Trail gear shackle bushing vs Energy Suspension

[CAN-03runner]

I wanted to change the rear end leaf spring shackle bushings. I bought a set of energy suspension bushings. I got fed up messing around and started cutting...

Bought a set of shackles from local 4x4 shop that comes with the the greasable bolts and bushings from trailgear.

Dilema?!?! Which bushings to use.

The bolt is an M18, so it won't need the sleeve. Both the trailgear and energy suspensino bushing slide over the bolt. The trail gear material looks shinnier and smoother, and seems like I can squish it more than the energy suspension.

The energy suspension seems harder, and feels oily/greasy...slippery and it has a smaller flared end and it is a much tighter fit around the bolt.

The trail gear turns around the bolt with ease. Meaning that I can spin it around. The energy suspension does not, it is a tighter fit but no effort required to slide it on, but just a snug fit.

Which to use, which to use.??

Here are some pictures. The left is trailgear, the right is energy suspension.

I wanted to use the energy suspension, as my understanding is that they may not disintegrate very quickly. But seeing that the trailgear can easily spin around the bolt, makes me think that it may give smoother motion and less bind. But i wonder if I really want that, but instead should be looking for some resistance and a snug fit.

 

[KidVermicious]

I'm no expert, but I'm thinking that the harder material will last longer, and the snugger fit will lead to longer life as well. I'd use the ES bushings.

 

[fourwd1]

Energy or Prothane.

 

[CAN-03runner]

Should the shackle bolts be loosed before the truck is jacked up? ?

I was able to remove the nuts on the passenger side while jacked. Maybe because they were so seized up. On the driver side, when I apply torque on the nut, the leaves flex and the shackle extends.

I'm beginning to think it was a bad idea to loosed those bolts while on jack stands.

 

[CAN-03runner]

I will follow your advice and use the ES. If only I can get that big outer metal sleeve out of there. If not, the new bushings don't fit.

That has to come out right? That is the sleeve that all the how-to talk about?

 

[CAN-03runner]

Ok, so the shackle bushings are changed to Energy suspension, with new greaseable bolts. It's like driving a Cadillac now. Wow. Ok maybe not so much but it is 10 times better for sure. My rear passenger shackle was just about completely seized and had virtually no movement, hitting a bump was often like hitting it with a solid suspension. Lifted up on a jack, bringing the axle up and down the rear passenger side shackles barely moved, while the drivers side did noticeably. So pretty easy to check it this way.

- On road test drive was very good, I found it leaned the way it should when taking a curve or corner.
- Gravel + dirt forest road to get to the trail was very good too, a noticeable improvement, no hard boucing and jolts and felt the tires stayed on the ground even at speed. Compared to in May the last time I took that particular road.
- at offroad rocky trail it was also very good and a noticable improvement. The suspension soaked up the rocks, I had more control of where I wanted to go and I didn't bounce off of stuff.

So how much of this is the ES bushings, greasable bolts, or just simply shackles that actually move back and forth? I say, shackes that actually move back and forth.

Can't wait to do the front ones now.