Thread: Tandem Trailer Spring Bushes

Just a bit of a note or information for a later date
Every year for registration I had the job of replacing shackle bushes on my tandem trailer. I would use those hard grey or black nylon ones that bearing shops sell. They were cheap, about $14 for the job, and about half a day's work to do the work. Not even grease-able bolts stopped the yearly half day of knee grovelling
My first Landcruiser had a similar problem but when I put Neoprene bushes in it they lasted for years. I visited my offroad suspension fellow who said that trailer sized bushes were not made but he had some that were close and sold me them
When we got them home they were too large in outside diameter and too small on the inside diameter.(What to do....) The linisher brought down the outside diameter carefully by hand. The inside diameter could not be drilled as the twist drill could not cut but just curled the neoprene and shot to the onther end of the bush.(............MMMMMM...)Large rat tailed file carefully opened out the diameter.
Installed with rubber grease as normal.............The trailer has gone through 2 regos now with no signs of worn bushes
Also what was happening to the eyes in the springs was that they were starting to open over time so the OD of the hard nylon ones was getting too small and I was having to shim them But all that has stopped now with the neoprene. They were $25 for the set but I think it was wellspent