[vidro]

My motivation to continue working on the Cougar was smashed when on Easter weekend a hail storm caught me off guard and beat the crud out of my Cougar and its one year old paint job.
I did have an agreed value on the vehicle and insurance has been some what manning up to take care of the damage. I did lose heart in moving forward on items that still need taking care of on the car.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" /><o></o>
I find though she is a VERY fun car to drive, hail dents and all. I'm getting the bug to continue on with the work.<o></o>
One of the things I need to do is to replace the leaf spring bushings.<o></o>
I've never done leaf spring work and don’t know what to expect.<o></o>
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What should I consider, expect or any advice when changing these out?<o></o>

 

[1970fastcat]

I found that throwing lots of cuss words helps. I used a large drill bit and made a bunch og holes in the rubber to get it out. Then used a bearing race driver to punch out the sleeve. It also helps if you drive a chisel in the spring eye where it curves back into the spring to open it up and take tension off the sleeve. Even doing all this, it is still a huge pain, unless you have a press. I replaced mine with the aluminum bushings from cal-vert. They were tough to get in but I imagine rubber is worse.

 

[Bad69cat]

I feel your pain on the hail damage - I got hammered by some very large hail literally on my way home from the prep shop I was using to get mine ready for paint the following weekend!! Storm came outta nowhere - I found major explicitives in loud manner to be very therapeutically satisfying!

If the springs are not needing replaced you can save your knuckles by just having a shop with a press knock those babies out for ya. They are a bear to work with - I'm not a fan of the poly ones 'cause they squeak like a gaggle of church mice when the weather gets the least bit cool! If you don't believe me come listen to my truck this fall - it drives me insane!