Skyjacker Spring Front 5/8ths Bushing Issue

[KMC]

On trucks with the 5/8" front bolts what have you done? I am aware that some have just ommited the insert sleave and kept a watchfull eye.



I called the local dealer and the correct size bushings can be had (P/N 2907869) but for a price! $17 ea! That's a total of four needed to do both springs - $68 !!!!!!



I have a better idea - Take the 1/2" Energy Suspension bushings which can be had for under $2 a piece to plastics shop and have them drilled out to the correct diameter. Sound feasible? Anyone tried this?



Any other ideas?



Thanks, Ken

 

[DieselBuzz]

SJ spring bushings

I ran into the same problem and it has kept me from mounting them. Just today I enlarged 4 of the half bushings to 3/4" with a flat 3/4" wood bit sharpened on the sides. It took a long time and my hands were tired. I, in the end, mounted my corded drill verticly(sp?) in my bench vice and ran the bushings on the bit. For a sleeve I wanted to use steel but the nipples I bought had a ridge making them smaller IO dia. then 5/8". I found two brass ones for $10. I ground them down to length and pressed them in with the vice. Maybe your truck is different then mine but the back bolts on the shackles are 1/2" for me. This way I only had to "fix" the front. I'm not 100% sure of my solution but I feel better than skipping the sleeves all together. Good luck with yours. Let us know what works for you.

Art

 

[KMC]

Yes, my rears are half inch also. It just the front that are 5/8. It sounds like you have gotten creative although with a bit of effort. I guess I could just go down to the Dodge "stealer" and be done with it but I hate to be party do their scams. The prices I posted earlier didn't even include the sleeves... . I may call around to some "plastic" shops and see if they have the equipment to bore those out cleanly at a reasonable cost. The sleaves are another issue - I guess I was hoping re-use them but they are probably not in the best of shape... .



Will post here when I find a solution. It may be a while - couple of weeks or so before I will have the time to get this job done.



Ken

 

[DieselBuzz]

Booiinnnggg!!!

KMC,

Hey, I slapped my springs on last night. It is amazing how quickly it goes when you have done it before. I found is was good to get out all the sockets I needed and the breaker bar before I even started. I didn't have the time to redrill the shock mounts lower (so I don't have to buy new ones). The stock shocks are already at the end of their travel when you unweight the axle with the OEM springs. I had also removed the torsion bar earlier. So it was me and the springs. I have to say the ride is much softer and bouncy. I am just about as anxious to get the shocks on as I was to get the springs on. Like JJohn, I found that the front does ride a bit higher than the back. I wish SJ made them 2" not 2and1/2". At some point I plan to switch my back springs to level the truck. Along with the shock mounts the steering wheel needs to be recentered. If I run into any snags or think of any tricks I will let you know.



PS. I have poked at the sleeves in rubber bushings in the past and they seem like they would be even more of a PIA to get out then the fix I did. My 2 cents.

Art

 

[KMC]

Art, glad to hear you got them on ok. I guess I am hoping with the one ton it won't sit too high in front. I parked the truck on flat ground one day and measured the difference as it is now. Seems 2. 5" lift will still leave the nose down a tad. If not I will just put in some add-a-leafs in the rear for now and then worry about replacing the rear springs some other day.



As far as shocks go I ordered some Ranchos sized with the lift in mind. So hoepfully that will work out ok. I'll post again when I get it done - still a few weeks out I am afraid...



Also, I replied to you PM as well.



Ken

 

[scott4glamis]

I' d be willing to bet that you can get a set of new bushings from your local NAPA store. If not try an aftermarket spring shop like National spring in San Diego( city of Chula Vista?) , they should be able to help, they are well known ( springs for Baja race trucks etc. ) and and can make anything you want, springwise.

best of luck... ...

 

[Steve Graham]

I've been running the Skyjacker 2" lift on the front of my W250 for 9 years and have had only one problem with them. In 93 Skyjacker did not have a special spring for the Diesel's extra weight, if you wanted a 2" lift they sold you the 4" lift for a Gasser, the spring eye was also for the gas model. To compensate for the different bolts used on the Diesel Skyjacker used a poly bushing with out a sleeve. The problem is with out the bolt tighten down on the sleeve the bolt will turn and will eventualy wear out the holes on the spring hanger. After welding the holes up from wear I welded a bar of 1/2 "sq stock above and below the bolt so that it was up against the flats. This prevent the bolt from moving and so far, 8 years later no problem.



hope this helps,

Steve

 

[DieselBuzz]

Bolt wear

Steve,

Good point! I noticed that it looked like the bolts had started to move around and wear since I had taken them off the first time three months ago. I probably over torqued them putting the springs on this time. I just don't want them to move. I'll have to keep checking them. Thanks.

Art

 

[scott4glamis]

KMC the NAPA suspension parts book lists only a factory replacement for the 1/2" bolt , front shackle bushing with 1. 023

o. d. , if the s. j. springs o. d. is larger than this there are about 10 or so possible choices to pick from in the size chart. If you can get me the size (o. d. ) then I could get you a part # for the bushings.

talk to you soon... ... .

 

[KMC]

Scott, Thanks for you efforts to track that down for me! I believe the front o. d is also an inch. Not all trucks had the larger 5/8 bolt up front - it was in 93 and possibly 92. So for most 1st geners installing these springs there is no issue - the front and rear bushings are the same. But on mine and other later 1st gen's the bolt is larger and hence has a different i. d. I don't know what it is until I take the old springs off but I am guessing it is 5/8ths plus 2 times the thickness of the metal insert with the same o. d. of 1. 024". Some guys have gone ahead and used the regular bushing for the 1/2 in. bolt and left out the metal insert but it becomes a maintenance issue with accelerated wear and needs extra attention like Steve mentioned. I want to do mine with the insert so I can do it once and not have to look back. If we can find a suitable bushing out there or find a way to increase the i. d. on the standard bushing great. If not then I guess I will have to bite the bullet and pay the dealer thiefs. In the long run that would still be cheaper than the time, effort, and $ to keep monitoring and/or replacing front bushings.



Ken

 

[scott4glamis]

KMC if you have the S. J. springs just measure the spring eye and I will try to find a bushing that will work... . you won't have to do any disassembly until you have the new busshing pressed in to the springs... . try to be as precise as you can e. g 1. 128" , 1. 503... ... etc.....

 

[KMC]

Scott, I was able to take some measurements today. The opening's on each end are the same and vary between approx. 1 and 1/32 inch to 1 and 1/16 inch ~ 1. 0313 to 1. 0625". My guess is that they were shooting to match the stock opening of 1. 023 as your book showed. There were no larger i. d. 's listed for that size?



Thanks again, Ken

 

[scott4glamis]

KMC there is a,rubber bushing that I think might work. the o. d. is 1. 105 , the i. d. is . 0725" (your /a sleeve might fit), length under the flange is1. 36" the length of the bushing is 2. 040" ( these buhings are in halves), a little cutting to length and fitting of bushings and this might just work. the factory specs are as follows . 506 i. d. , 2. 500 to the edge of the spring( no flanges), 2. 875" total length,o. d. of1. 023". These specs are for the 1/2" spring bolt, unfortunatly I have nothing else to go on!!!! If you are interested the NAPA pn is 274-6514. hope this helps!! If your springs measure other than the specs I have given for factory , besides the bolt diameter, get me some #'s and I will do my best!!!

 

[KMC]

Scott, thanks agian for going out of your way to look these up!

I may go ahead and try that NAPA p/n. It is still going to be a few weeks until I have the time to do the work but I will post results here or in a seperate post.



Ken

 

[RDBuck]

skyjacker front bushing

I have a new set of skyjacker front springs ( they call them 2" lift) sitting on my garage floor. I also bought a new set of Dodge front bushings ,p. n. 2907869[$11. 20 each]and 5/8 bolts. My truck is a late model 92. The factory bushings will not fit the skyjacker springs, the bushings are too big. They not only have an inner steel tube but also an outer steel tube. The rubber bushing is compressed between the two steel tubes making the whole thing too big around to fit into the eye of the spring. My only solution at this point is to mount the springs with the skyjacker supplied bushings.

I also requested a set of bushings for the rear shackle where it goes thu the frame. They sent me more of the same bushings as supplied for the spring eyes. Will these bushings fit the frame holes? {The rear shackle of the front spring articulates in the frame as well as the spring}

I've been following this skyjacker issue with great interest for obvious reasons and I know others have gone through this long ago. It's great to benefit from all the knowledge out there about these first gens.

 

[KMC]

RDBuck, I think what you are saying is good information! What you are saying is that the Dodge 5/8 ths bolt hole bushings that I can get from the dealer will not fit the skyjacker springs, correct? In other words the stock front spring eye is larger than the Skyjacker spring eye... However it appears that the rear eyes are the same.



So overall ordering bushings from Dodge is not even an option. If we want to use the bolt sleave we have to do one of the following:



1. ) Find a close fit (i. e. the NAPA busings)

2. ) Modify the 1/2" bushing by reaming out the hole to a larger diameter.



Any other options, guys?



Ken

 

[RDBuck]

Front bushings skyjacker

KMC, that is what I have discovered so far. The stock factory bushing for a late model 92 with 5/8" bolts will in no way fit into the spring eye of the skyjacker. By the way, the factory bushing is a very substantial piece of work ,well worth the price- if we could use it!

I am reluctant to bore out the skyjacker bushings for a metal sleeve as that will leave precious little bushing material to absorb a shock. I am more inclined to find a way to stop the bracket from bending inward as the bolt is tightened, or as a previous post suggested to weld a 1/2" square stock next to the bolt to stop it from turning and thus loosening.

Will keep you informed as I go along and I hope to learn more from some owners who have been there before.

 

[KEENO]

No 5/8" bolt bushing?

Man! I'm disappointed!



I've been watching this posting just knowing you guys would come up w/ the ultimate 5/8" I. D. bushing that would fit the SJ front springs.



Are we dead in the water on this issue? I would hate to have to put a set of SJ bushings in the front of my truck every other year.



Thanks for all of the hard work regardless!



KEENO

 

[KMC]

Hey, Keeno. I wouldn't consider it quite dead in the water! Just haven't had alot of time to devote to this right now. I am still trying to find time to get my injectors installed before I even tackle the springs. I did go ahead and get the 1/2" bushings since the are the correct o. d. of 1". Now it will be an issue of trying to find someone to cleanly enlarge the i. d. Although I too am concerned about not having much bushing left. If the difference between the i. d. and o. d. gets to small I wouldn't want the poly to pinch and split if enough force is encountered... .



Scott found a bunch of NAPA bushings but all seem to have an o. d. that is to large. Haven't tried any spring shops yet.



Steve seemed to have good luck using the 1/2" no sleave approach by preventing the bolt from moving, so maybe that is workable...



It will probably be a few more weeks before I can get to the springs. Anyone else made any progress?



Dieselbuzz, how is your setup working out?

 

[Steve Graham]

The only alternative I can think of for the problem with the incorrect spring eye size is to go for a custom spring. I did that for the rear springs on my Dodge, replaceing the SJ set I had with a custom set from National Spring. I bought a 6" over set from SJ for the rear to get rid of the block Dodge had used, to help prevent spring wrap. This worked "fairly" well but because of the arch of the springs,and the extra length they cut into the spring hanger and the shackle was bottomed out which gave the spring a infinite spring rate. Not good for a heavy load on rough roads!

The 1/2" stock welded to the hanger works to prevent rotation of the bolt and my National Springs on the rear are still working great.



Steve