# Ford Radius arm bushing repair



## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Well sence this style has been used on pretty much all the Ford trucks from 80-the late 90's, and sence the F150's have been one of the most popluar trucks made, I figured some of you guys would find this helpfull.

One of the things my "new" 1995 Bronco needed was new radius arm bushings. A lot of these Fords do, so not realy an uncommon thing. There are a few ways to do this repair, and I will just show you my way.

The radius arm runs from the front axle, back to a bracket on the frame. In this bracket there is a bushing that the arm pivits on. Well after many miles this bushing just plane wears out. This one has 125K on it. 

This first picture is of what I have started with. I have removed the nut on the end already, so you can get a better look at it. As you can see the bushing is GONE, and the arm is just sitting in the bracket.[can you say CLUNK CLUNK!?] My plans at this point it to replace the bracket. When I got the parts, I assumed the bracket would be in worse shape, so I got a new one. I plan to grind off the rivets, and replace it. Doing that also saves me the trubble of pulling the axle apart, and trying to get the arm out of this bracket. 

Here is the before..


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Here is my parts. Along with some nuts, and bolts, I should be all set. [I hope ]

BTW the bushings I had gotten, and a improved design. They are Poly insted of rubber, and should last the life of the truck.[and if not, at least the bracket will be bolted in, insted of riveted, so replacement will be easy.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Well after an hour I got one bolt, and one rivet off


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

another hour and here......


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Hears the damange....

Part way through the last rivet the $10 angle grinder took a dump. Had been smoking after the next to last, but started shocking me so deep six time. Off to HD for a new one. 


Cheep sheld snapped off after the first rivet


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Good post Paul. :thumbsup: Looks like a tough job grinding those rivets. I bet the improvement in handling will be greatly worth the effort.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Paul i take it you don't have a torch:question: Thats what you need alot faster then the grinder. Just use the grinder to clean up.


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## Archdean (Jul 15, 2004)

Paul,
I would rather see you make arraignments to have that bracket reriveted, the reason being is with the constant fore and aft forces imparted by the front axle, bolts no mater what grade or torque you use they simply will not ever expand to completely fill the hole and will wear (work loose quickly) and do damage to the frame as well as give you that clunk clunk back sooner rather than later!

Dean


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## mcloud (May 24, 2004)

*replacing bracket*

Paul Im looking at doing the same thing to my 95 F150 pick up. My line of thinking was to loosen the front end bolts up just enough to remove the arm. After doing the job which course of direction would you suggest? thanks


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Archdean _
> *Paul,
> I would rather see you make arraignments to have that bracket reriveted, the reason being is with the constant fore and aft forces imparted by the front axle, bolts no mater what grade or torque you use they simply will not ever expand to completely fill the hole and will wear (work loose quickly) and do damage to the frame as well as give you that clunk clunk back sooner rather than later!
> 
> Dean *


It is common practice with those frame brackets, and with the right sice bolts, and tightend down well, they have, and do last a long time. The other side was done about 40k ago, and the bracket was bolted on, and it is perfectly tight.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jodyand _
> *Paul i take it you don't have a torch:question: Thats what you need alot faster then the grinder. Just use the grinder to clean up. *


Nope no torch, had to do it the hard way


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

*Re: replacing bracket*



> _Originally posted by mcloud _
> *Paul Im looking at doing the same thing to my 95 F150 pick up. My line of thinking was to loosen the front end bolts up just enough to remove the arm. After doing the job which course of direction would you suggest? thanks *


I have pulled an Ibeam on one of these trucks before, it is a LOT of work. By thoughts are that by the time the bushings get REAL worn, the bracket is not good eather.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Well its all done!! [a project compleated on one day. What a concept  ] and Chief, the handleing is MUCH better. I have to learn how to drive it agean . 

Cost me most of the day, the bushings, a bracket, hardware, a few sq in of skin, and one angle grander. All in all not a bad day.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Oh almost forgot. If anyone does this make sure you recheck ALL bolts, after a quick test drive. I went around the bluck, and a quick 4WD run through my woods, and I had to re tighten them all. After a nice long ride over real bad roads, all is well. Just remember to check, things will settle a bit at first.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

good thread paul... good exapmples of what to do.. unfortunately.. i learned my lesson.... trying to do my brakes...


My thread would go something like this..



Truck need bushings...


Heres a pic of me dropping it off at my mechanics... 

personally i like your way better... as long as i'm not the one doing the work..


:furious:


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

LOL. "here is me handing the keys to the mechanic...."


You know sometimes I wish I COULD do that.


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## AlbanyBob (Aug 25, 2004)

Oh come on Guys, what fun is it giving the job to a mechanic. You should have your heart, 6 square inches of knuckle skin and about a pint of blood in the job. Then you know it is done the way you want it done.

Besides think about the money it would cost to let someone else do it for you, and also think about the time you get to spend playing with all the tools you have and thinking about all the new ones you can buy because of a job like this.

It's the only way my other half will let me buy new tools, (like I need more).

:captain: Bob


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by AlbanyBob _
> *Oh come on Guys, what fun is it giving the job to a mechanic. You should have your heart, 6 square inches of knuckle skin and about a pint of blood in the job. Then you know it is done the way you want it done.
> Bob *



Thats all well and good bob.. but 'The way I want it' and the way it actually comes out... is not always the same when its me manning that impact wrench!!!:furious:


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by AlbanyBob _
> *Oh come on Guys, what fun is it giving the job to a mechanic. You should have your heart, 6 square inches of knuckle skin and about a pint of blood in the job. Then you know it is done the way you want it done.
> 
> Besides think about the money it would cost to let someone else do it for you, and also think about the time you get to spend playing with all the tools you have and thinking about all the new ones you can buy because of a job like this.
> ...


6 sqin of flesh? Let me see..............yup thats about right  

You know I may piss and moan a bit about it, but I realy enjoy doing the work. Just wish I had more time to do it. Shocks will probably be this weekend. All my cuts should be healed by then


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## Michael (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Ingersoll444 _
> *6 sqin of flesh? Let me see..............yup thats about right
> 
> You know I may piss and moan a bit about it, but I realy enjoy doing the work. Just wish I had more time to do it. Shocks will probably be this weekend. All my cuts should be healed by then  *


Oh come on, Shocks you should done those when you had the front end all ripped apart! 

Yeah I know what it was, You were running short of funding after the angle grinder took a dump, YEAH thats it.  

Thats a good job you did there Paul, I just finished my neighbors F-150 4 wheel drive 2 months ago, but I have a torch so it only took me a hour per side to cut all the rivets and I bolted the thing back together on both sides. A afternoon job that he learned a lot from me on it. I did have him bring it back after a week of driving and I hit the bolts again with my impact wench to make sure they were tight.

I do not take pictures of my projects for the neighbors but I do take pictures of my own projects.


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Michael,

You know I had gotten the shocks, and had planed to do it at the same time, wile I had it apart. You know what though? I did not eaven have to pull a tire. All 4 tires were on the ground, and just needed a jack to hold up the arm. That plus I just flat ran out of time 


Realy want to get them done soon, hoping this weekend. Also the manual hubs have jumped up on the list. At least one of the auto hubs is not working, and will not release. Time to junk those POC!!


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