Making my own Radius arms. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Making my own Radius arms.

I was thinking, why buy radius arms for 450$, when i could make some for material cost. This seems entirely possible. Questions

1. How much longer should they be, I'm 6" lifted up front.

2. Should i extend stock ones, cut down by the beam to make the angle less, and extend the tube part.

3. What kind of mount? Stock bushing part, Heim Joint, or Poly bushing type?

4. Any other complications i should know of?
 






I just got done building a set on my exploder. It has a 6" lift also.

I used the stock ones, and added on. You know were the tube is welded into the Y? That is where I cut them off at. So the tube and threads are gone. I then used 1 5/8 tube or something like that. They are about 2' longer now? Oh yeah, I got rid of the stock location crap. i built a new crossmember for the tranny and built in the mounts for heim joints.

I did it twice now. The first time I did not think it through and just slipped new tube over the stock tube and welded it at the Y. it did not care to much for that and I ended up breaking the drivers side of in a event. I welded it all back together for the next event of the day and broke it again. Just a warning. When you break the radius arm on the drivers side, the driveline gets a little pissy. I ripped the yoke up pretty well.

The new tube I put in goes about 6" into the Y and has a brace welded in next to it. If you put the new tube along the bottom of the Y, it will come out of the Y at the correct angle to hit your frame at right about the tranny cross member.

If I could post pics I would for you. let me know if you are interested and I will shoot them to you in e-mail or something.
 






That'd be sweet. How are they for noise (by the heim) any clunks or squeeks? What size joint did you use? If you could shoot the mounting area, the brace and an overall shot and send them to matt@newtraditionhomes.com.

Thanks
 






You could always go with johnny joints, they dont transmit vibration to the cab like a heim joint would since its encased in urethane but still gives you 30 degrees of rotation...just something to think about.
 






I will have to do it this weekend, it gets dark before i get home now.

I have not noticed any noise. As for the size, uh, they were in my shop so I used them. The only thing I could tell you about them is that its a 3/4" bolt going through the eye and its 1" thread into the new arm.

I do not run on the road much, other than to get to the hills ( until the trailer is done). I have not heard a single noise comming from down there yet, and I did not have the doors on the last time I went up in the hills. So I would say they are quiet.
 






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