54 Ford Ranch Wagon with 8 " Limited Slip Dif rebuilt 9 leaf, rear springs. I plan to run traction masters, and thought the bushings should be the silent bloc type ( steel rubber steel ) instead of plan rubber in all six places ( includes shackles.) KYB white gas shocks.

Engine is a 312 mildly souped.

Is this a good idea, seems to me the rear end will stay put for what it is.



Please comment

Thanks,

Richard

I have some lowered rear springs on my 55 that have about 10,000 miles on them and I think the bushings are shot,I wish I would have looked them over before installing as they might have the all rubber bushings in the front. I will be putting original type bushings in the front when it goes on the stands so I can get it ready for the trip to Daytona in november,if your springs dont have the rubber with steel sleeve they wont last.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

The 55-56 Mercury's had the rubber bushings in the front and rear of the leaf springs without the steel sleeves and have lasted many years with no problems, and I believe the 54 fords were set up the same way. The 55-56 etc fords had the steel sleeves inside the rubber in the front of the rear springs and I feel it may be a better set up BUT, I don't know for sure for they both seem to work well with no real problems except for mostly old age rot and yes they both do wear out with alot of use as well.

-Gary Burnette-

The faster guys at Columbus who run traction masters use an aluminum bushing on the front of the springs. For a mild 312, you can probably get away with the rubber ones. If you can spin the tires, then you will benefit from some sort of traction device, something to prevent wheel hop.


Lawrenceville, GA

Does anybody make a hard plastic or higher shoreometer rubber bushing?

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Polyurethane??

After thinking about it a bit, for a vehicle that will see mostly street use, rubber will be more favorable so long as it doesn't prevent the traction device from actually improving your traction. An aluminum bushing or even hard plastic will require lubrication in order to last. This might require removing the bolts to lube every month or two if grease fittings cannot be integrated. And in this case, would bronze be a better choice? Further, a simple bushing pressed into the spring eye will prevent proper movement at the front spring eye. There will need to be a sleeve which is slightly wider than the bushing and slightly smaller on the od than the id of the bushing in order to allow the bolt to be tightened sufficiently and allow proper movement. Without this it will bind.


Lawrenceville, GA

Poly it is! I think most of them used an internal sleeve between the bolt and the poly. So the grease would need to be applied to the bolt/sleeve interface. I could use a stiffer bush on the back of the car. It's moving around too much now.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

I bought poly rear bushings from Chuck ( moonshadow ).

-Gary Burnette-