Procedure for replacing radius arm bushings.

[Trevor]

This weekend I am going to replace the radius arm bushings in my 92 Explorer (specific date of manufacture is February 92). I plan on grinding out the rivets in the brackets. Anyways I got to looking at it more closely today and noticed a few potential problems. First of all the rivets for the driver side bushing are right next to the fuel filter and the passenger side is next to the converter. That will be fun using the grinder next to the fuel filter. Secondly, It looks like two rivets per side hold the bracket on as well as two bolts per side. The bolts on the passenger side are directly over top of the forward half of the bushing. I cannot see anyway of unbolting them with the radius arm in place.

Anyone that has run into this similar setup, please let me know what you did. I really do not want to drop the entire axle to do the bushing swap. Of course I might have to if I snap the nut off of the arm....I have seen that before.... Thanks, Trevor

 

[Isles4evr]

After grinding the rivits off, and unbolting the big bolt for the radius arm itself you should be ably to "wiggle" the bracket/arm enough to get atleat a wrench on the top bolts. Also, you should be able to just grind the rivits off from the outside of the frame, and then take a punch and a BFH and knock them out, or slip a pry bar between the bracket and frame... that is how i got my ibeam bracket loose from the engine crossmember.

Hope this helps
Chris

 

[ajevenson]

For the drivers side, disconnect the 2 bolts holding the fuel filter to the frame. Let it hang down as far out of the way as possible and wrap it up in a towel or drape some welding gloves over it so that a sparks wont ignite anything. It shouldnt but better safe than sorry.

It just takes a little creativity to get the nuts/bolts off. Once you're under there with a socket and a wrench you'll see the light and figure out how to best get em off.