How to Replace Leaf Spring Bushings: Step by Step Guide

Nolathane Front Leaf Spring & Shackle Bushing

A dedicated leaf spring bushing removal tool or a leaf spring bushing press makes the job far easier than hammering. Plenty of auto parts stores will lend you a press kit, so you may not need to buy one. 

Step 1: Support the Truck and Unload the Spring 

Park on level ground, chock the front wheels and loosen the rear wheel lugs. Lift the rear of the truck and place jack stands under the frame rails, then remove the wheels. Position a floor jack under the axle on the side you are working on and raise it just enough to take the weight off the spring. 

Spray the spring eye bolt, shackle bolts and U-bolt nuts with penetrating oil and give it time to work. Work on one spring and one end at a time so the axle always stays located, and inspect the shackles while you are there. 

Step 2: Remove the Spring Eye and Shackle Bolts 

Remove the nut and drive out the bolt at the front spring eye. If the bolt is seized inside the bushing sleeve, more penetrating oil and steady force usually free it, and in severe cases the bolt may need cutting. Lower the axle slightly with the jack so the spring eye drops out of the hanger. 

To reach the rear eye, remove the shackle bolts as well. With both ends free you can work on the spring eyes without fighting the weight of the axle. 

Step 3: Remove the Old Leaf Spring Bushings 

Many factory bushings have an outer steel shell pressed into the spring eye. A leaf spring bushing press or removal tool pushes the whole bushing out in one piece, which is the cleanest method. If the shell is badly seized, carefully cut through it with a hacksaw blade from the inside, taking care not to cut into the spring eye, then collapse it and drive it out. 

Avoid burning the rubber out with a torch. It produces toxic smoke and can affect the temper of the spring steel. Once the old bushing is out, clean the inside of the eye with a wire brush or emery cloth and check it for cracks or excessive wear. 

Step 4: Fit the New Polyurethane Bushings 

Most of our polyurethane leaf spring bushings use a two-piece design that slides into the cleaned spring eye from each side, with a steel sleeve running through the center. Follow the guide closely for any design that presses in. Apply the grease specified in our installation guide to the surfaces it lists, including the sleeve. Correct lubrication is what keeps polyurethane quiet and smooth for years. 

For greaseable main spring eye kits, fit the grease fitting hardware as shown in the guide and pump fresh grease in once everything is assembled. 

Step 5: Reinstall and Torque at Ride Height 

Raise the axle with the jack to line the spring eye up with the hanger and refit the eye bolt. Reconnect the shackle at the other end, then refit the wheels. Tighten all bolts snugly but leave the final torque until the truck sits at its normal ride height, unless your factory service manual says otherwise. 

Lower the truck onto its wheels and torque each bolt to the factory specification. Road test, then recheck the torque after a few hundred miles. 

Leaf Spring Bushing Replacement Cost 

If you have a shop do the work, labor makes up most of the bill. Our kits take from under an hour for simple shackle bushing sets to around three hours for complete spring eye and shackle kits. Repair estimate data from Jerry puts typical shop labor at roughly $110 to $220 an hour, so expect labor of about $110 to $660 plus the kit, with seized hardware adding time. 

Doing it yourself saves that labor, and choosing polyurethane means you are less likely to pay for the job again. If you are still diagnosing the problem, check our guide to bad leaf spring bushing symptoms. If you also need new shackle hardware, see our guide to leaf spring shackle replacement.

FAQs

Looking for more information about leaf spring bushing replacement? Below we answer the most commonly asked questions

Do the job once and enjoy a quiet, solid rear end for years. Choose polyurethane leaf spring bushings for your truck, with kits listed by vehicle and by dimension.