Replaced body mounts

A neighbor replaced the bushings on his 2015 F250 with the Daystar polyurethane kit ($130 ebay, Amazon). The "mechanic" took 3 days to get it done because 7 of the 8 bolts twisted off, even with penetrating oil and heat, and it was HOT outside. The mechanic had to cut away some sheet metal and a piece of the core support to get the cage and nuts out. I mostly watched, but occasionally assisted. And took notes, because I was getting ready to do the same job. I haven't talked to the owner about ride quality because he left next day on a 3-month trip to AK.

I started to prep my 2008 F350 DRW a day prior to doing the work. Passenger seat out, carpet pulled back, and access plug removed; then, decided to see how hard the bolt would be to get out before I did any more prep. All eight came out with a 3/8" ratchet. Fantastic! I don't mind making an unnecessary purchase of a good breaker bar. The two #4 bushings were shot--the bottom halves weren't there. Both #3s were corroded and could not slide. I had to cut one away to get it off; the other needed working with a pry bar. Both #2s were in excellent condition. Although marked with the Ford logo, they appeared to be polyurethane so the originals had been replaced at some point. The #1s were still in decent shape, with the lower piece just starting to come apart. Driver side #1 was a bit of a pain to take out because my oil cooler half-kit has the oil filter bracket right below the bushing.

I opted to use S&B Filters kit 81-1003 (8 bushings). Parts cost is $699 (everywhere). Shipping took 3 days. Had I known beforehand that I had 2 good bushings I could have saved $160 by buying the kit for extended and regular cab which has only 6 bushings. The kit comes with new bolts. The bushings are silicone rubber which supposedly cushion better than poly, and last longer than OEM. The upper sections are shaped to fit the mounting slot the same as OEM. The warranty is useless to me: Says right in the instructions that it is voided unless installed by a professional. Also if you use an impact driver (not needed). Screwing around, it took me less than 6 hours total--it's freakin' HOT out there.

Do the S&Bs give a better ride? Beats me, I didn't have any complaints before. Besides, with the stiff suspension on a DRW, the ride would have to be really bad to notice a difference. I did notice that the body lines are now correct.

I recommend anti-seize compound on the bolts, and a thin layer of silicone grease on the lower sliding tube.

I could have saved money with the poly units, but I definitely saved by doing the job myself.