HELP!!! Rear leaf spring bushing came out while driving

[mycarsucks]

I was driving my grand prix down the road when I heard a thump. Looked in rear view mirror to see a black thing on the road. Stopped and looked under the car to find that there was no rubber bushing on the end of the leaf. Can I drive 60 miles home? Or should I try jacking up on the leaf and sliding a rag or something under there? I am still on the side of the road and wondering what to do. Thanks

[White93z34]

To get home you'll be fine.

Get it fixed soon as possible though

[mycarsucks]

Got home driving it rawdog. Does this look OK or should I consider getting a junkyard spring to replace it with

[White93z34]

should be ok once you replace those isolator pads

 

[mycarsucks]

Do you replace by jacking up on the leaf and putting the pad in or do you have to remove the spring

[Schurkey]

In a perfect world, you'd replace the rubber pads AND install the hard nylon spacer blocks.

I have a few posts on that page, but the photos are long-gone.

There was a time that folks including me thought the nylon spacer blocks replaced the rubber pads.  Not true.

But at least replace the rubber pads.  You'll need to compress the spring for access to clean the spring, apply the SPECIAL glue, and add the rubber pads.

GM/Kent-Moore made a "special tool" to compress the spring.  Another option is to build your own spring compressor.  Cheaper than getting the "real" tool from eBay or wherever, but requires some fabrication.

Plastic blocks are NAPA 274-7050 or equivalent.

Make sure the leaf spring is centered in the casting, otherwise when you jack it up, it gets caught on the iron.  If this happens, cram the spring over so it clears.

Edited July 1 by Schurkey

[mycarsucks]

Would using a wood block on the leaf and jacking up on it with a floorjack also work? If not could someone provide a link to buy the spring compressor

[Schurkey]

You might be able to jack the spring up with a floor jack and block of wood.

You can make the spring compressor like I did.

You can MAYBE buy a spring compressor--the genuine GM "special tool" J-35778--from eBay.  That's where I got mine, years after I invented my own.

Here's what I saw five minutes ago in a quick search.  There are probably more than these three.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/232298800593?epid=658340117&itmmeta=01J1RP7PQ5BMFEJY36K0Z1CQFX&hash=item36161665d1:g:jmkAAOSw2gxYxCfs&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAABAAuomCLRTva3nsMQQHdc0367d9Uc1Rt0x%2FjNKySS7gAm2LTSr9X%2Bm0KPVSJXPHJw%2Bffu3PgZ4Ry9kZCKNLM%2FR5PECdWOFMEUZo493BedracUuoYX5ZZZhq%2FT%2BwmSG0AGQ8OytAvMt0%2FGz8LbNsnwbTHMzvSJ0na5EWv9NJ3w5eect56n--hUswLKXKLRe0hlZdG%2BQ%2BNkgSJjLW8HkvTmlP1u8RKBmPVk1656Z10BpCGz9qRtNe47PLHjt9QfAt8%2BfTedGWoiVcW5vnTWRmfNYbtFoAwB6pljwvbXCPlhCLt7EzLbj2Pns7KE0CXumx7gnOATkC6aDTuBl0B4Oddwpes%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR87rnpaOZA

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166711174614?epid=658340117&itmmeta=01J1RP7PQ5KHEY81NAS4RD969H&hash=item26d0c2a5d6:g:Y8cAAOSwsOpmGbH1&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAABAGOsM4YoNoqNCvK71tKa7xlX8w%2BMuS2ckObPUsQUpdMUiFVE4ILQsFzGBK%2BEnIEQqEbuRSskUxIChcx8ppwWRI0qBQVoxg1joG8CSRY0OdLPyC32GBKpqtth8pKXOUdjZLx0HJ523Yw0YIwRhpmmyZHYp%2FADcPXczxCzow4iRHVYyX6LAp1FzhO2gEvZ4f3XXz7EHILZJjMlOcihPWwqX%2FiJzM8ahDSq8sdfA4YB4u1uUw5JYPayF9Xy613EdESLM4gIY2WoJewLgMgbeIe3pTlX0ZTTaauNrbcxzG78%2FYjLDc107nWU9WlXIfUJpu7ato4Z%2BdDDXF5ZEswZ772wOxA%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR87rnpaOZA

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323790072412?epid=658340117&itmmeta=01J1RP7PQ581HWG4P2EMGB4T96&hash=item4b63646a5c:g:R60AAOSwTM5Y0FSg&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAABAMaw3e7eaCP5E8iXHEco5N7RfhH11eI5Lk75vBV2zBdSHfZxrxfYo7DXYlHdjUjH9HfpRX3NczRCEPjjZinEKPUV3JxrNwCGd6wFEprCHkjxHleE9l6VwQHvgBaMMmV2GWkVcOtagImE%2F0cbB8OnOShcP8jvj%2FrTOu3vNy0lHiCS37xrpEA9aVzlCWq9UVMmdhLJQUI0MJnoFGb004%2Fhfdh4iZ43%2BjikJGlEUEMUC5tInK5EURhoZE%2BuSvNg5%2BeA9b6lc1ZdEph88wuWhrDef%2B1kRwTDAgFzxFAHgn0fkPXyWPhSm5Mr6VwvNI5W2HyCmrlstKsjh99NlkziR6Cnbo4%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR87rnpaOZA

 

Edited July 2 by Schurkey

[White93z34]

The only issue I've had with those plastic blocks is if you have a strong spring it has a tendency to push the back end of the car up too much.

Granted I'm probably in the absolute minority given 90% of these leaf springs tend to sag.

[Schurkey]

If the car has a strong rear leaf spring, the blocks aren't needed.  Their entire purpose is to lift the ass-end of the car by the thickness of the plastic block.

[55trucker]

^ don't necessarily agree with that synopsis, the purpose of the nylon *replacement* block is to provide a *soft* sliding surface for the end of the spring to move back & forth on so the spring doesn't rub against the cast iron knuckle which would destroy the spring in short order.

Dorman does make an OEM replacement for the lost rubber insulator, but there's much to do to get the bottom side of the old spring clean enough so that the included adhesive with stay there.

Your knuckle castings are looking mighty rough, a smooth surface is needed for the rubber isolator to properly flex, all that rust more than likely had something to do with the isolator breaking free.

Edited July 6 by 55trucker

[Schurkey]

8 hours ago, 55trucker said:

^ don't necessarily agree with that synopsis, the purpose of the nylon *replacement* block is to provide a *soft* sliding surface for the end of the spring to move back & forth on so the spring doesn't rub against the cast iron knuckle which would destroy the spring in short order.

The rubber pad glued to the spring protects the spring from the rough surface of the iron.

The plastic block is for lifting the ass-end about 3/4 of an inch.

[mycarsucks]

Do you glue the nylon pad to the spring or to the knuckle? I am confused on how this plastic block is supposed to replace the rubber one as it looks completely different on my screen. 

The part comes in a week am I OK to drive on it until then or will I destroy the spring

Edited July 7 by mycarsucks

[55trucker]

here is the link to the Dorman item....

the instructions are included with the kit

I personally wouldn't drive the car, rusted cast iron is harder than fiberglas, one doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure which of the two will give way to the other.

 

https://www.dormanproducts.com/gsearch.aspx?year=1993&make=Pontiac&model=Grand%20Prix&origin=YMM&parttype=Suspension%20-%20Leaf%20Spring%20Insulator

[mycarsucks]

I already bought the nylon ones. Are they not good to use? None of the parts stores have that doorman one in stock and I guess I was wrong about the shipping on the nylon ones, they are coming tomorrow. I might just put the nylon ones in but is it true that they damage the spring

[mycarsucks]

Also do I have to use the GM adhesive or would rtv or epoxy work too? I have read on corvette forums that window weld works well for leaf spring bushing 

 

Edited July 7 by mycarsucks

[Schurkey]

12 hours ago, mycarsucks said:

Do you glue the nylon pad to the spring or to the knuckle? I am confused on how this plastic block is supposed to replace the rubber one as it looks completely different on my screen. 

The part comes in a week am I OK to drive on it until then or will I destroy the spring

The plastic blocks DO NOT "replace" the rubber pad, although that was a common misconception when I installed them on my cars.  My cars went years with the fiberglass spring rubbing on the nylon pads--but that's not how they're SUPPOSED to work.

You need the rubber pad on each end of the spring whether or not you have the nylon blocks.  The new rubber pads come with "special" glue, in fact it's so "special" that they won't ship it in the winter because it's not supposed to freeze in the tube.  Once it's applied and dried, it can freeze, but not before then.  (Or the glue is different now...)  The rubber pads protect the spring, and are ESSENTIAL.  The plastic blocks are nothing more or less than a spacer that lifts the back of the car by the thickness of the block, to compensate for the spring settling.

The plastic blocks are held in place by the tension of the spring.  No glue, no muss, no fuss.  Pop 'em into place and you're done.

Edited July 7 by Schurkey