Stumped on Leaf spring bushings

[KorbinRock]

Hi, made an account just to ask about this issue, love this forum and reading all of the helpful stuff on here and hope I can figure out the issue here.
I've been trying to replace my front leafspring mounts on my 1993 2wd ford ranger, got the drivers side one off after a lot of hassle and work, and pushed out the front bushing with a lot of hammering and drilling at the rubber. Also bought new bushings to replace them, however there's no way it seems they could fit. The front leafspring eye on a caliper (the most accurate one I've ever held despite the grime on the dial, and I've held a fair amount of calipers) reads ~1.550 to ~1.590, but the bushings outer diameter is listed as 1 and 11/16 online, and I could not find a smaller size for forward leafspring bushings anywhere. Weirder yet, the actual bushing reads like ~1.645 but I'm pretty sure 1 and 11/16 should be something like 1.685. The old leafspring bushing didn't seem to have any kind of metal bushing that needed pushed out, but the inside of the eye looks pretty messy. Tried cleaning it up with a wire brush and some other things but the results were limited and I'm unsure if it should look so messy on the inside or not (pictures will be attached.)
Tomorrow when I have time I'm gonna try and get the rear leafspring bushing out and see if the rear ones I also bought fit, and that maybe it's only the front that's having an issue.

Anywhere I look online at leafspring eye diameters doesn't seem to yield a match to anything I have, but maybe I also just don't know where to look, and maybe I'm also just making serious rookie mistakes.
I've attached pictures of the old punched out bolt and metal sleeve, the leafspring eyes, and the measurements I got of both the bushing and the inner leafspring eye. Thank you for any help in advance and apologies if this is somehow a really silly issue with a really easy answer haha, I'm a fan of this forum so admittedly I'm a bit nervous about looking silly or doing something wrong for my first post.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Pics 3 and 4;
It looks to me as there is still scale that needs cleaning out. Take a hammer and punch to it and see if it flakes off.

 

[89Twincharge]

It's been some time(15years) but last time I did bushings there wasn't a steel case? then again I did get poly ones...

 

[89Twincharge]

Also half round file will help get the scale out of the eyelet just have a little grace with it

 

[Roert42]

I had a similar issue when I tried replacing the bushings on a 92 F150, tried pressing the bushings in, but they did not want to go. I ended up buying new springs and a second set of bushings, they popped right in.

Could try a press, and some lube.

 

[BlackBII]

Have you seen this article? There's some good pics and all the measurements are at the bottom.

There's a thread somewhere where we were talking about the eye sizes, but I can't find it

Replacing Leaf Spring Bushings - The Ranger Station

By: ‘BlackBII’ Every found yourself having to replace the the bushings in your leaf springs? This can either be because the bushings are bad, or the bolt has rusted inside the bushing and won’t come out. If that’s the case, … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

 

[KorbinRock]

Have you seen this article? There's some good pics and all the measurements are at the bottom.

There's a thread somewhere where we were talking about the eye sizes, but I can't find it

Replacing Leaf Spring Bushings - The Ranger Station

By: ‘BlackBII’ Every found yourself having to replace the the bushings in your leaf springs? This can either be because the bushings are bad, or the bolt has rusted inside the bushing and won’t come out. If that’s the case, … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

I did actually see this article and it concerned me that the diameter of bushing I needed was listed as 1 5/8 - OD when the only ones I've found are 1 11/16 (even though the actual measurement I've pulled from the bushing ranges around 1.645, and my spring eye reads so far under in comparison to those. But maybe I'm looking into too much

Either way I'll try the filing and stuff suggestion when I get home, hoping I won't need new springs. Worse comes to worse I'll bring my springs into my machining class tomorrow, lots of people there that could help. All else fails there's a local leafspring shop, hope it doesn't come to that though.

 

[KorbinRock]

Got to this pretty late but quick note, I'm silly. You just have to keep hammering them in and the leafspring eye will expand wide enough to accept the bushing in, that's what I get for over analyzing. I just put a scrap 9/16 bolt in to not mushroom the bushing sleeve and hammered the bushing in all the way. Seems just fine

But I took my other Leafspring off and am about to replace the bushings in it, but saw that one of the leafs seem to separate at the end, but the other Leafs don't. I have no idea what this means or if it is an issue.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Airhammer is a godsend.

I did one set and for the price of new springs after the experiance it isn't worth the drama to do it another set.

 

[Uncle Gump]

It means they're pretty worn out.

 

[KorbinRock]

It means they're pretty worn out.

Would you say a replacement is necessary? And would I have to replace both, or can I get away with just the one

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If I need to replace one I would replace both for sure.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Springs are typically replaced in pairs... if you didn't it would probably lean pretty good.

I mean you can re-bush the spring and put it back in. It is certainly compromised though.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It could ride weird basically having two different springs in the back too, I just wouldn't do it.

 

[KorbinRock]

Alright, thanks guys. I'll have to get some from a local parts store and get price gouged because I don't have the time to wait.