Got a set of Poly rear spring bushings, for my 66 Valiant. When I ordered them, I was asked if the spring eyes were 1 1/2 inch or 2 inch. I tried to measure the eye with the old bushing etill in the spring, and came up with approx 1 3/8. Told PST the spring eyes were 1 3/8, and they told me they "A" body only had 1 1/2 or 2 inch. They sent the 1 1/2 inch. I just removed the old bushings, and the spring eye is 1.370 inch dia, without the sleeve. The new bushings are 1.505. I don't see any way these bushings will press into the eye. Also the front bolts is 7/16 dia, and the new bushing takes a 1/2 bolt. That is not a problem, I can drill the front mount bracket. Has else anyone had this problem, and how did you solve it?

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

This happened to me on my '66 Valiant recently. I apologize if I didn't post that problem, but I thought I had. I think the app they sell is for an early Mustang or something.

I have access to a lathe, so I just turned down the bushings to fit the spring eyes, and drilled out the perches as you say. Without a lathe, I might have tried to whittle them down with a sander or a blade. You might just mount them in a drill chuck on a bolt and sand them that way?

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Lou, you may have posted and I didn't pay attention. I hadn't planned on doing this. When I went to install the 3.91 SG rear, I found the bushings shot. The price and time frame for delivery of either poly or rubber was the same, so I went for Poly. I'm not going to mess with them. I payed $50 for bushings for a 66 Valiant. Didn't get them, so they can take them back. I'm tired of this kind of crap. I'll get the correct ones someware else, it PST cannot supply them. I can't get the car ready for the Ga race, anyway, so it is not a big rush.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I got my poly bushings from espo. Works great. No squeaks or anything.

I called Espo with the intention of buying poly bushings for the leafs, but they talked me out of it. My volare uses an oval front spring eye that is prone to breakage, stock. Aftermarket replacement main leaves are round. I was told that if there were ANY doubt as to spring condition, any flaws would be aggravated by the harder bushings and teh chances that theyd break would be increased. I had that problem on my last Diplomat ex squad. Had a rattle in the back that I couldn't find the 1st couple times under the car, found it by chance one day as I was changing U joints, happened to look over and saw them broken. They DID leave me kicking myself though, by the time that I'd finished ordering my bushings, though.
I had taken 2 sets of leaf springs into the local spring shop, none had any busted leaves, just weak and saggy, so I asked them to get me 1 set rearched and slightly built up so as to raise the rear an inch-1-1/2" over stock, they could mix-n-match as they saw fit between the 2 sets to get what I wanted. They charged me $156 with the only new parts being binding straps and those plastic "hockey pucks" that they seperate the leaves with. They did nothing with the bushings. So I called Espo to buy bushings, and all told, I have $225 in this set of rebuilt springs, and I coulda bought a new set of 5 leaf springs, bushings and all, for $150! Needless to say I don't use this shop's services any more. I called them for a quote to do the same for my 97 Ram 1500 4X4, THEY SAID $400-$425, WHETHER I TOOK THEM THE WHOLE TRUCK OR JUST THE SPRINGS!!!
Wound up going about 40 miles away and having it done for $300, and they did all the work, all I had to do was drive the truck there.
Anyway, I popped out the old front bushings and sandblasted the springs for my car (I didn't re-disassemble them), made sure to get in the eyes where the bushings go real good and put a few coats of POR 15 on them. HAd I known that this place was gonna scorch me so bad, I'd have stripped them down and cut the main leaf down from the 2nd set and reassembled them myself, or ordered a new set.

Called PST, and talked to customer service. They don't have any bushings that will work (poly or rubber). We are doing a return and refund. Ordered stock type bushings from NAPA. Their catalog shows one part number for the 6 six cylinder and a different part number for the V-8. There is no size chart, and the pics look the same, so I ordered both part numbers, and will post the difference when I get them.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Charlie, I had great success with espo, and they knew exactly what does fit mopars. All the stuff I've used so far, fit perfectly. I have not put in my poly bushings, but they are on the workbench if you want me to take some comparison measurements.

I'm finally back from my coast-coast slant parts gathering spree and start a new job monday (finally!) so I've been a bit harried.

MJ

The correct part number for the NAPA front spring bushings is the six cyl one, 274-8266. The one they list for the V-8 is a 2 inch dia bushing. I think that is for the 60-62 Darts, when they were full size cars. When the Darts were changed the "A" bodies, noone corrected the catalog.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I alwasy use rubber in the front eye and urethane in the rear bushing. It seems to me you would want a little flex out of the front so as not to put to much stress on the rear shcakles under hard cornering.
But I have no scientific proof.
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