Maybe I'm making the hunt too complicated

GPster · June 11, 2006, 04:02:19 PM

I thought a swap meet would be a place to look so I traveled 300 miles and had no luck (but a good time). A lot of the old time leaf springs like on my '48 Jeepster and my '53 Chevy car chassis have rubber bushings that ggo in the spring eyes and chassis/shackle mounts so that they are not metal-to-metal joints. How/where do you find those things now? The springs have 1 3/4" wide leafs and the eyes measure 15/16" I.D. ( maybe 1") and the shackle bolts are 1/2". These rubber bushings have a 1/2" I.D.but I suppose I could use the ones with a steel insert in the center if the insert had a 1/2" I.D.. I pulled the rear end out of the Jeepster the other day so I could re-do it's mounting and get it off jackstands and back down on wheels because there will be grandkids around it all summer. The frame looks worse than ever and I might have to re-frame this project but I do not want 12 pieces of rubber to cause me to make a hasty decission. Pleasee give me a hint where to look or what to ask for. Would I have more luck looking at trailer supply places? GPster

Leon · June 11, 2006, 04:37:37 PM

I got new bushings for my 54 at National Chevy Assn. http://www.nationalchevyassoc.com/

enjenjo · June 11, 2006, 04:58:27 PM

http://www.steelerubber.com/ Most of the illustrations have dimensions listed. Look in the independent makes.

GPster · June 11, 2006, 08:12:45 PM

Quote from: "Leon"I got new bushings for my 54 at National Chevy Assn. http://www.nationalchevyassoc.com/

Unfortuntely they didn't give dimensions so what "looks like" might be a little iffy. Some shackles use studs with shoulders on them and you really don't know until you take them apart so I'm going to work with what I see. Thanks for the suggestion. GPster

GPster · June 11, 2006, 09:02:45 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"http://www.steelerubber.com/ Most of the illustrations have dimensions listed. Look in the independent makes.

The only ones I see are for a Crosley which must have 1 1/2" wide spring leafs that are hung on 7/16" bolts. When I get back home maybe I'll look at spring manufacturers on the WEB and maybe one of them lists them. Maybe "Possie's" shows something but I don't want to get into the ones made out of teflon. Almost time to go to sleep but unfortunately I'll probably dream about GM metric chassises with coil springs on the back. Another day another idea shot-to-hell. GPster

enjenjo · June 11, 2006, 09:14:07 PM

They list bushings with dimensions for Studebaker, Packard, most GM cars and others. you will have to scroll through the parts to find them.

Sean · June 12, 2006, 06:34:57 AM

I got replacement spring bushings for my '65 F100 at NAPA. They had to order them, but it only took a few days to get them. Probably depends on the store too. The first NAPA I asked didn't even bother to look them up, they just told me they couldn't get them.

The NAPA store that I ended up getting them from does most of their business with Farmers, and if they have a computer in the store, it must be hidden in one of the back rooms. It took them about 15 minutes of searching through their books, but they found them.

GPster · June 12, 2006, 07:30:48 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"They list bushings with dimensions for Studebaker, Packard, most GM cars and others. you will have to scroll through the parts to find them.

At first I only scroled through th independant makes but with your suggestion I looked through some of the other stuff. My looking through the Chevy stuff revealed that the pieces on my '53 chassis were not all that close but I did find a canditate under Chrysler (Willys JEEP, Chrysler, maybe Mercedes has parts) But then I went to Chrysler restoration chassis parts on the WEB and they're talking about OLD cars that I drove when they where new. It's only 7:30 and I'm already thinking about takin a nap. GPster

GPster · June 12, 2006, 08:34:33 AM

Quote from: "Sean"I got replacement spring bushings for my '65 F100 at NAPA. They had to order them, but it only took a few days to get them. Probably depends on the store too. The first NAPA I asked didn't even bother to look them up, they just told me they couldn't get them. The NAPA store that I ended up getting them from does most of their business with Farmers, and if they have a computer in the store, it must be hidden in one of the back rooms. It took them about 15 minutes of searching through their books, but they found them.

I wonder how long it would take to find anything on a 1948 (?) Willys (?) . Our NAPA store is the same one that didn't believe that there were brake light switches that worked by the hydralic pressure in the brake lines. Someone on my last try for obsolete parts gave me NAPA's site that I added to my favorites at home. This is starting to look like sections of broom sticks with holes drilled in them. The kids are coming for "Grammy Camp" on the 28th. GPster

GPster · June 13, 2006, 02:08:36 PM

Well NAPA is working on it and I sent a question to Steele about the printing on their on-line catalog. If I look at the Chrysler product bearings with one eye I see 15/16" @ $4.60 each but if I use the other eye I see 13/16". Unfortunately I see the ones for Ford @ $1.80 each but neither eye sees a size for O.D.. I work on it til I get it complicated. I was hoping someone had an outlet like the "HELP" line. Oh well! GPster