What is the best way to replace scout ll body bushings?

Heath M

Heath M

Member
Sorry if this is in the forums somewhere. If it is I couldn't find it in any section.

What is the best way to replace the body bushings with only a hi lift jack? I am afraid that I will tweak the body if I do it wrong.

Do you lift and replace each corner individually, a side at a time, whole body at once?

Thanks for your help in advance.
 
I used a floor jack and 4x4s. To replace the back mounts I left the front mounts bolted but loose, and disconnect the rest, jacked up the back to clear and replaced. Tightened the back,then jacked up the front, left the centers loose until front and back were in. Shade tree but it worked.
 
I loosened all the body mount bolts… or took the nuts off. Then I lifted the back, front and each side…one at a time. I used a floor jack and a long board.
 
Stay away from using the hi-lift jack for replacing those bushings. It could be done that way - but not safely in my opinion. You would be better off with a floor jack like what others have posted.

Loosen all eight body mount bolts but don't remove. Then pick one side of vehicle - passenger side or driver's side. Then using floor jack and some 2x4 wood (so ya don't warp the floor board in Scout) and take out 4 bolts on one side (let's say the driver side) from front to back and lift that side of body off the frame. Then remove the old bushings and install new bushings. There maybe a steel sleeve that ya might have to cut off in order to completely remove old bushing. Once you replace the four bushings on that one side of vehicle, I would recomend replacing the bolts with new ones too while you're at it. Then move onto the other side and do the same thing.

I replaced the body bushings in 2 scouts already. And I'm about to do my third one soon. But this time I am making one inch body spacers. I posted pics on the last page in my build thread
 
I just did mine the same way that scooter did except I used soapy water and soaked the bushings. That way they were pretty easy to remove. I used a large screw driver to pry the bushings out between the body and frame mount.
 
It's been a long time, but I did mine pretty much like scooter does. One side at a time with all the bolts loose.
 
Scout-it-out said:
I loosened all the body mount bolts… or took the nuts off. Then I lifted the back, front and each side…one at a time. I used a floor jack and a long board.
Click to expand...


I did mine this way too, but I had to cut off the nuts/bolts as they were not coming loose. I soaked them over night with liquid wrench and still no go. I used a sawsall and then a cutoff wheel, then went to the torch for the rest:icon_eek: just remove all 8 nuts first.

No worries about the body bending they are tough.
 
They were tough when they were new:)

30+ years of deterioration May leave your Scout in a slightly less tough state. Search these forums - you'll find plenty of folks who had door alignment issues because the body mount under the door rusted out. Clearly, those tubs sagged a little.

Before I replaced my body mounts, my radiator was fine. Afterwards, it leaked. It's possible these events were unrelated, but I think they were. Support the lift well (long 2x4), and don't lift any higher than you need to.
 
Your right, us California folks don't really know what rust is. But if that's the case a lot more than the body mounts needs to be replaced.
 
Good comment on the radiator. It May make sense to remove the two bolts on one side or the other to remove stress on the radiator before lifting the body.
 
I wanna thank all of you for your input. From what I read so far, I am going to lift a side at a time-driver/passenger. I will take a long 2x4 and place it under there, running front to back, and use a floor jack to lift, after all bolts are loosened.

I assume I will need to place the long board close to or under the rockers, as the body mount plates don't leave to much room.

Once again, thanks all!

Oh, and thanks for the radiator notice.
 
Btw - since I'm getting ready to replace the bushings in my 73 beast, I am currently making 1" body lift spacers. The current 2" spacers that one of the previous owners installed, they ended up using 2" pipe. The pipe further degraded the oem bushings. And I'm not going to install new bushings with p.o. Virus
100_0691.jpg
 
scooter said:
btw - since I'm getting ready to replace the bushings in my 73 beast, I am currently making 1" body lift spacers. The current 2" spacers that one of the previous owners installed, they ended up using 2" pipe. The pipe further degraded the oem bushings. And I'm not going to install new bushings with p.o. Virus
100_0691.jpg
Click to expand...

I knowthis May sound stupid, but I rather sound stupid then do it wrong. In the picture you attached, there is the more coned shape bushing. My question is if the taper goes away from the body mount (towards the ground) or up? Logically, at least to me, it seems the wider side would press against the body mount and tapered side away.
 
Not a stupid question at all.

I posted another photo of them installed in my build thread. Titled "73 beast" in the chit chat section. It shows the non tapered large piece sandwiched between the body lift part I made and the body. The tapered bushing half is mounted under the frame mount
 
So that others have a step-by-step....I replaced all the bushing with no problem on the bolts.
  • I loosened all bushing bolts.
  • I used two 2x4's, to distribute the weight, placed under the doors on the side I was working on. And lifted just high enough to slide out old bushings and slide in new ones (pulled bolt out first). Keep doors closed. Once lifted, the door latches seemed to be keeping the body from snapping in half.
  • I used wire cutters to snip the bottom potion of the old rubber bushings
  • I then pinched as much of the bushing edge that I could ,near the cut, with a pair of vice grips and twisted. This caused the bottom portion to tear off cleanly all the way around, up against the body mount
  • I then used the vice grip to pinch the wall of the metal tube in the bushing and wiggle it out.
  • I then slid the old bushing out and the new ones in and put the bolts through and thread on nut just enough
  • I then did other side
  • lastly, I removed jack and tightened up all nuts until they were good an tight.
  • I measured again to check hieights

The problems I did have are:
  1. Removing the the screws from the metal strips that hold down the floor vinyl at driver, pasenger sides and rear at lift gate had to have the heads grinded off to remove metal strip, to access the bushing bolt in floor pan. I also found some bad rusting spots.
  • The fan now hits the shroud on the bottom. I have no idea what to do to fix this. Any ideas? Would using plumbers tape (the metal stuff with holes in it) work to offset the shroud down a bit
  • The bottom plate attached to the radiator came loose on driver side. Looks like it was only tacked on. It protects the bottom of the radiator coils. Not sure what to do to reattach it.


All in all the plain, new bushings raised the body about 2". That is a plus. Some of the old bushings were smashed to about 1/4" thick or less.

Now if I can get that shroud positioned somehow, I can start the engine without a very loud bunch of noise.
 
scooter said:
not a stupid question at all.

I posted another photo of them installed in my build thread. Titled "73 beast" in the chit chat section. It shows the non tapered large piece sandwiched between the body lift part I made and the body. The tapered bushing half is mounted under the frame mount
Click to expand...

Thanks. I checked it out. I put them in right.:)
 
Just finished mine today and I have the same shroud issue. This would lead me to believe that the motor mounts are sucked down too low but the engine does not move under torque at all. I ovaled out the holes to drop the shroud but I don't have enough material to get it low enough. I have two plates riveted on the side of the shroud that shouldn't be there so I am guessing that the po "modified" it for some reason. Either going to build a bracket to accomolish the drop or grind the riveted brackets off and utilize weather stripping to seal it all back up. I don't remember, but I believe the shroud was a two piece set up so you didn't have to remove the fan to remove it. If anyone can confirm that it is in fact two piece that would be great. Fyi I installed the Energy Suspension bushings (no body lift), motor is rebuilt (per po), motor mounts look great (no tourque bend under throttle as well as visual), rpt mounts under the 727 (in the last year). This Scout is a dd (my wife's) so believe me I spend a lot of time just making sure it is running perfect. :sosp:
 
Stock fan shrouds are one piece. It would be nice if the top half could be removed separately, but no dice without making the modification yourself...carefully. Them thangs iz brittle.
 
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