SKU: PP202198
Polyurethane bushing from the spring Merсedes LP 1963-1984
In stock15 pcs.$3.71Log in as dealer
Leaf Spring Bushings
Leaf spring bushings are the compliant sleeves in the spring eye and shackle that tie a leaf spring pack to the frame. Every pound of payload and every braking load passes through them. PolyPro molds polyurethane leaf spring bushings for pickups, vans, heavy trucks and trailers — see the full range in polyurethane parts for trucks.
What Leaf Spring Bushings Do
A leaf spring mounts to the frame at two points. The front eye rides on a fixed hanger pin, where the bushing locates the axle and stops it walking sideways. The rear end hangs on a shackle: under load the pack flattens and grows longer, and the shackle bushings give it that travel.
The bushing is a plain bearing and a damper at once: it carries payload weight, angular rotation on every bump, braking shock, and side loads. It does that fully exposed to salt, grit and water. Frame mounts take the same abuse, so check body mount bushings on the same lift.
Symptoms of Bad Leaf Spring Bushings
Bad leaf spring bushings announce themselves long before anything breaks. First a dry squeak as the body rocks or you climb a curb — the pin binding in a worn eye. Then a dull knock under load.
Symptoms to Check For
- squeaking as the body rocks, over curbs and in cold weather;
- a dull knock from the rear under payload;
- visible pin play in the spring eye or shackle when pried;
- rust dust around the hanger, eye bore worn oval, rubber squeezed out;
- rear axle steer in corners, wandering in ruts, uneven rear tire wear.
Once the bushing is gone, the pin and spring eye wear too — a cheap job becomes spring replacement.
Polyurethane vs Rubber Leaf Spring Bushings
Rubber leaf spring bushings rarely survive a full service interval on a working vehicle. Constant static load makes rubber take a compression set and sag; salt, diesel and oil attack it from outside; cold makes it crumble. With no outer shell in a spring eye to contain it, a collapsed bushing simply squeezes out.
Polyurethane gains more here than anywhere else in the suspension: it carries compression without permanent set, so the pin stays concentric and the fastener holds its torque. It shrugs off salt, fuel and grease and stays elastic from roughly -50 to +100 °C. Expect three to five times the service life of rubber, with ride height and pinion angle holding under load. The honest trade-off is a firmer material passing more small impacts to the frame.
How to Choose and Install Leaf Spring Bushings
A spring pack uses two bushing types, and they are not interchangeable. Work out which point is worn: the front eye, the shackle, or both.
Leaf Spring Eye Bushings
The leaf spring eye bushing sits in the rolled end of the main leaf and rides on the hanger pin — the most heavily loaded point in the assembly. Three numbers define it: inside diameter at the pin, outside diameter at the eye bore, and overall length. Measure the pin and the bore, not the old part — a worn bushing reads oversize. On Class 8 tractors and heavy-duty pickups the front eye is the standard wear point.
Shackle Bushings
The shackle links the rear of the spring to the frame and absorbs the change in pack length. Each shackle takes two bushings, upper and lower, usually shorter than the eye bushing. Worn ones give a different symptom: not a knock but rear axle steer and a loose feel in corners.
Replace both bushings in a shackle as a set and check the pins while it is apart — a scored pin will chew a new bushing.
Removal and Installation
Support the frame so the spring is unloaded, then pull the pin. Old bushings come out with a press, a bushing driver, or a long bolt with a socket and pipe as a puller. A hacksaw blade is the last resort on seized sleeves. Clean the bore to bare metal and press the new bushing in square with silicone assembly lube.
Fit by Vehicle and Durometer
Filter the catalog by vehicle type — pickup, cargo van, Class 8 tractor, trailer — then by make, model and the three measurements. One size often fits several builds, so the numbers matter more than the model name. Standard durometer suits unladen or partly loaded use; the firmer grade is for constant payload, towing and rough ground. Heavy trucks often need bushings with outer shell for torque rods in the same repair.
Product Photos
Why Buy Leaf Spring Bushings from PolyPro — Wholesale and Retail
PolyPro molds its own polyurethane, so pricing is manufacturer-direct at retail and at wholesale under the partner program, and the parts are warranted. Much of the working fleet is discontinued or modified, so we make leaf spring bushings to order from a drawing, a sample or your worn part, one piece minimum. The rest of the range is in the polyurethane auto parts catalog.
Frequently asked questions
What are the symptoms of bad leaf spring bushings?
Look for squeaking as the body rocks or over curbs, a dull knock from the rear under load, and visible pin play when you pry the spring eye or shackle. Rust dust around the hanger is another early sign; advanced wear shows up as rear axle steer in corners, wandering in ruts and uneven rear tire wear.
How do you remove leaf spring bushings?
Support the frame so the spring is unloaded and pull the hanger pin. Drive the old bushing out with a press or bushing driver, or use a long bolt with a socket and pipe as a puller. Seized steel-sleeved bushings may need a hacksaw blade through the shell. Clean the bore to bare metal before fitting the new part.
How do you install leaf spring bushings correctly?
Deburr and clean the eye bore, coat the bushing with silicone assembly lube, and press it in square — never hammer it in at an angle. Fit the pin, then lower the vehicle onto its wheels before torquing the nuts. Torquing at full droop preloads the bushing and shortens its life.
How much does leaf spring bushing replacement cost?
The parts themselves are inexpensive; labor drives the bill, since the spring must be unloaded and the pin removed. Doing all four corners at once is far cheaper than one at a time. Polyurethane bushings run three to five times longer than rubber, so you pay the labor once rather than every couple of seasons.
How long do polyurethane leaf spring bushings last?
Three to five times as long as rubber — commonly 60,000 to 90,000 miles or more depending on load and road surface. Polyurethane does not take a compression set under constant payload, does not crack with age, and shrugs off road salt, diesel and grease. PolyPro warrants its parts.
Can I buy a single leaf spring bushing at retail?
Yes. Retail is sold by the piece, so one bushing for one spring eye is a normal order, and a size outside the range is molded to a drawing, a sample or your worn part, one piece minimum. The price is manufacturer-direct in either case, and the warranty applies to a single bushing as it does to a batch.
How do fleets and truck shops order leaf spring bushings in volume?
Volume buyers order straight from the casting shop, with no distributor between production and the workshop. The partner program covers repeat supply: bonuses on turnover or on the size of one order, access to prices, stock and shipping dates, and shipment under the partner's own brand.