65 sportvan spring bushings

Donivan, regaurding the help you gave me on my 65 sportvan. As they are both the same I took one of my springs into Truck Service Inc. Noblesville. They sold me and pressed in my 2 front cartridge bushings, they are a real good fit but as you said I will have to cut the length down as my springs on my 65 are 2" wide. This was easy to do after the bushing was pressed in. The part number was RB 159. They also sold me 4 new u-bolts and mounting bolts.$70.00 total. The shakle bushings HB 930 I got from sdtrucksprings.com. The only other obstacle is that the sleeves on my shackle bolts are rusted on and even a torch will not free them. They have that extra large square on them, can't find them in that length anymore. Thanks for all the encouragement and pictures.

Well for now I took a grade 8 7/16 bolt, the wrench flats are the same size as the square hole in the shackle so I had to grind off two opposing points slightly and welded a heavy duty washer to the head. This ended up as a nice snug fit with no play or slop, Turned out better than I thought it would. I would send picture if I had that figured out. I am still going to look into National Spring.

I guess I left out on the 7/16" bolt for the shackles They gave me sleeves 7/16" i.d. and 9/16" o.d. On the cartridges for the front spring eye, this is what was throwing me earlier when I measured mine and discovered it was bigger. Mine are actually just under 1-5/8" so that RB 159 fit nice and tight, had to be pressed in. I don't know if they were replaced and someone improvised or what, but everything seems to fit well, they pivot and rebound well with weight off and on so I am puzzled.

Both of the front springs are the same size, I have not had the back out and they are a little hard to see with that extra leaf wrapped around the eye. Without having them out I am gonna say it looks more like the smaller eye. If these old vans could talk.

could possibly someone?? or factory (i doubt) put some 3/4 ton main spring under ? or some 4 x 4 spring?? thinkin out loud here. Likely some listing on springs could give us an answer?

donivan65 wrote:That's not sounding good,,,,in my book, you don't need to change the upper bushings,,,,they are HB 930's and Ben has been out of them for years,,,,,,so what is he sending you,,,,fatter ones to make the shackles even fatter?
You might call and ask him what, or if, he is sending for the uppers,,,,,,,,and then the question is DO YOU NEED THE UPPER HB 930 BUSHINGS,,,,,and I know where to get them,,,,,,

Got bushings/sleeves today , they fit nice . As far as bolts they are both 7/16 frt/rear . As far as upper bushings are concerned , figured it doesn't hurt to change out while everything is apart ?

Donivan65; Do you know what cartige fits the front eye of the 1st gen rear springs?
Or what the demensions should be?

Does this look right ?

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?A=NCP2746491_0131132434&An=599001+101965+50014+2014056&Ar=AND(P_RecType%3aA)


http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Result.aspx?Ntt=spring+bushing&Ntk=Keyword&Nty=1&N=599001+101965+50014+2014056

M1D

I am planning to look at the rear spring eyes soon because Im getting a clunk in the back when I leave a stop sign and everything else looks tight.
I would like to have the bushings before I start the job because I can't leave my van sitting in pieces at my shop.

I am suprised you NAPA dealer is that way, They are not suposed to charge you shipping when they bring in parts that napa lists and if you don't want it they have a return program as part of thier dealership agreement that dosn't cost them anything. Your local napa guy must be trying to burn you. My local napa guy has no issue at all with me ordering stuff he dosn't have ijn stock and then me telling him I don't want it after looking at it at the counter. Thats normal proceedure around here.

Thanks anyway for the offer to send the RB52 but the sdvertised demansions of that bushing are allready smaller OD then the napa addvertised demensions.
If the spring eye has been stretched , it is n normal to use a half circle of shim stock when pressing it in to tighten it up.

Thanks for the size numbers Donivan65, your a fantastic source of imformation!

M1D

thats a good idea Don!
I called Napa today and they say the parts are in no warehouse in Canada And it will take 4 to 6 weeks to get them from the US.

M1D

I did a little research and discovered some kits to use for the front eye of the rear springs on my 65 thanks to the information provided by Donivan65.

The energy suspension kit # 4.2126 or the Polyuathane # 6803 kits that fit 66-77 Bronco 4wd, 57-72 F100 2 and 4 wd, or 60-72 F150 2wd contain four #2056 bushings and 2 usable sleve and the grease. Only $14 does both sides.

It only took them 5 weeks to deliver them!!! you would think I was living at the North pole for God sakes!!

http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=4.2126




However changing these 47 year old bushings is not a driveway job and you can only "POP" the bolt out to look at it during your lunch break if you have a three hour lunch.

If you are not tooled up and ready to do 3 or 4 hours of hard labor; then bring you van and the new parts to a spring shop and pay them to do it.

I recomend you buy 2 new 9/16 X 4" bolts and nuts and a 6 pack before you start the job cuz your going to need them.

Using a 3.lb hammer and beating on the bolt with the loosened nut on the end and then using an air chisle up the insides of the spring pearch to beat the hell out of the sleaves and bolt and then using an air hammer to drive the bolt out 1.5 hours and two beers later I had the bolt out.


Jack the spring against a block of wood on the floor.
Then you need any torch (propane is fine) to heat the inner sleave so the rubber will soften and you can push the hot sleve out with a bar. This makes a rubber flame thrower and you need to blow out the flames and push the sleve while hot. Have a fire extinguisher handy and be on clean conreate with lots of clean space around you . A ready to use garden hose would be a good idea also but the sleave needs to be hot to slide out.

Once the inner sleeve is out the rubber will peal out and off the outer sleve. You then use a hacksaw blade or an air chisle pipe cutter to slice the outer sleve and it will release from the spring eye.


Now with the hard part done cut 1/16" off one new poly bushing and the new steal sleve. Clean the rust off the spring eye , use the grease provided and install the bushings, lower and pry the eye into position and install the new bolt.


Now finish the 6 pack
M1D

Will a bottle of crown royal work or should a person just stick with beer....

Actualy getting the old bushing out only took 15 minutes or so. The real hard part was getting the bolt out as the inner sleve and bolt had become one with 47 years of corrosion.

By the way Don I just want to say thank you for all the guidence and assistance you provide to the Vanning comunity. Your photos and expirience are really helpful and appretiated.

M1D