68 rear leaf bushings

[Banjo]

Ok, continuing the rehab of Otis, the drunk truck, he got out of rehab (front end rebuild), but rear leaf spring bushings need help. Is this something I can do without pulling leafs and taking to machine shop or would I be better off just sucking it up adn going ahead and pulling leaves rather than monkeying with it. I guess I'm just use stock rubber type or maybe poly? These are plain leaves, not any special helper springs or anything.
Also, to further demonstrate my ignorance, where is the fill plug on the 9 inch rear? I understand fill till you can reach in and touch fluid, but where is the dang hole I can't see?

[fordman]

the plug hole is on the side of the third member . the drivers side. half way up the center.

[Banjo]

I found it during my plundering about under Otis, the drunk truck, today. Under about 1/2" old grease/clay. What weight rear lube (it's a non-posi I'm sure of that) and which finger do I reach in, any that'll fit? I'm guessing from feel of the sunken plug I tryed to get clay out of, I can poke a 1/2" extension in there to remove plug?

[Banjo]

Oh, also does anyone make adjustable bands for the leaves? I noticed mine had slid out of place and they are just a notched band. This has allowed my lowest leave (shortest) to come loose from the "pack" of leaves. I know if I loosened the ubolts I could tap them back into place, but unless the new band were made better than the old, it'd loosen up and slip too, or is just just something that happens over time?
My inspection found really weak rubbery bushings where the leaves join body and leaf packs attempting to work themselves loose from factory crimped bands both front and aft of differential. I think I see where some of my drunk Otis' pushing the truck around coming from, front and rear end was worn out. I did manage to install new rear shocks today, but more work to do on rear suspension now.

[fordman]

80 / 90 weight

[Nausea]

On the bushings... depends on what you want. The poly bushings will require that you remove the outer bushing sleeves, the original (rubber) style will re-use them. The sleeves can be removed without taking the springs off, but the effort required while on a fully assembled truck might be a wash
For some ideas, see http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... hp?t=25944