I just received new springs and bushings from ESPO.

Something is amiss. The shackle bushings are approx 1 3/8" long (from the back of the shoulder to the end) each. The spring is 2.5" wide. This makes the bushings about 1/4" too wide for the pair.

Did I get sent the wrong bushings? Is there even such a thing as a 2.75" wide spring? Or do I have it all wrong and one is just expected to torque them down and have them squish? That just seems to be a lot to squish together. I held the bushings together outside the spring and confirmed what I had measured.

They had convinced me to go rubber instead of poly for comfort/vibration etc. After this size snafu I wish I would have stuck to my gut and got the poly. I could cut/sand these down to length then get a poly set and swap them out later as that could be done while its all on the car, but the front eye would still be rubber. Hmm... decisions decisions.

Is there an internal metal sleeve?

If so, what's it's length?

_________________
Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

No metal sleeve on the shackle end. The bushings are 1/2" id for a 1/2" bolt.

I think the rubber ones are made oversize so they are squished in by the shackles.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

The bushings are the same on the body side I know, but isn't the body mount also the same width as the spring? I'm having trouble seeing the problem.

_________________
Joshua

The problem I envisioned - the bushings would be 1/4" wider then the spring, allowing the spring to slide side to side.

I talked to ESPO today - they said they gave me the right bushings. Their preference was to use bushings slightly longer so when the shackles squeeze them together they will expand and hold better. I realized I could squeeze them together by hand to some extent so the shackle should have no issue compressing it.

1/4'' total, or a total of 1/2'' too large? If a total of 1/8'' on each side I wouldn't have a problem installing them.1/4'' on each side seems a bit too much.Remember that the shackle has a shoulder that will stop the squish when tightened.

I read it as 1/4" total

1/8" per side


Which I would also consider squishable

_________________
Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Emsvitil was right, it was 1/8" per bushing - stock length bushing is 1.25", the espo ones were 1 3/8.