I had a clanking from my suspention so I replaced the shocks and there was one bad one. But I saw this. The radius arm don't look right. Here are a few pics. What do I do?

 

im not an expert on these trucks by any means but I would def change that bushing. ASAP.

 

Yes, replace both sides. The radius arm bushings are fairly inexpensive but they are labor intensive.

The repair manual would have you pull the axle apart but save yourself a ton of time and hassle, grind, cut or torch the rivets off the brackets, replace the bushings and then bolt the brackets back onto the frame using grade 8 bolts.

If you use a torch, we know you must be very careful......right?

 

Yep, your radius arm bushings are shot. Napa sells a replacement. Comes with the bracket and bushings. Not a hard job. Grind off the heads of the original rivets drive them out with a punch and install the new bracket with the supplied bolts. Then install your bushing. Comes with instructions. Did mine last year on my 94. Been a year so go by their instructions and not mine,lol.

 

Thanks for your help. I'm fighting it now. I have the new bushings and the radius arm apart. I'm trying to get it all back together.

 

Just had this done last week on my drivers side, i had let it go on for about 2 months like that before i got tired of my sloppy steering. But don't wait too long to get it done, cause you may have to replace the bracket too if the flange that holds the bushing in place is worn off from the bouncing around. Mine was rusted through and i had just welded the bottom of it cause i was gonna have it replaced anyways, but its about another 70$ for that bracket. Plus youre gonna need a cutting torch to get those rivets off

 

No ya' don't.

 

Easiest way. Put bumper against tree. Use a come a long on the axle and tree. It will pull the axle far enough ahead to change them.


Sean has done them like this with no problems. Me, i got lucky, mine were done by someone before so they had bolts in when i had to screw with them.

 

I got the driver side done and double checked torque. So I took it for a test drive and got stuck in the field behind my house. Ugh! My wife came and saved me. Her and the kids got a laugh. I wish I had four wheel drive. Ill do the other bushing next weekend.

 

I didn't have much of a problem with the mounts. I took the shock and spring off, and that have me enough freedom to muscle the arm out. But I used a come along to pull everything together so I could get the bolt back on the arm, and pull me out of the dust pit I was in.