Body Bushing

[koda2000]

Thank you swshawaii, I plan on finishing it soon, maybe this weekend. A lot has changed for me from 2 years ago until now. Having congestive heart failure really has taken it toll on me physically. I try to move as much as I can everyday to feel useful, trying to pull my weight. When I first read about body bushing when I had joined explorerforum, I called Ford dealership and inquired about how much it would cost to change all the bushing. I was amazed @ what the parts and labor were. There are some things I would never tackle on a vehicle such as tearing down a motor or transmission, There would be extra parts, bolts and nuts, after I would be done. LOLOL. But replacing bushing, not a challenge. I knew it would take me some time which I have plenty of till the day I go home. I am happy with the progress and really, I can't thank you enough, HELMUT RONER, koda2000, MidnightRebel, and many others who's thread I've read. This is the first time I have ever changes bushing before and man, am I loving it! So Guys, THANK YOU!

Always glad to help a fellow shade-tree.

 

[KajunBndit]

Hey-hey! You got that right koda2000! Thank you!!!!

 

[KajunBndit]

Well, just about all done. Driver's side is complete, working on the passenger side, going alone faster than the driver's side. Gotten the body lifted and the bushings removed, buffed the hardware down to the metal and about to paint. it's going to take several hours for the pieces to dry then flip over to paint the other side. I am thinking about 10 to midnight I will be in the barn again to install new bushing tighten and torqued. Then it should be installing passenger seat and buttoning up everything else. I should be done by dawn!

 

[KajunBndit]

OK, I am done, 3:30 a.m. Tighten and torqued all bushing bolts, put the seats back inclined the floors, and buttoned everything else up. After I do the 1000 miles check, I hope I never have to do this again. I am so tired right now that I think I might be missing church today, but I am glad that it is done. I will check out the ride today. Thank you everyone for their input which had helped me greatly. Thank you!

 

[KajunBndit]

Today I gave it a good test drive after church and man I must say the ride is great, it's little stiff, but riding on asphalt feels like I am riding on clouds or on glass. I went down a gravel road and that wasn't bad either. I do contribute the great ride with the shocks that I changed all around weeks before I did the body bushing. It is well worth changing the bushings. Like koda2000 said in previous post that the included washers for the A bolts did indeed caved in toward the center. what I had done was take the washer from the used A bushing and doubled the washers on the A bushing, it worked good.

 

[david4451]

A good result and I'll follow your detailed account when my bushings arrive here in Philipines in about 8 weeks. Thanks

 

[KajunBndit]

Your welcome david4451, sorry that it had taken me awhile to get it complete. I did have some things that had came up around the home that needed tending and I do tire quickly. One person can do the job without any issues if you are not rushed to get the truck back on the road. I found out the reason I was having difficulties on the driver's side B bushings when I was trying to take to old one out is that I didn't have the body lifted high enough. The brake line was in the way of the bottom. If you raise the body enough to get the top puck out, the bottom will come out. Try that out before unscrewing the brake line before the bushing. I have a heck of a time when I was trying to screw the brake line clip back in.I hope the pictures and the explanation help. Also, the included washers with the new bushings caved in toward the center, you may want to double the washers. Get new bolts for the A bushings, the front bushings, I would like to thank HELMUT RONER for the advice!
Also, I would like to add, once you take out the bolt from the D bushing, or the rear most bushing, take that bolt and screw it from the bottom of the bushing till you feel it passing through the lower bushing hardware, I did this so that I can take my tire iron and beat it from the top not messing up the hardware. I hope this help!

 

[david4451]

Thanks for the advice Kajunbndt, a question regarding the A (front) bushing. Today I thought I'd remove the bolt in this bushing, removed the top nut and went under truck to remove the bolt and the bolt and bushings are all turning together.
Is this bolt threaded into the top bushing hardware? If so it looks difficult to hold this bushing to stop it turning!
Unfortunately I don't have a impact driver, do you rekon one is required to get this bolt out?

 

[KajunBndit]

I would seriously suggest getting one david4451, When I had taken mine off, I didn't have problems taking the front off with a impact wrench, gun, I did however need backup on underneath the firewall and under the pillar where the two doors met, I had use a vice grip . I didn't need a backup for the one under the rear cab of the truck.
But if you are having problems with the front bushings, I think you could use a sawzallbut cut close to the top, the front bushing has only one half of the hardware, then I would think you would need to put it in a table vice with a pipe wrench to get the cut bolt out of the hardware. But I would seriously consider getting a impact wrench first before cutting anything. You will need to impact the remainder of the bushing. Good luck david.
Sorry I am not getting back sooner. I was taking a nap, my wife said I slept for 6 hours. I guess I was needing it.

 

[david4451]

Thanks Kajunbndt for getting back, I've just come in for lunch(12 to 14 hour time difference) I've been working on the drivers side A bushing (front). I took out the plastic cover on fog lights and managed to get a pipe wrench on the top bushing to prevent it turning. The bolt did eventually come out, and tight ALL the way.
I'm getting all the parts loose then reassembling so the job will be easy when my Prothane bushings arrive. My ST has zero rust but this bolt was rusty, but not so bad, however I'm replacing all factory bolts with stainless, especially this one!
B & C bushings are no problem as I changed the bushing material some 3 years back, but the ride is a little harsh, hence the prothane.
D bushing will be my next, just removing the bolt and having a look.
Oh yes A bushing passengers side looks like I'll grind off the bolt head as you suggested the pipe wrench is "handed" wrongly for that side(the direction of the teeth).

 

[swshawaii]

My ST has zero rust but this bolt was rusty, but not so bad, however I'm replacing all factory bolts with stainless, especially this one!

I'm certain there's a reason higher cost 10.9 grade bolts were used from the factory.

Don't recall anyone here using stainless. Stand by, those more informed should be chiming in.

It is a common misconception that stainless steel is stronger than regular steel. In fact, due to their low carbon content, many stainless steel alloys cannot be hardened through heat treatment. Therefore, when compared to regular steel, the stainless alloys used in bolts are slightly stronger than an un-hardened (grade 2) steel but significantly weaker than hardened steel fasteners. Unless great care is taken, stainless fasteners are susceptible to seizing up during installation, a phenomenon known as galling.

https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/materials-and-grades/materials.aspx

https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/materials-and-grades/Bolt-Grade-Chart.aspx

 

[KajunBndit]

I don't think I would use stainless steel because of galling issues, I am sure that it would be strong enough to use and the anti corrosive, but galling would be the biggest issue.

 

[david4451]

Well looks like I'll stick with the original bolts, we don't need problems later. They are pretty good. Thanks for the advice.
Now "A" bushing bolt removal.
WHEN REMOVINGTHIS BOLT DO NOT TAKE THE TOP NUT OFF LEAVE IT TIGHT.
If you remove this nut (as I did) the top bushing will rotate and the bolt will not come out.

 

[YC1]

Great photos, please let everyone know how the ST rides after fitting Prothane body mounts.

With the great help from this forum I had no problems changing mine out on my 2003 ST. It can be done without an impact wrench but a torch really makes that possible. I did use a three foot pipe on my 1/2 inch ratchet.
This is a full days work or maybe more. Chasing the threads on the reusable parts takes some time as does the cleaning and painting of the mounts. It is nice to know I will never have to do this again.
The front bolts were indeed shot but I had to temporarily use them because the bolts I received were not fully threaded. It will be a ten minute job to replace them when they arrive. The local Fastenall did not stock them.
As for the ride. The truck now seems to go around corners all at once instead of hinking around a bit. I already have new shocks all around so the ride is excellent.
There is a bit of road noise not noticed before but I was about floating on air with the originals.
I am very happy with the quality of the mounts and how well they are marked. Each one has the position they go on and weather they are the top or bottom part.
I had to remove the rear portion of the plastic molding along the bottom edges because they rubbed the pickup bed when the body was lifted.
I used a large vice grip type filter tool that allowed me to clamp the circumference of the round bottom piece. It worked well.

Thanks again for all those posted pictures and suggestions.

 

[david4451]

A good result YC1, thanks for letting everyone know.

 

[KajunBndit]

YC1, I did notice too when I turn a corner that the whole truck followed if that make sense, but I do know what you are talking about. To be honest, I needed the impact gun, LoLoLoLoL. I am not as strong as I once were, but I did do the job myself and had taken me a week. in fairness though, I had a air conditioner emergency that I had to take care off, and I too had the wrong bolts for the front end, it wasn't treaded all the way, so I went to ford and gotten them. I also believe that I will never have to do this on this truck again. LMBO! Congratulation for your work. Keep Trakin'!