hkr321hkr

Well its starts off by using 3.5" air grinder and a 4" electric grinder to cut off rivets. Near the fuel pump on frame rail I used cardboard to protect from starting a fire. Keep a fire extinguisher near you if you are alone I did.. Remove Bushing nut (I used an electric 1/2" impact gun from harbor freight cause you can just hold the trigger and not waist your air...Then drill center of rivets out. Drilling off centered is the best way then punch them out. Prep everything with anti-seize and use the bolts they give you with the new brackets. I even anti-seized the bushings for longer life. You will have to jack pry and move the radius arm a bit to get the first hole to line up but you will get it with patience and care. Dont forget to put Large New Washer and First Bushing Half on radius arm before putting bracket on.. One bolt is bigger (rear one) so do not use the wrong bolt in the wrong hole. The bolts need to be 75ftlbs and the radius arm bushing bolt is 100ftlbs tight. Do not strip radius arm threads removing nut. Cut nut off if it wont loosen. I almost had to but fortunately they both came free... Total time 8hrs..

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

Nice work!

hkr321hkr

Thanks! I have 4 jobs posted so far! Next is a upper ball joint and some leveling kit spring spacers in the front. Then I think electric fans! Never enough time! Again thanks for reading!

SEMPERFIDELUS8403

I need you to come do mine next...

willtransco

Yes Sir..and I am in line too... :-)

Bibo1985

Very nice work, and very informative as well. Question; with the bushings in bad shape, what symptms do they give, if any? Reason for asking, the rear bushing on my passengar side is F.U.B.A.R.ed and the rest are well past their expiration. Just curious if I can expect any difference once I change them out? Thanks in advance, and thanks for an awesome thread

dewman

When my radius arm bushing went bad, it made a loud clunking sound. I got lucky, my brackets were held on with bolts, so total time for my job was less than 2 hours...

link to my post: https://www.f150forum.com/f10/1996-f...bushing-14793/

Bibo1985

Okay, kool deal. Mine are riveted on, but I'm considering just drilling out the rivets and bolting it all back up.
The first indicator I got was a "clunk" everytime I pulled in my driveway (not a very friendly road either) When I realized that only the spacer remained, I honestly expected a much more costly repair.
When you replaced your bushings, did it effect your ride height at all? I've only had this truck since February, and already noticed more front end sag.
Thanks again, you rock!

hkr321hkr

Ride Quality greatly increased. Mainly Road noise and ride stability. Fords will sway and these being in place helps a lot. I suggest grinding then drilling if they dont pop out with a punch! I had to do the rear as well and posted it.

Bibo1985

Okay thanks! We used a grinder for the heads on the rivets, the one on the side wasn't too bad, had to pop some of the head through because the grinder was too big to get that last lil bit. The bottom rivets were the pain in the ***, no heads, simply pressure/corosion/time made them difficult to get out. That, and the fact that I could get a whopping 6" swing with the hammer, lol.
I can see a big difference in the ride quality, but now my steering components are making themselves and their problems known. My thinking (as primal and idiotic as it may be) is that with the radius arm letting the axle sit so "wompy jawed," it added stress to the tie rod ends, etc, wearing the bushings out and once I corrected the radius arm so it wasn't holding pressure on the steering components, now the loose/worn parts are allowing play in the steering? Could be way off, but that's what meh thinks