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Removing bolt from rubber bushing


wheezy

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I am in the process of replacing the rear mounts and shackles on the rear leaf springs on my truck. Now a nice storm is here. The problem is removing the bolts that go through the leaf spring. They will not budge. Its a pain since they are in a rubber bushing. Any suggestions? Ive tried hitting it, spraying lube on it, using a flywheel type puller thing and nothing works.
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Ouch good luck with those old bushings. Try some penetrant and let it sit for a while. I've had to torch a couple of those old bushings to get the bolts out.

 

This.

 

This is the only way I have ever been able to get bolts out of rubber bushings.

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its more then a bolt in rubber. the bolt goes through a steel sleeve in the rubber bushing. the issue being the bolt has rusted itself to the steel sleeve. that this point take a torch and burn the rubber out, and heat the sleeve up to expand it away from the bolt. sometimes its best to heat it and cool it, a few times but then you will still have to hammer the bolt through.
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You can also cut the bolt out of the shackle (carefully), and if you have access to a press and lots of pentrating oil and patience, you can sometimes press the bolt out of the bushing sleeve. This is good if you'd like to resuse the bushing. I've had success doing this. If you aren't worried about the bushing, then I'd just use heat like the other guys said.
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Lmao I just sat down at the computer here as I just finished getting the rear shackle and bracket off an '00 Ranger. The bolt came out of the sleeve for me after some fighting for once. They never come out for me.

 

Normally, if I were not at the shop I would torch the bushing and let it burn out, but the smoke and the smell is a little much here. So otherwise if the bolt will not spin in the metal sleeve I try to get the sleeve and bolt to spin in the bushing. Then I take an impact hammer and hammer the bolt and sleeve out at the same time. Then change the tip and hammer the bushings out.

 

I sell the bracket, shackle, bushing, and two nuts and bolts and try to salvage what I can, but plan for the worst.

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