Wet bolt bushing question

[FlyStar]

I’m planning on replacing the wet bolt bushings. I have a CRE 3000. I know I can get the spring eye bushing out and the new ones in. My question is, do I need special tools or a press or something to get the CRE 3000 bushings out and in?

[JCR GD]

You shouldn't need anything special. At worst you can drive the old one out with the new one.

[Hoopy Frood]

About the only thing might be a reamer for the new bushings. Some of them get really tight after being pressed in.

[msutoad]

About the only thing might be a reamer for the new bushings. Some of them get really tight after being pressed in.

I replaced all of mine. For the CRE3000, you need a press to get one bushing in specifically on each device. It was the only way I could get them in without damaging the bushing since they are brass and so soft. It would be on the small side of the CRE3000 side. Let me know if you need pics. It was not a particularly hard job, but it was time consuming, and took some creative thinking to get things lined up just right. I replaced all of them on my MO381 (tri-axle) in about 5 hours which included jacking it up, tire removal, bushing removal and installation (took a food break too). So not horrible, but messy and not super fast…
Good luck

[Hoopy Frood]

If you use one of the bolts in the bushing when installing, it will help keep the ID of the bushing closer to size.

[FlyStar]

I replaced all of mine. For the CRE3000, you need a press to get one bushing in specifically on each device. It was the only way I could get them in without damaging the bushing since they are brass and so soft. It would be on the small side of the CRE3000 side. Let me know if you need pics. It was not a particularly hard job, but it was time consuming, and took some creative thinking to get things lined up just right. I replaced all of them on my MO381 (tri-axle) in about 5 hours which included jacking it up, tire removal, bushing removal and installation (took a food break too). So not horrible, but messy and not super fast…
Good luck

msutoad. How many miles were on the old bushings? What kind of shape were they in? Thanks.

[geotex1]

@FlyStar MORryde machines them for a snug fit for the bushings they buy. You can drive them out, but please do so with a drift. Smacking bronze bushings is a no-no, so driving old out with new will put stress cracks in them. You can press them in with a shop press or simply a long bolt from the hardware store with a couple washers and a nut. Try to select that bolt so the unthreaded length is the same as the bushing. Do note that the tolerances for the bushings aren't firmly established, and you may find a brand other than MORryde uses will just drop in.

The bushings in the equalizer will last way longer than in the spring eyes because of the good fits and full support around the circumference. The spring eyes, on the other hand, cause deformation and the bushings grind and fracture apart more quickly.

[FlyStar]

Thanks for that. Maybe I’ll just replace the spring eye bushings and wait until the cre3000 rubber is shot to deal with them.

[msutoad]

msutoad. How many miles were on the old bushings? What kind of shape were they in? Thanks.

On my first 5 I replaced, I had 10K miles and didnt know anything was wrong other than they would not take grease. This is the first 5



Then I changed the rest 1200 miles later.



Then after 2400 miles I had 2 go bad already, so here is one. It is next to a new one for comparison only.



I Grease the originals every 6 months. Maint requires greasing per GDRV 12 months or every 12K miles. I did it more often than that on the original set. On this last pic, that is after 2400 miles and greasing it every 600 miles literally. So, there is an issue, they agree I’m not over weights, showed the cat scales and all the stuff in the rig, as well as measured all the welds.

Hope this helps. I think people dont know theirs are worn out, or when theirs failures they still took grease so they kept on going .

[FlyStar]

Wow. I will definitely have a look at all of them when I get her up in the air this spring. I have 20,000 miles on the originals. Probably need replaced based on the input here.