Prothane Spring Bushing Problem.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 222
Likes: 8
From: Sandy Utah
Prothane Spring Bushing Problem.
Nothing goes right on this project.
I purchased new rear leaf springs for my 1959 roadster. I bought Prothane urethane bushings for the springs. The shackle bushings fit, but the front spring bushings have “lips” that protrude from the front spring eye that will not allow the spring + bushing to fit into the hanger. I can remove the “lips” with my bandsaw but am unsure how to proceed. Intuition tells me to remove the inner lip so the head of the hanger pin will engage with the hanger hole.
anybody else experience this dilemma?
Thanks.
I purchased new rear leaf springs for my 1959 roadster. I bought Prothane urethane bushings for the springs. The shackle bushings fit, but the front spring bushings have “lips” that protrude from the front spring eye that will not allow the spring + bushing to fit into the hanger. I can remove the “lips” with my bandsaw but am unsure how to proceed. Intuition tells me to remove the inner lip so the head of the hanger pin will engage with the hanger hole.
anybody else experience this dilemma?
Thanks.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 222
Likes: 8
From: Sandy Utah
You don’t like urethane, eh? May I ask why you prefer rubber, as I respect your advice?
So, here’s another? This was gonna be a dad n lad project, but lad got a good job which wears him out, so it has become a 71 year old dad project. Dad needs surgery on his rotator cuff (supraspinatus tendon 90% toast) but can’t get surgery during this crisis. So it was very difficult for me to get the urethane bushings in the shackles and install the rear of the spring.
What is your opinion of running urethane at the rear of the spring and rubber on the front of the spring? Mismatch?
thank you for taking your time to respond.
So, here’s another? This was gonna be a dad n lad project, but lad got a good job which wears him out, so it has become a 71 year old dad project. Dad needs surgery on his rotator cuff (supraspinatus tendon 90% toast) but can’t get surgery during this crisis. So it was very difficult for me to get the urethane bushings in the shackles and install the rear of the spring.
What is your opinion of running urethane at the rear of the spring and rubber on the front of the spring? Mismatch?
thank you for taking your time to respond.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 15,408
Likes: 8,842
From: northern california
C2 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
My dislike of poly bushings stems from their long standing reputation for self destruction in even normal use. In contrast, rubber bushings last a good long while, measurable in decades.
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
[QUOTE=Larphred;1601255312]You don’t like urethane, eh? May I ask why you prefer rubber, as I respect your advice?
So, here’s another? This was gonna be a dad n lad project, but lad got a good job which wears him out, so it has become a 71 year old dad project. Dad needs surgery on his rotator cuff (supraspinatus tendon 90% toast) but can’t get surgery during this crisis. So it was very difficult for me to get the urethane bushings in the shackles and install the rear of the spring.
What is your opinion of running urethane at the rear of the spring and rubber on the front of the spring? Mismatch?
thank you for taking your time to respond.[/QUOT
I just did two C3s that I have a 78 PC and a 79 I put Polys on both front and back and I used shorter bolts on the 79 as I wanted a little Rake in the stance... Ride is nice and firm, time will tell how they hold up. I agree the scissor jack no jack stands is a bit dangerous
So, here’s another? This was gonna be a dad n lad project, but lad got a good job which wears him out, so it has become a 71 year old dad project. Dad needs surgery on his rotator cuff (supraspinatus tendon 90% toast) but can’t get surgery during this crisis. So it was very difficult for me to get the urethane bushings in the shackles and install the rear of the spring.
What is your opinion of running urethane at the rear of the spring and rubber on the front of the spring? Mismatch?
thank you for taking your time to respond.[/QUOT
I just did two C3s that I have a 78 PC and a 79 I put Polys on both front and back and I used shorter bolts on the 79 as I wanted a little Rake in the stance... Ride is nice and firm, time will tell how they hold up. I agree the scissor jack no jack stands is a bit dangerous
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
I just did two C3s that I have a 78 PC and a 79 I put Polys on both front and back and I used shorter bolts on the 79 as I wanted a little Rake in the stance... Ride is nice and firm, time will tell how they hold up. I agree the scissor jack no jack stands is a bit dangerous
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 8,913
Likes: 283
The late JohnZ explained that most suspension joints need spherical compliance although at first glance there action may be only in a single plane, it's not. I've ridden in several "hot rods" with poly in every location and they wrote like **** and squeaked.
