Pivot Bushings...

[Phil Christensen]

My cousin works in a Ford devlopment lab and recently gave me an interesting insight into older IFS Fords.

He says a common problem with older IFS (besides the radius arm bushings we all know about) is they are tough on Pivot bushings. Diagnosing can be done by cranking the wheels left/right and watching for suspension movement.

My question is, has anyone checked or replaced theirs? From what cuz says, bad ones can definitely show up as vibration/handling problems.

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

I replaced my pivot bushing when I installed my superlift. The hardest part was getting the old bushings out, since Ford decided to press them in. I ended up using a 3/8" drill bit and drilled a series of holes arround the stock bushing sleeve, taking care not to dammage the housing. I then used a couple of sockets and a c-clamp to push the bushing out. After that I used a propane torch and a wire brush to remove the residual bushing material stuck to the housing. The ne poly bushings slid in nicely with a little grease and three light taps with a rubber mallet. This combined with the poly radius arm bushings provided much quieter ride and better road response.