CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

JUST GOT A 70 K-5 AND THE LEAF SPRING BUSHINGS ARE WORN OUT. A) HOW HARD ARE THEY TO REPLACE AND B) WHERE CAN I PURCHASE GOOD BUSHINGS? DO THEY MAKE THESE IN POLY? ANY ADVICE OR INFO WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

off road design is the place
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1970 GMC Jimmy 502HO/SM465/NP205 doesn't run just yet!

Any 4x4 mag will have adds for Energy Suspensions poly bushings. I ordered mine from LMC Truck. I worked about 6 hours to put mine in with new bolts. I had one hell of a time getting some of the old bolts out. Put penetrating oil on all the bolts a few days before you plan to work on it. The other problem was getting the old bushings out of the leaf spring eyes. I ended up taking the springs off the axles, hauling them outside and burning the things out with the torch. I figured The EPA would show up at my door after doing that!
Good Luck!

72 K5 CST X 2

READ THIS IF YOU READ ANYTHING ABOUT BUSHINGS!!!! I spent a ton of time on the front end of my 72. Here's the deal. Get all new parts (bolts-grade 8 & bushings) I got mine at a local spring & alignment shop. Very reasonable, plus they gave me a free assessment of what the suspension needed since I bought the stuff there. Anyway...Don't bother unbolting the old stuff...
FRONT end of FRONT springs: take a 4" disk grinder w/ a cutting wheel, and just cut throught the nut side of the old bolts. Now take your ratchet wrench and turn the bolt till it breaks loose from the bushing. You can then pound it out with a mallet and punch. Then, take a flat blade drill bit (can't remember the size, maybe 1"?) in your drill, carefully and gently bore away at the old rubber. This works very nicely, isn't smelly and just works well.

REAR END OF FRONT SPRINGS: cut out both sides of both bolts. These can then be pounded out easily with a punch.

Installation is tough. Lube up the new front bushings w/ WD40, it also helps if you have a gear puller. Use it instead to push the bushing in. I found I had to grind the sleeve down to fit it into the shackles when reinstalling the springs. Get an extra lower grade bolt and grind down the tip to a dull point, insert it from the opposite side of the shackle and use that to align the holes, otherwise you'll strip the threads of your new bolts.

Backs are easier and self explanatory. It helps if you have a come-along or some way of manipulating the springs/axle back and forth to align the holes for the back brackets.

BIG KEY HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEFORE YOU START THIS WORK HAVE SOMEONE TURN YOUR STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH (ENGINE OFF) AND WATCH YOUR SHACKLES TO SEE IF THEY MOVE!!!!!!!!! I HAD TO GRIND OUT *ALL* THE RIVETS AND REPLACE THEM WITH NEW GRADE 8 BOLTS. I had a lot of play in the steering and that was the source of the problem.
Good luck! e-mail me if you have q's. madbishop@msn.com


You can't beat going Topless!

BTW: The ton of time was the learning stage of finding out how to do the above! You should be able to do it all in a few hours with that formula.

You can't beat going Topless!

Go here <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/catalog.htm>http://www.offroaddesign.com/catalog/catalog.htm</A> and get the greasable poly bushings. They also come with instructions for the install. It's a great upgrade, you will be happy you did it.

See Ya,
Keith

http://www.coloradok5.com/forums/images/icons/cool.gif Born to Drive My K5 http://www.coloradok5.com/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

Methinks an air wrench might be handy.