Suspension is stock. While accelerating from a stop I can feel a slight jerk, I also feel it when I hit big bumps in roads. Which suspension components should I look at for replacement? I am pretty sure that my motor mounts are worn out, sometimes I can feel the gas pedal move up and down while hitting larger bumps in the road. The front end drop link bushings were pretty much completly gone, I have them replaced now.

Also I have a cracked leaf spring in the leaf spring pack on the passenger side could this cause anything I am experiencing?

I checked u-joints and things like that for slack and they are very tight.

 

I would start by checking the radius arm bushings. Do you hear any thumping sounds when you feel the jerk? Radius arm bushings are very common to go bad, and a pain in the *** to replace as well. Maybe check your anti-sway bars on the front & back. I broke a mounting bracket on the rear axle on my truck a year or to, and if I remember correctly, I heard some noise when you would speed up. I ended up having to make my own bracket. Couldn't find anyplace to purchase it. I have also broke leaf springs before, but I don't remember any jerking from it, just a poor ride.

 

Yes it does kind off make a thumping noise. This would probably be the radius arm bushings?

 

I would put my money on the radius arm bushings. I know when they went out on the driver's side of my truck, I would actually feel it in the floor of the truck... If that is the case and they are bad, get the cutting tourch warmed up, because you will need it to heat up the stud! The damn bracket is rivetted to the frame! there is a trick to replacing them, without drilling the rivets.

 

Mine seem to be good. I hope they are just loose. The one on the driver side has a shiny spot wore on it from the washer like it is moving back and forth from just being loose.

I had to replace the radius arm bushing on a friends explorer today. Seems like it would be easier to do it on an ole Bronco since they are straight axle?

 

What my father & I did, is heat the hell out of the stud, take the nut off, and actually pulled the front end forward on that side to put in the new bushings. then shoved the axle back. I know it is most likely not the right way to do it, but it worked.

 

Ok, I looked at the bushings today, they look fine, no deteriation at all. Put the impact on the nut and it moved without any problem so I tightened them up some. Still same problem. I think it is just my motor/trans mount. I can feel the gas pedal shifting up and down and side to side when I hit bumps or when I floor it making the motor/trans torque up. If I drive very slowly and start off very slowly it won't do it. So next question what is the best way to replace motor/trans mounts? I don't want to remove the engine just get it up enough to side in new mounts. Hopefully maybe do one side at a time?

 

you should be able to replace them without pulling the motor. You may have to loosen up the transmission cross-member so the engine can move some. There are 4 bolts that hold the mount to the motor, and only a single bolt that goes to the frame. But, the bolt that goes to the frame is fairly long. Good luck on it. That is something that I have not ever tried before. Haven't had to. I replaced the motor mounts on mine, when I put my new motor in.

 

Bad motor mounts or a trans mount won't make the gas pedal move around. If that is the case then you need to tighten up the 3 bolts that hold the pedal to the firewall.

 

Thanks, checked bolts, they are tight.

I can feel the motor/trans moving when I hit bumps, I can also hear it making a poping noise(not really sure how to describe noise) when I hit bumps or accelerate hard.

 

Can anybody give me symptoms of bad motor mounts/trans mounts? Also what are the symptoms of worn or bad sway bar bushings? I would really like to figure this out, it is very annoying. I also hear the pop or bump when the suspension flexes going up a hill at a angle. Can the radius arm bushings be bad even though they look fine?

 

I know you're saying your radius arm bushings are good. Take a serious look at the panard bar(track bar) that runs from the frame to the axel on your front axel. Those bushings tend to wear out and the stud the the bar attaches to on the axel itself sometimes gets loose. If that stud is loose everything will appear tight but it will wobble around while driving. Also, if you can feel your gas pedal moving under your foot and the attaching bolts are tight then I would revisit the motor mounts, it is hard linkage between the carb and your foot.

 

OK, I had time to get under the Bronco today and look at things a little better. I got a pry bar out and started trying to wiggle things around a little. I placed the pry bar between the radius arm bracket and the washer on the bushing and was able to pry the front axle back and forth(I could see the front tires move back and forth when I did it) I was very surprised at this since they look fine by eye. The brackets have been off before, the rivets are drilled out and been replaced by bolts so this should make radius arm bushing replacement easier? I think the motor/trans mounts are bad to. It feels like a trailer with the load to far forward or to far back kinda making a bucking feeling, I feel this through the gas pedal. Thanks for the info.

Should I get radius arm bushings from my local Advance or should I get the higher quality ones from Bronco Graveyard?