Radius arm help!!!

[rileyrs]

ok so i was getting this loud clunking noise from my front end while stopping, did some reading on the forum and found out that it was my radius arm bushings. so i bought a poly bushing kit, and proceeded to do the install. once i got them off i noticed that the main bushing on the passenger side was completely destroyed. so i went to put the new bushings on, the drivers side attached smoothly, no problems. then while trying to get the passenger side do bolt down, the radius arm is pressing very hard outward, and making me unable to fit the end of the bushing in the bracket hole. what is making it push outward like that????? i cant for the life of me get it to fit in all the way. while down there i noticed that the shock absorber on the passenger side was shot, so i thought maybe that had something to do with pushing the axle outwards, so i went to the parts store and they said the shock has nothing to do with it, and that its some other front end problem, so what is it? i have no clue what to do now, and my X is stuck in the garage up on jackstands!!
someone please help?!

 

[DEMOx77]

did you drill out the rivets in the radius arm cross member, its two pieces with bolts in the middle. after that its wiked easy to put the new bushings in, you just have to add bolts where the rivets were

 

[rileyrs]

the entire project was done with bolts, someone before me drilled out the rivets. but anyway no i left the whole bracket attached on both side, but not i have the bracket put back onto the frame on both sides, and radius arm going through the bracket, it just wont push in far enough on the passenger side one to fit the bushing in the brackets hole.

 

[rileyrs]

as you can see it just wont line up with the hole correctly and make the bushing fit

 

[josh93rodeo]

Maybe just try a BFH or a come a long to pull it into place.

 

[fixxxer]

I'd try lifting up on the radius arm with a floor jack to try to reposition it.

 

[rileyrs]

tried the floor jack yesterday, and it still wanted to push outward, so this time jacked it up and let the whole axle hang, then used a come along as suggested, and got it in!! thanks guys great help.

now my next question is, what caused it to push out this way, as its putting alot of pressure on the main bushing (the one closest to front axle), any ideas?
I just want to replace whatever would be causing it to push outward this way, since the bushing replacement was a real pain to install, and i dont want to have to do it again soon because the bushing gets ruined prematurely.

if anyone knows what causing it to push out like this please let me know!

 

[Maniak]

Its just the force of the axle moving around etc that made the RA push to the outside.. its pretty normal..

When that happens to us I just drive the truck forward a bit (with the wheel blocked).. Basically, just enough to put pressure on the RA so its pushing on the bracket.. then take a BFH and smack it a few times.. it will slide over and pop into place..

No, i don't take the tires off when I do our Ra anymore.. I've gotten to the point that I can do the entire job in < 2 hours including cleaning up the tools.

~Mark

 

[rileyrs]

Its just the force of the axle moving around etc that made the RA push to the outside.. its pretty normal..

When that happens to us I just drive the truck forward a bit (with the wheel blocked).. Basically, just enough to put pressure on the RA so its pushing on the bracket.. then take a BFH and smack it a few times.. it will slide over and pop into place..

No, i don't take the tires off when I do our Ra anymore.. I've gotten to the point that I can do the entire job in < 2 hours including cleaning up the tools.

~Mark

thanks, good to know.
is it normal the only the passenger side was pushing out?
sorry im pretty new to suspension work, all ive ever really done is brakes and motors.

 

[Maniak]

I only seem to run into the arm not lining up on the bushing I install last, and I don't always run into it.. We run rubber bushings and were changing it every year (30k miles or so)..

~Mark

 

[rileyrs]

I only seem to run into the arm not lining up on the bushing I install last, and I don't always run into it.. We run rubber bushings and were changing it every year (30k miles or so)..

~Mark

i used poly ones, should they last longer or is there a big difference?

 

[Maniak]

Poly ones last longer.. but don't flex as well as the rubber ones..

We switched to rubber to get more suspension flex on the front.. the RA are are current limiting factor (working on fixing that now).. If I loosen the RA nut (or have a worn bushing) the front will flex more.. to the point that it will pull the spring out of the upper mount.

~Mark

 

[rileyrs]

Poly ones last longer.. but don't flex as well as the rubber ones..

We switched to rubber to get more suspension flex on the front.. the RA are are current limiting factor (working on fixing that now).. If I loosen the RA nut (or have a worn bushing) the front will flex more.. to the point that it will pull the spring out of the upper mount.

~Mark

are you lifted?
since i definitely don't want to sacrifice flex for the poly bushings

 

[Maniak]

Roughly 4" of lift using James Duff 3.5" coils, drop brackets, f-250 shock mounts, long shocks and some other doo-dads

~Mark

 

[rileyrs]

Roughly 4" of lift using James Duff 3.5" coils, drop brackets, f-250 shock mounts, long shocks and some other doo-dads

~Mark

ok well hopefully i will be ok with these bushings, i guess my next outdoo adventure will tell.

btw, how much to have a gray forum shirt shipped to 59808? a medium adult size would be great. do you have one available?

 

[Maniak]

btw, how much to have a gray forum shirt shipped to 59808? a medium adult size would be great. do you have one available?

Still have 2 grays mediums left. . Full inventory here..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215839&highlight=2008+t-shirt

short answer is $16 for 1 shirt or $27 for 2.. shipped anywhere in the lower 48..

~Mark

 

[rileyrs]

Still have 2 grays mediums left. . Full inventory here..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215839&highlight=2008+t-shirt

short answer is $16 for 1 shirt or $27 for 2.. shipped anywhere in the lower 48..

~Mark

so to order i would just send my paypal payment to the provided address, and include my address, and forum name, and thats it?

 

[Maniak]

Exactly.. then I send them to you using USPS Priority mail..

~Mark

 

[rileyrs]

Exactly.. then I send them to you using USPS Priority mail..

~Mark

cool, thanks man

 

[rileyrs]

need more help

ok new question, took the explorer for the first drive today after the new bushings, and i noticed that when i turn all the way left, like in a parking lot or something, i hear this creaking noise from the passenger side front end (the side that has the radius arm pushing out toward the side of the car very hard). anyway it sounded maybe like the bushing twisting against the bracket. and it wasnt just once, i tried it many times in dirt and pavement and it kept doing it.

what is causing this??
is it related to the radius arm wanting to push outward very badly?
if anyone knows how to prevent this it would be great, cuz even if im just paranoid i still feel like im going to destroy this bushing really fast.
any suggestions are appreciated, thanks.