diy radius arm bushings

I've searched through this forum up and down and haven't found a how to on radius arm bushings that didn't involve cutting rivets out and stuff like that. So i figured i'll make a how to that doesn't involve cutting the heads off the rivets on the radius arm brackets.

Disclosure: I only felt comfortable attacking this project because i have had formal ASE training. I am not held reliable for any mishaps done on your own time and do not recommend trying this on your own unless you are comfortable in your abilities and have the right tools.

First you need to jack the front of the explorer up and place the frame rails on jack stands and keep the jack ready in the front because you will be doing a lot of moving up and down on your front axle. After that should be obvious and remove your front wheels. I have automatic locking hubs so i kept the center cap on while i was working to keep from debris from getting on the splines.

After you get the tires off you need to remove the lower part of the shock. The driver side for mine was a 20mm and the pass was a 19mm stud.



Next part you need to jack up the axle on whatever side you are working on. This allows you to compress the spring easier and makes it easier to get to the lower spring seat. Place your spring compressors where you are comfortable with and feel that you can compress it far enough to clear either the upper mount or stud on the bottom.



Before you compress the springs all the way make sure to remove the lower spring seat. This is a 1 1/8" nut that you need to use plenty of extensions to get down to.

After you remove the spring and the lower seat you will see the upper radius arm bracket bolt, there is one on the bottom too, both are 1 1/8 bolts.

(note: I needed to take about an inch off of the upper bolt in order to get my socket to fit down around it, but if you noticed before you disassembled your spring there is about 3-4 inches of play in the stud, just make sure that the nut re-threads onto to stud before you re-assemble everything or your in for a headache, and yes, i speak from experience)


For the top bolt on both sides i needed to use a torch around the bolt to expand the metal for me to break it loose. And i had to use almost all my weight and a 2 foot breaker bar to loosen them.

After loosening them you need to loosen the bolt on the backside of the radius arm by the bushings. This too is also a 1 1/8 nut.


Remove all three of these bolts and let down the axle. Take a nice mallet and hit the radius arm on the back side to loosen it up. If this doesn't work (it didn't for me) use a pry bar or anything close to it and pry between the axle and the radius arm. After you get it loosened up turn your steering wheel in the direction to let the arm clear the brake caliper. (I was dense and stupid and didn't do this till the last side)

Out should come your radius arm!!!


I am pretty sure my bushings needed replaced but....you be the judge....


Here is a picture of the new bushings from Autozone at $10 a pop.


You put the rounded washer on first and the bigger of the 2 bushings fit's right inside of it.

And for referance after you get the arm placed back on the axle the nylon spacer goes on with the wide opening facing the bracket, then the smaller bushing has a lip that fits inside the small opening on the nylon, followed by the second washer and the nut.


After you get the arm back in place and bolted all the steps are done in reverse to re-assemble your suspension.

I have no idea what the torque specs are on these bolts, only the radius arm nut, and that's 80-120 ft/lbs, so i assume that the other two bolts are about the same if not more.

Oh and i must add, this is on a 1994 EB edition explorer

from the time we started on sunday we spent maybe an hour total working on it and the rest gathering tools that i didnt have. today i went from about 5-11:30 by myself and really didnt work at to fast of a pace

and the next step after assembly involves hot water, soap, and comfy sheets......zzzzzzzzzzzz

Dustin

Something I want to clarify-

Will this require an alignment afterward? I've never heard it mentioned before, and my father suggests it would be needed afterward.

I wouldn't think it'd make a whole lot of difference, since your not really moving the axle any.

I dont think it would be needed since everything is already set to full bushings as it is. if anything it would probably bring it back into alignment

that is a nice write up.. ive never thought of doing it this way. i was a rivet guy myself, and heard of people pulling the entire front axle forward which sounded way too involved. this is a good way of doing the job if you still have the factory rivets.

nice write up, this should be a sticky!

Yea forgot to say good write up.

I'm lucky on mine it already has the bolts in it

Apparently the previous owner had them changed, it was Ford serviced before we got it.

Very nice sir!
I probably need to replace mine, but didn't want to mess with the rivets... Now I don't have to!

Wait, will this work on a 2 wheel drive?

they should i can take a picture of my suspension setup and post it up here for you to compare but i wouldnt see why there would be a difference in suspension parts, only difference would be the front hub assemblies

Great write up, but need to mention that if you need to change the bushings, make damn sure you check the radius arm MOUNTS (the parts that are riveted) before going this route.

if the holes where the bushing mounts are worn or elongated in any way, you might as well do the rivet method, as the mounts need replacing.

it is obvious in the photos in this write up that the bushings where not that far gone (but needing replacement), so the mounts were probably ok. Mine, the passenger side bushing was basically 'missing' when I got the truck, so I had the metal radius arm banging on the mount, and wrecked the hole.

good news is, the mounts are relatively inexpensive as well.

they are inexpensive now.. a few years ago they were outrageous. im surprised you didnt opt for the poly bushings?

Good thread.. I added this thread to the Useful threads forum...

~Mark

those are the first bushings i ran across and really didnt find any poly bushings except online, i would of liked to but just wasn't in the cards this time around

FYI, the radius arm stud and bolt are locktited (glued) in place, and heating the bolt and stud to 500 degrees will melt/release the loctite so you can remove them..

I've bent cheater bars trying to get them to release with out the heat.

This Is how I always do the bushings on my first gens. Grinding out the rivits is a lot of work. If you have a stocker Explorer in front of you.

wow, I am the exact opposite, I would rather cut 8 rivets then mess with the upper and lower radius arm to beam bolts..

I can replace the bushings in about two hours total, by myself, with hand tools
I use a 4" disc grinder to cut the head of the 4 rivets per side off, then punch them through. The weight of the vehicle is supported by the frame, this helps the rivets come right out. I use a piece of rope to hold the plastic inner fender out of my way
I then lightly sand the frame and paint it, then I use a 1/2 drill bit to round out the holes for the new grade 5 or 8 hardware

IMO it is SO much easier to grind the rivets off.... plus then someday when you get a lift or the bushings fail again, you have already done half the work!

The TTB ALWAYS needs an alignment, after you replace any bushing or ball joint, etc... get it aligned unless you hate your tires!

I got a PM asking me if replacing the rivets with bolts would screw up the radius arm bracket location, here is my response, I figured this helps a bit too for everyone to read:

replacing the rivets with bolts makes no changes to the shape, location, etc with the radius arm crossmember/bracket to the frame mounting

The holes are alreay 7/16 so making them 1/2 is simply so you can use 1/2 hardware, its not required.

Cutting the rivets on both sides and replacing the bushings takes me a total of 2 hours, thats from the time I gran the jack and start putting the front frame on stands to the time I bolt the last radius arm retainer nut in place.

Cutting the rivets is how ANYONE who works on these trucks enough will do the radius arm bushings, any shop you pay or any fanatic like me, why? Because its 20 times EASIER

trust me I have dont enough of these to know, and I have tried every method possible including a ratchet strap on the beam to pull the radius arm forward enough to replace the front bushing... on that truck I still ended up cutting the rivets

Another thing they dont tell you is RIVETS WEAR OUT! it is not uncommon to find looseness is the brackets because the rivets have been stretched over time, so often they need to be replaced anyways.

Cut the rivets, unless you are already removing your front end for other reasons, just cut them
I actually bought my black and decker electric 4" disc grinder about 12 years ago just to do this job......that sucker is still going strong and is reponsible for cutting the radius arm rivets on about 8 trucks to date

on my 92 2dr, there was 2 rivets to take care of. ground the head off, smacked em with a punch, and was all done with em.

also would like to add, my replacement bracket came with new bolts/nuts

if you have a jacked up bracket you HAVE to cut the rivets, no choice
If you have a jacked up radius arm crossmember/bracket its because you drove around metal to metal for quite a while