pacbell.net

[conman]

I replaced mine two months ago and they were both on one side. For example if you stood behind the truck looking toward the cab both shoulders were either on the left or right ( i can't remember). I thought it was odd, I was expecting them to be opposite inside or outside. Whether this is right I don't know but I know how mine was, so I put them back the same way. I thought it was do to a torque issue from the diff.

[kelsfine69]

I am also doing this, but I have the Energy bushings. Anyone else ever noticed this before???

[kelsfine69]

If you cut the bolts out, can you pull the arm far enough down to remove the bushing OR how much do you have to unbolt to do this???

[arkracing]

for the guys with the energy suspension bushings the shoulder goes on the same side as the shoulder on the steel insert in the arm itself. you'll see what i'm talking about if you look at it.

just get a 1/4" drill bit and drill out the rubber and then pull out the center steel sleeve and get the rest of the rubber out.

the new ones whoudl slide in and then you should be able to "press" them in with a C-Clamp - or bang them in with a block of wood and a hammer.

[newin72]

I just did mine this weekend. I had the bushings from ECE.

I had to press mine out! those suckers were in there for good. (Or so they thought)

I didn't even pay attention to which way that new bushing went.

[Joe67]

For you DIY guys, how are you pressing them out and back in again?
I have a set of poly bushings from PST ready to go into my trailing arms.

Thanks - Joe

[newin72]

well, I am at a machine shope, so I made my own "tool" for it but I am sure you could find the right size socket or something. but the socket on the bushing and on the other side another socket big enough for the bushing to fit into.

put your contraption in a vise and squeeze...

[Joe67]

Originally Posted by newin72

well, I am at a machine shope, so I made my own "tool" for it but I am sure you could find the right size socket or something. but the socket on the bushing and on the other side another socket big enough for the bushing to fit into.

put your contraption in a vise and squeeze...

Thanks for the tip. While I have them off I'll give that a shot. If not, I'm sure someplace locally can swap them out for me right quick

[bucket]

With the poly bushings you reuse the orginal outer shells (at least in the ones I used). Took a torch and melted the old bushings which then fell out along with the inner sleeves. smelled bad but was easy.

[Joe67]

I was able to torch out my original bushings.
Now that my trailing arms are cleaned up and ready for reassembly, I see it is recommended to find a shop to 'press' the new bushings into place.

I have the PST poly bushing set. I see where the larger portion slides in. Does the smaller bushing ring mount with the tapered side towards the trailing arm or away?

Here is a write up on Traliing arms at ECE if anyone is interested

http://www.earlyclassic.com/tech.asp...rm%20Tactics-2

[55454]

To tell the difference between the left and right trailing arm would be the emegency brake cable clip.


Tommy

[Joe67]

Originally Posted by 55454

To tell the difference between the left and right trailing arm would be the emegency brake cable clip.


Tommy

That is how mine look. It appears the emerg cables go to the ouside of each Trailing arm, correct?

[matthufham]

i struggled with these all weekend. i have the poly ones that are tapered. at first i had the metal inner sleeve and the bushing and tried to hammer both at once into my trailing arm, but it wouldn't go in far enough. on the other one i decided to put just the poly bushing in (fit 1st time like a glove) and then easily hammered the inner metal sleeve in. then i did the same to the other side after backing it out.

i stood in the middle of the trailing arms and made the tapered sides go outside, and put the bolts in from the inside (and nuts on outside) they're no longer fitted from one side, which shouldn't be a problem.

[Joe67]

So you just bolted your new bushings in and didn't have them 'pressed' in at all?

[bucket]

try heating the sleeve in the trailing arm with a propane torch & place the new bushings in the freezer for a while. mine slid right in using a little bit of the lube provided with the bushings.

[matthufham]

Originally Posted by 67c10step

So you just bolted your new bushings in and didn't have them 'pressed' in at all?

no pressing at all, i was able to put them in with my bare hand. the trick is to take out the inner metal part, that way the poly bushing is flexible, then you can easily get it in. once it's in, slide the metal sleeve in (make sure you grease the inside bushing 1st). if you can't get the sleeve in all the way, use the bolt/nut to tighten it in with a clamping nature.

to the above poster, that's how i got my old rubber ones out with a propane torch. burned the rubber and it came right out, but almost started a grassfire on the 1st one because it flew into the yard i hit it so hard from the side. i didn't need to do the freeze part, and yes the grease is necessary inside and out (anywhere bushing meets metal).

this is how i lowered the trailing arm. stick anything strong, skinny, and long (insert joke here) between the 2 mounts on the frame, put a jack on the trailing arm and lift the jack to the "pipe" in this case. jacking onto that pipe will drop the trailing arm down.

pics always help





this thread should be moved to faqs, because i think it's extremely helpful.

[Joe67]

Thanks. I was able to slide the bushing in and out already. I wasn't sure if they needed to be pressed

Is anyone running the PST bushings? See the pic below. For the smaller part (on the left in pic below) I need to know if the tapered side goes toward the trailing arm or away?

[matthufham]

mine look like the one on the right, i didn't get the small one on the left?

[Joe67]

Originally Posted by matthufham

mine look like the one on the right, i didn't get the small one on the left?

Strange. Mine came with both for each side

[matthufham]

i bought energy suspension poly from lmc.