Trailing arms poly bushings - lots of extra space?

[Jackson's Dad 64 C10]

Wish I’d grabbed pics because I’m out of town... my son and I thrashed on the truck (1964 fleet side short bed) over the weekend and got all of our No Limit suspension goodies installed (Wide Ride IFS, rear shock/panhard bar relocation, air bags all around). I still need to start a build thread, but I keep forgetting to do it.

I replaced the trailing arm bushings with some Prothane polyurethane bushings from Brothers. Now there’s a big old gap between the trailing arm and the bracket. I know, I know, I should have just done a factory replacement rubber bushing and I would not be posting this... Curious to hear how others have addressed this. I’m thinking a stack of grade 8 washers on both sides to center the arm in the bracket and call it a day. I’m guessing that someone has turned some bushings to take up the space, but I don’t have access to a large. Any creative suggestions here, or am I on the right track?

Just realized this might post might be better in the suspension forum, but I’ll start here and go from there. Thanks!

Chris

[The Rocknrod]

Originally Posted by Jackson's Dad 64 C10

...am I on the right track?...

Cheap, easy and gets the job done.

[kaycee]

Think I would call NO LImit , all that $$ on the kit and have to have a stack of washers to make it fit, somethings not right. Need pics

[Jackson's Dad 64 C10]

Just to clarify, the trailing arms are NOT No Limit pieces. We are running air bags and the No Limit trailing arms are not designed for bags. I’m using the stock trailing arms and stock crossmember. Just replaced the stock rubber bushings with poly. I’ll get pics later this week. I’m out of town right now because my wife had surgery today. It’s funny how surgical waiting rooms make you think “hey, I should post that question about the trailing arms to the forums”!

[AcampoDave]

So to be clear....most poly bushing require the extraction of the old rubber material from the original metal shell, (I usually just burn it out with a propane torch) then that metal shell is left in place. Following that, a liberal coat of white siliconized grease is applied to the new urathane and they are then slid into the original metal shell or housing of the old bushing. Usually, depending on the application, a new metal insert sleeve of some kind is provided for the center hole of the new urathane.

Does this sound about right?

[Jackson's Dad 64 C10]

Originally Posted by AcampoDave

So to be clear....most poly bushing require the extraction of the old rubber material from the original metal shell, (I usually just burn it out with a propane torch) then that metal shell is left in place. Following that, a liberal coat of white siliconized grease is applied to the new urathane and they are then slid into the original metal shell or housing of the old bushing. Usually, depending on the application, a new metal insert sleeve of some kind is provided for the center hole of the new urathane.

Does this sound about right?

Sounds exactly like what I did. I drilled the old rubber out, knocked out the inner sleeve, and left the outer shell in place. Greased the new bushings and installed them. The issue is that there is extra room between the edges of the bracket and the bushings. In hindsight, a picture would be worth more than all of my words in this post! I’ll update with my final solution, but right now it’s probably just going to be a stack of washers on each side to take up the space.

[The Rocknrod]

Did you call POL and ask?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Jackson's Dad 64 C10

Sounds exactly like what I did. I drilled the old rubber out, knocked out the inner sleeve, and left the outer shell in place. Greased the new bushings and installed them. The issue is that there is extra room between the edges of the bracket and the bushings. In hindsight, a picture would be worth more than all of my words in this post! I’ll update with my final solution, but right now it’s probably just going to be a stack of washers on each side to take up the space.

Check w/Prothane to ensure there isn't some sort of mix-up on the bushings as far as width. If you know the width is correct, an oversized washer/shim (1pc for each side on a T/A) to take up the slack would work.

I would want the T/A mounting tabs to be square w/the bushing surface as it's installed into the front of the arm. Slightly compressing the bracket together (w/a C-clamp or the T/A mounting bolt) would work if needed. You could combine the 2 options to avoid the need to 'stack' shims while keeping the flange-to-bushing surfaces as square as possible.

[pdxhall]

Have you checked to see if you have the correct bushings. It's been a few years but I don't remember having this problem.

[clemsonteg]

I installed the energy suspension poly bushings and didn't have any issues. Followed the same procedure you did. Mine had the main bushing, a sleeve, and a cap type piece for the side of the bushing without a shoulder. I could see needing washers without the cap piece, did yours come with that part as well?

[Jackson's Dad 64 C10]

Originally Posted by clemsonteg

I installed the energy suspension poly bushings and didn't have any issues. Followed the same procedure you did. Mine had the main bushing, a sleeve, and a cap type piece for the side of the bushing without a shoulder. I could see needing washers without the cap piece, did yours come with that part as well?

Clemson, you might be onto something there. I don’t recall seeing any sort of cap piece, but I can envision what you’re describing. That would solve the problem. I’ll post some pics when I get home, and I’ll give prothane a call next week.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Jackson's Dad 64 C10

Clemson, you might be onto something there. I don’t recall seeing any sort of cap piece, but I can envision what you’re describing. That would solve the problem. I’ll post some pics when I get home, and I’ll give prothane a call next week.

The 'cap' portion on some bushings fits on the outer portion of the shell & would not extend beyond the bushings width (@ center of the bolt sleeve). If there's a gap between the bushing @ the bolt sleeve, that cap won't compensate.

[Jackson's Dad 64 C10]

I got home earlier this evening, so I ran out to the shop to take some pics. I am pretty sure that I’ve figured out the “issue”. It looks like I ended up with rear track bar bushings, and not trailing arm bushings. I don’t have a factory track bar anymore (went with the No Limit panhard bar kit), so I didn’t have it for comparison. The track bar bushings fit PERFECTLY into the trailing arm bushing shells, so I didn’t even realize that there was an issue until we installed them. I feel like a moron, but I’m glad that I figured it out!

[AcampoDave]

Wow, so mystery solved. Thanks for following up. I never like it when I am searching out info, come across an old thread, read it thru and then find the OP never bothered to say how he resolved the issue.

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by acampodave

wow, so mystery solved. Thanks for following up. I never like it when i am searching out info, come across an old thread, read it thru and then find the op never bothered to say how he resolved the issue.

x2

[Jackson's Dad 64 C10]

I agree with both of you. It’s always annoying when you don’t find a follow up to a thread.

Speaking of follow up information, I’m going to put this in here, in case someone runs across this thread based on search terms.

Prothane poly bushings for trailing arms require 5/8 x 4 bolts. I verified that with Prothane before I discovered that I had the wrong bushings. Everything that I found with regard to trailing arms bolts stated that 3/4 x 4 are correct. I think that’s for factory style bushings. I had purchased 3/4 inch bolts and found that they are too big.