The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Beating out the Okie bushing (1950)

Hello All- so I am changing gears out in my 1950, and am trying to get the okie bushing out. I have had on order from the filling station the puller, which is the only place I found it. It is backordered and talking to them they are having a machine shop make them and no telling when they will come in. SO, my question is this- does the old bushing rest on a collar in there or can it be beat out by a long metal pipe inserted from the other end and then using a sledge hammer to beat it out. My trucks been down all summer now and kinda bummed. Anyway some knowledge would be greatly appreciated!!!

Just happen to have an okie bushing puller in my tool chest, if you would be interested in using it. I can ship it to you via USPS, if you can pay for the ride both ways.

If somebody can send me some detailed pictures with measurements of that tool, or send me the tool to duplicate, chances are I can make one for forum members to share amongst ourselves. At one time I had a couple of different size Snap-On bushing pullers used to change the output bushings in transmission tailshaft housings, in my high school auto shop. I think they followed one of my students home one day.

Here's one on Ebay like the type I had:
www.ebay.com/itm/325979427343?

Jerry

Ottos50, 1st off, Welcome to Stovebolt! On your question about driving out the old bushing and seal, I would suggest you read pages 4-5 and 4-6 of the 1948-51 Chevy Truck Shop Manual. Pay close attention to the paragraph titled Propeller Shaft Bushings and Oil Seal, and "Fig. 8" as your 1950 axle may be one of the early design like the 1948-49. Those bushing have "dowel pins" that keep the original upper and lower bushings in place in the tube.

You must drill out those dowel pins to be able to remove the bushings and seal. You should be able to confirm if your torque tube has those dowel pins as the are obvious indentations in the tube side.

If your tube is the later interference fit bushing style, those should be able to be driven out like your original idea. Let us know what you figure out.

The Filling Station got the driveshaft bushing puller that I ordered from them back on July 1, so maybe after processing it, it will be available, or maybe someone else was in front of you in line for it.

I attempted to make a bushing puller out of some exhaust tubing, but it failed miserably, as I didn't have the dimensions correct. The actual puller worked like a charm.

Jerry, They look pretty much like that snap on one you posted on e-bay, but have more fingers. Basically a tube with a step on it and slices so it can flex to go into the bushing then snap back once it reaches the back end of the bushing. There's also a tube inside it that slides behind the fingers to prevent them from contracting when the screw pushed against the driveshaft.

But like Dan said, the "book" method is to pull the bushings out by inserting a puller from the pinion end after removing the gears and driveshaft.

With a pattern to copy, that type of puller wouldn't be difficult to duplicate. The end with the expanding fingers would need to be case hardened to prevent the pulling lip from getting damaged, but that's a pretty simple operation with a torch and some Kasenit powder. The rest of the puller could stay flexible since it's held into place with the sliding sleeve. A slide hammer or a tapered jackscrew bearing against the end of the driveshaft could be used to do the actual pulling.
Jerry

Thanks for the replies, all and TexasJim50 thanks for the offer! I am looking around the end for the dowel pins and don't see any spot where they could be. Is it possible they arent there?? I have attached pics. Thanks Again everyone!!

Also wanted to show off my truck. It was my grandfathers farm truck. Took 7 years to get it going as $$ allowed. Got it running for my sons wedding last year.

Otto50 - Awesome Truck!!! I'm the proud owner of my grandfathers truck too, but mine doesn't look anything like yours. To answer your question "Is it possible they aren't there??", that would be - Yes. Below is a snapshot of the torque tube with doweled bushings for 1948-49 and some early 1950 1/2 tons from the Shop Manual. The Shop manual says for the 1950-51 "Replacement" instructions that those bushings are a "press fit" and weren't doweled/staked to the tube. It does mention that if your replacement bushings (Okie bushing in your case) aren't a tight fit, you can secure it in place using the dowel/stake method for earlier torque tubes.

Wasn't the "Okie" bushing an aftermarket item that was originally intended to be installed by simply driving it into the end of the torque tube and pushing the worn bushing into the dead space behind it? I believe the replacement item (made by a manufacturer in Oklahoma- - - -hence the "Okie" moniker) had a lip seal built into it to make the other seal irrelevant.
Jerry

Thank you Gdads51 for the illustration. Looks like there are two dowel pins- i will look even closer tonight

The front dowel is the only one to be concerned with- - - -the only way to change the rear bushing and seal will be with the driveshaft removed. That requires a full disassembly of the rear end.
Jerry

Otto, my truck is a '50 also, and it did not have the dowel pin(s) holding the original bushing in place. I did have to do some filing on the okie bushing to get it down to a good fit for the torque tube--from the factory it was slightly oversize. Anyhoo, if you need to borrow the puller, give me a shout.