Leaf Spring Bushing Replacement

In this video I will show you how to replace a leaf spring bushing in a Jeep Cherokee XJ. This process is very similar to a variety of Jeeps and Trucks such as the Jeep CJ, YJ, MJ, XJ along with any leaf sprung Ford, Dodge and Chevy truck. I will show you how to do the whole job from start to finish. If you have any other questions that the video doesn't cover make sure to comment below and I would be happy to answer.
Thanks for watching, Please Comment, Share, Rate and Subscribe!
Music used in this video:
Last Second by Silent Partner
Witness by Mikos Da Gawd
Big Hands by Silent Partner

[@larrysincredibletrailers2213]

Finally: Someone who replaces the bushing "on the vehicle" in place, NOT on a shop bench.

[@benjielu8465]

((7o7k7(7ooo(k hope{8o{{7(7(7{7oo ok7{9

[@adriantomlin2902]

Yes!! I getting ready to replace mine on my 71 Nova SS. Now I understand ya gotta lower both sides at the front or back at the same time so the springs will relax.

[@tedtolentino4955]

Awesome video, and I learned something. Thanks for sharing your method of replacing the bushings.

[@monographslost]

Useful video, thanks. I’m about to replace mine with uprated poly bushes.

[@H20RIDER]

Nice thorough presentation….with good alternatives.

[@davidt7838]

Love the content. Probably the best xj repair content out there. Another method I have found to be moderately successful is using a ball joint press to ideally press the bushing out or worst case, destroy the bushing enough for one of the other methods to work a bit easier. I have a 97, 99, and 2000 xj with 270k to 325k miles. I refer to your content often. Thank you.

[@danhambrick6331]

Nice job as allways Austin...

[@georgegabo7153]

Very good.. helpful

[@WeKnowTheTruth2012]

nice jeep dude cool color

[@davidmetchikoff]

Great detailed video. thanks for the info.

[@dalbrisco]

Thank you really useful video for me.

[@MikeOrazzi]

Good info, thanks.

[@scoobydoo1245]

Thanku you made it look so easy. So I'm off to do mine

[@dirkdiggler5821]

Nice. All I need to know. Thanks form Aus.

[@moparlover1968rr]

Good job

[@matthewq4b]

With poly bushings you can torque to spec with the suspension unloaded in the air as the inner sleeve rotates in the poly so no fears of loading the bushings with the suspension loaded.

[@SuperTexasBlues]

GREAT video, Austin... keep them coming!

[@OutJeeping]

Thanks for the Support!

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

I've heard rumors that the bottom drawer in that chest can hold power tools as tall as nine inches... now I know the truth! Good video, upvoted.

[@artardFTW]

the drill bit method works with a larger drill bit, and you can't let it spin in one spot or it'll basically drill a hole in the bushing and it'll stop walking once you finally get it to move around the bushing. quite a pain lol

[@jackprick9797]

I find that anti-seize tends to dry out over time. I used a combination of lithium grease and mobile 1 synthetic grease. Also, bushings should be replaced always on both sides.

[@KugiranMasdo-jc4ky]

good men

[@thomashensley3319]

Great video... Did you ever come up with the correct poly kit for the RE 3.5" springs? My oem bushings are shit...Shackle side only..

[@hammerfistfightclub]

Dont forget to clean out the eye b4 pushing the bushing in.. use emoryor cloakus cloth to lightly remove the rush but stop b4 it removes metal

[@metalguru6152]

How do you like the polyurethane? I used Energy Suspension parts on a lot of the front end and body mounts but I don't really like the ride and then there is the squeakiness so I got some moog bushings and shackles to use on the rear leafs, everything original and shot. I'm gonna try to press them in with a ball joint press borrowed from the store, maybe try to remove them w the press too but if it doesn't work I've got your method to fall back on. Great vid! It might be interesting for me to be riding on part poly and part "oem"- but my bushings are so shot so anything is going to help. I've got an '88 f150 4x4 4.9 5 speed full size standard cab

[@mytoman120681]

Hi, thanx for the video!! Just great!! Question: Is this the same product that you used on the video? "Rubicon Express RE1492 Kit de bujes de resorte de 1.5 pulgadas"

[@drubradley8821]

Nice job! I kindly want to mention, it is important that installing certain types of grease can 100% be used, and others degrade the bushing compound, which will lesson the typical life expectancy.... Ask my how I know that, lol... One can typically get about 3 to 5 years, sometimes even longer for a daily driver, but... With a grease that has a bad reaction to the bushing compound, can cause a half life and in some cases, less then a year, for a daily street driven vehicle. Now, throw into the mix, off-roading, with the dirt, sand, mud, etc., ... the durometer of the bushing compound out there, brand to brand, are different, and the various types of grease can turn some info a mess of "gooooo"... some higher brand names come with specific grease, for the installation purposes, and will suffice for the typical daily driver for the life of the new bushings.. Please note, all is mentioned in a kindly fashion, and not meant to sound disrespectful at any level. Dru

[@OutJeeping]

Very good point you made there. I had no idea the wrong grease could do that too bushings. Reading up on the internet I realized I didnt use the right grease in the video with poly bushings. I used moly grease but should have used silicone based instead. Thanks for comment

[@drubradley8821]

@@OutJeeping Not a problem, boss. No shame in this issue, as most folks, including myself either do it, or have done it, and once I found out, I (we) now know better for the next... Besides, although doing a bushing job is kinda a pain in the booty, it is cheap to do, doesn't take a whole lot of time to do them, and one can feel the results of the new units installed right away, for the "sense of accomplishment" factor, as a job well done... Good luck, Dru

[@hartzland7658]

Yep I learnt the hard way too, very good point.

[@hammerfistfightclub]

My old spring shop job uses lard..100% lard... wont eat the bushings and slippery enough. The bushing sales rep instructed us to use it instead of shop grease or bearing grease.

[@drubradley8821]

@@hammerfistfightclub Yes, absolutely, that "old trick" 50 year plus, used to be a standard on farm equipment for lubrication of moving parts. They would have different formulas of mixtures of lard, Marvel's Mystery Oil, and other things to either stabilize the mixture, or thin the mixture out, or to thicken it up.. That must have been a really interesting time for those folks. I personally have tried playing with lard in the cutting tool area of machining, just to see what those old folks were talking about. Learning about the use of lard as a lubrication was from a Machinery Handbook or Machinist's Handbook for me. What I found neat about using it, it you put in on what you are machining, and it is clumpy white(ish) grey... and as heat starts to build up, it starts to melt or turn into a mostly clear oil and for some strange reason, the liquid would then draw itself to the heat source, which is the cutting tool in the metal alloy part you are machining... weirdest thing I ever seen. The book offers all sorts of formulation as well for types of metals and alloys and machining processes, and to be honest, Yes, they did work, but the tech that we have today in the cutting tools industry and cutting fluid tech is so far advanced, that there is products that are 100 times better... Now, I still can't find anything that aid's in rust prevention like using lard to quench tool steel like the "O" type tool steel.. and offers a really neat finish too, like the typical Gun metal blueing look, but the lard quenching bath ends up leaving a finish that appears to look like gasoline floating on water.. kinda like a rainbow effect, with only dark hues and colors... and really does fantastic for the oil saturation for the rust prevention top layer that is sucked into the pores of the heated up part.... Pardon the novel... Just a neat subject you brought up.. Thank you Sir. I enjoyed going down memory lane with this one...

[@ozzstars_cars]

Nice job with the repair and vid. You could really use an air hammer, would be real helpful to drive the bushing and sleeves out. Anything to make life easier, right? Haha Take care. -Glen

[@OutJeeping]

Yup that's definitely on the tools list

[@rugbytcheco]

Nice video, thank you for sharing. I would like to know, if I have the stock bushings, the rubber ones, how can I install them on the leaf springs? Thank you.

[@OutJeeping]

They would need to be pressed in but most likely with a lot more force. If the spring is off the vehicle it may be easy to press it in with a hydraulic press.

[@rugbytcheco]

@@OutJeeping Thanks for answering. I'll do it next week then. Have a nice day.

[@mikeries8549]

I have a 42 yr old trailer that squeaks pretty bad. Bushings. It performs well but the squeaking drives me nuts. I drive thru small towns early in the morning on the way to hunt ducks. Spraying the bushings helps for like one trip to the lake. Any ideas on what to try other than new springs and bushings.

[@c63blackseries63]

Could you describe what parts exactly did you use on this rebuild?

[@agustinhidalgo405]

I got a question I installed a rough country 4.5 lift with 4.5 rear lift springs. I added shocks that are meant for a 5" to 6" lift. I added rear shackle relocation kit. I noticed in this video that you never had to unbolt your shocks. When I had to lower my rear leafs to install the relocatiom kit i had to unbolt my rear shocks. Is that normal or do I need longer shocks?

[@OutJeeping]

It would all depend if your suspension droop is limited by your shocks while articulating when everything is bolted up. I'm running 3.5 inch lift springs with 1 inch shackles and another inch for shackle relocation, but I'm pretty sure my we Springs have sagged a little bit since new. I'm also running Bilstein shocks that are meant for a 5 to 6 inch lift.

[@TexasRedneck]

Thanks for reminding me I need to do this too lol Do you by chance have a link to the correct part number? I see there are a bunch and not sure which ones to use on my 3.5" RE leaves.

[@OutJeeping]

I'm not sure the exact size poly bushings since i had to cut down the bushings because they were 3/16" to long. Perhaps another company offers a better replacement. This is what i used in the video. www.amazon.com/Rubicon-Express-RE1491-Single-Bushing/dp/B006GJP1JY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1547957146&sr=8-8&keywords=rubicon+express+leaf+spring+bushings

[@TexasRedneck]

@@OutJeeping thank you!

[@_Quattr09]

Helpful! How would you tackle the front bushings? Same method?

[@OutJeeping]

Same method for the most part.

[@tonycordovatc]

Great video! Man where did you find that cab visor for the front window? I've been looking for one and can't find one

[@OutJeeping]

I was able to scoop in off of marketplace. unfortunately they do not make them anymore.

[@dezertdestroyer7782]

Dude I need to know what plastic fender wells you’re using for the rear right there those are dope

[@OutJeeping]

Napier Precision flat flares.

[@darrinsiberia]

spray and soak it with anti seize the night before...

[@williamgrowiii1244]

Dude, this was great! Your removal plan failed, so you brought out the sawzall. You bought the wrong part, hacked it to make it fit, beat it into place with liberal application of antiseize... If you had smashed your thumb and added about 5-stitches, this would have been a mirror of me working in my garage. Right. Now to go change my leaf spring bushings... Does anyone have a suture kit I can borrow?

[@williamgrowiii1244]

Seriously though (hello 2-days later), I just replaced the leaf bushings in my 4-runner today because of this video. Huge thanks!

[@jimmyrayshanahan3022]

Where can I find JUST the rubber bushing for rear leaf springs. All I can find is the ones with outer metal shell

[@OutJeeping]

Amazon would most likely have it but it depends on the leaf spring brand.

[@jerardogonzalez8103]

Do have the part number for the bushings by chance

[@codyhonaker5808]

My '00 XJ has a metal sleeve around the bushing.... all STOCK why is yours different and i cant really find a video anywhere. Can you give me a suggestion on this please? Thank you

[@OutJeeping]

The old bushing I removed had a metal sleeve around it, shown in the video. I replaced the bushing with a poly style 2 piece bushing which is different than the factory style and does not have in outer metal sleeve.

[@codyhonaker5808]

@@OutJeeping indidnt see you remove it in your video, I will have to rewatch it thanks man

[@jordanp6420]

I'm trying to this but not on the shackles side, on the other side of the leaf spring. You simply move the shackle out of the way but that can not be done on the other side of the leaf spring where there is no shackle.

[@OutJeeping]

Yup it's harder to access on the front side of the spring

[@langan9000]

Just let the axle drop down a bit and you will have tons of room.

[@jpjerome]

looks cold in the shop!!

[@OutJeeping]

I ran out of propane haha

[@chantzwilliams484]

What if mine has metal outside then rubber inside and then the metal pin threw it

[@OutJeeping]

Those style bushings may need to be pressed in then

[@drgil65]

Austin, what size and model number is your Milwaukee 1/2 inch impact your using?

[@OutJeeping]

This is the one I have www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-FUEL-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-with-Friction-Ring-Tool-Only-2767-20/302654201

[@KennysLyfe]

Does A worn out bushing cause leaf spring squeaking ?

[@OutJeeping]

It can but majority of the time it's from the leafs rubbing on each other as the suspension goes up and down.

[@KennysLyfe]

OutJeeping darn, I replaced all 8 of my plastic isolator pads between the leafs with upgraded premium rubber pads but its squeaking worse than over. Im running of options 🙈 Do I replace my bushings at this point? I got a 2010 Tacoma.

[@OutJeeping]

@@KennysLyfe It could very well be the bushings then, but to make sure I would have someone shake the vehicle to make it squeak as you look where the squeak is coming from to pinpoint the source.

[@MyMuschilover]

I think I burned the bushing out with a torch last time. Then cut with a sawzall.

[@OutJeeping]

Might get a little smokey but hey if it works

[@cracka-tinnitribe9543]

Fuck that, put a btl jack between leaf spring and chassis, centred over u bolts

[@Meatwad.Baggins]

I honestly think I am going to buy new springs, install the new bushings and new shackle and install them on the hangers. Then redo the old springs and shackle and have them ready to go next time. Or sell them. 😕

[@dirkdiggler5821]

Fuck it, I will subscribe.

[@tobyslaststand9137]

Why was the wheels removed ? I must have missed that repair ?

[@JacobEcret]

So the axle drops more... 😂

[@jhatfield2755]

Whwre did you get the bushings

[@OutJeeping]

I got these ones off of amazon for the Rubicon express leaf springs.

[@angelahighwolf]

Why not use heat on the bushing, punch it out, and use a metal file to get the rest of the rubber out?

[@OutJeeping]

There is still an outer metal sleeve of the bushing that needs to get out of the leaf spring eyelet to be fully removed.

[@andrewm.4168]

Great video until the bushing replacement. You don't grease the outside of bushings, only the inside. Toss the bushings in the freezer and they'll shrink and push in with minimal effort.

[@OutJeeping]

These bushings in the video were not the correct size so it needed a little lubrication on the outside to help slide in. With them that tight it shouldn't rotate inside the eyelet under operation.

[@erikp2510]

wheres the link

[@timferguson8643]

don't need to press them in greace then a socket and a hammer

[@OutJeeping]

More than one way to skin a cat

[@scoobydoo1245]

Why would you only but 1 side. Doesn't make sense to me

[@OutJeeping]

Showed one side for video purposes. Since both sides are the same process.

[@jakeells66]

Really glad I skipped to end to watch you not torque your wheels

[@OutJeeping]

Ha good one guy!

[@51015panchovilla]

Get a chisel instead of a screwdriver man

[@The-t3z]

“High quality grease” that’s actually laughable. All greases are made equal. Disclaimer- joke

[@tristaylor5492]

Did not need to watch you undo every nut

[@JacobEcret]

Who tf buys 1 bushing

[@OutJeeping]

Who tf buys 2? Same concept on replacing all bushings so only needed to film replacing one.

[@JacobEcret]

@@OutJeeping but you even said you didn’t have the other bushing because you only bought 1, when you knew they both were bad. I don’t know just seems weird.

[@JacobEcret]

@@OutJeeping not trying to hassle you man, I was just curious, didn’t mean to come off sounding bitchy

[@OutJeeping]

@@JacobEcret I actually bought the incorrect bushing kit and didn't know that till I installed the new one. The kit I had actually came with a couple different sizes instead of two sets of the same size. So I was only able to install one bushing. And the other bushing size was not for the corresponding front leaf spring bushing, so yeah just had the wrong kit but made it work.