Bulk Leaf Spring Bushes

Nolathane bulk leaf spring bushes supply polyurethane spring eye and shackle bushes in workshop quantities for the pick-ups, 4WDs, vans and light trucks that come through the door every week. Leaf spring bushes are among the most commonly replaced suspension parts on working vehicles, and a full rear service needs several bushes per side. Bulk packs mean the job can be quoted, started and finished on the same day.

They suit suspension workshops, fleet maintenance teams, mobile mechanics and resellers who service leaf sprung vehicles regularly.

Where Leaf Spring Bushes Are Fitted

A typical rear leaf spring has bushes in three places on each side:

• Front eye, where the spring attaches to the chassis hanger through a fixed pin
• Rear eye, where the spring connects to the shackle
• Shackle, where the shackle attaches to the chassis

A complete rear leaf spring service replaces all of them on both sides, so each vehicle can use a significant number of bushes and sleeves. Bulk packs make sure there?s enough stock to complete the whole job rather than just the most obviously worn position.

Why Leaf Spring Bushes Wear Quickly on Working Vehicles

Pick-ups and light commercial vehicles are hard on leaf spring bushes because of:

• Heavy payloads that compress the bushes for long periods
• Towing loads that push and pull the axle under braking and acceleration
• Rough roads and corrugations that cycle the bushes constantly
• Water, mud and dust working into the bush and pin
• Factory rubber that hardens, cracks and separates with heat and age

That?s why fleet and trade vehicles often need rear spring bushes well before other suspension parts. Vehicles that tow caravans or carry trade equipment every day are usually the first to need them.

Workshop Inspection Checklist

During a service or pre-trip inspection, check leaf spring bushes for:

• Cracked, split or perished rubber at any eye or shackle
• Rubber squeezed out of the eye or missing altogether
• Visible movement at the eyes or shackle when the vehicle is rocked or the axle is levered
• Rear-end wander, squeaks or clunks reported by the driver
• Shackles sitting at an unusual angle
• Seized pins or rust staining around the hangers

Finding worn bushes early lets the workshop recommend a full rear spring service before the vehicle is damaged further.

Replacing Leaf Spring Bushes Efficiently

A consistent process saves time and reduces comebacks:

1. Support the chassis on stands and support the axle with a jack to unload the springs.
2. Work on one side at a time so the axle stays located.
3. Remove the pins and shackle, then lower the spring eyes from their hangers.
4. Remove the old bushes with a press or bush removal tool rather than burning them out, which is a fire risk and can damage the spring eye.
5. Clean the spring eyes and shackle housings, removing rust and old rubber.
6. Fit the new polyurethane bushes and sleeves, lubricated with a grease suitable for polyurethane.
7. Refit the spring and shackle, replacing worn pins and shackles where required.
8. Lower the vehicle onto its wheels and tighten all pins and bolts to specification at ride height.

Tightening at full droop pre-loads the bushes and is one of the most common causes of squeaks and early wear.

Pairing Bushes With Greasable Hardware

On vehicles that work hard or see water and dust, fitting greasable pins and shackles with the new bushes extends service life significantly. Grease can be pumped through the pins at each service to flush out grit and keep the bushes pivoting smoothly. For fleet vehicles on regular service schedules, this adds little time to each service and helps prevent repeat repairs.

Polyurethane for Fleet and Trade Vehicles

Nolathane has been making polyurethane suspension bushings since 1974, originally developed to replace brass bushes in hillclimb competition. The signature red bushings are made in a range of durometers (hardness grades) for each position, are mechanically fitted with minimal crush, and offer outstanding abrasion resistance, high load-bearing capability, increased tensile strength and resistance to oil, grease, ozone and weathering.

For working vehicles, those qualities translate into firmer axle location under load, more stable towing and longer intervals between rear spring services. The honest trade-off is that polyurethane bushes need correct greasing at fitting, and occasional re-greasing on vehicles used off-road, to stay quiet.

Avoiding Comebacks

Most leaf spring bush complaints after a service come from a few avoidable causes:

• Too little or unsuitable grease at fitting
• Pivots tightened with the suspension hanging rather than at ride height
• Reusing corroded or worn pins and sleeves
• Replacing bushes on one side only
• Loose U-bolts or shackle bolts after the spring settles

Following a consistent fitting process and re-checking torque at the next service avoids most of these issues.

Who Bulk Leaf Spring Bushes Suit

• Suspension specialists and 4WD workshops completing rear spring services every week
• Fleet maintenance teams responsible for pick-ups, vans and light trucks
• Mining, agricultural and construction operators servicing their own vehicles
• Mobile mechanics who need common bushes carried in the service vehicle
• Resellers stocking high-turnover leaf spring bushes for trade customers

For each of these, having complete sets on hand avoids part-finished jobs and keeps working vehicles on the road.

Planning Stock

Review the vehicles the workshop services most often and stock bushes for those spring designs first. Because a full rear service uses bushes at every position on both sides, plan quantities by complete vehicle sets rather than individual bushes. Each listing shows the vehicles and positions the bushes suit, and our fitment guarantee means the bushes you order are confirmed to suit the vehicles listed.

Shop Bulk Leaf Spring Bushes

Order bulk leaf spring bushes online with fast shipping or through a Nolathane reseller. 60-day returns give you time if a product isn?t right, and our local support team can help you plan stock for the pick-ups, 4WDs and vans your workshop or fleet services most.