i just bought this truck about a month ago and the radius arm bushings are bad.

I'm trying to get them off without torching the rivets off and down that path because i dont have the tools to do so. Ive been trying to pull the axle forward with a ratchet strap but its not working.

so if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I did some when the truck was up on a hoist,a very long pry bar & a come along winch were my weapon's,Gigger

 

Get a sawzall & cut the rivets off ....Lew

 

lol i used a porta power and jacked the frond end out thendone it... it woked but it was a pain in the *** and if i ever have to do mine im going to get new brackets some grade 8 bolts and change then like lew said...

may cost a lil extra but the time saved will be worth it

 

I've done them many times using a ratcheting strap to pull the radius arm forward. Put the side on which you're working on a jackstand. Hook one end of strap to the very front of the frame, and the other end to one of the holes in the side of the radius arm. Ratchet away until you've moved the radius arm forward enough to work the bushings around the bracket. Usually it slides right back in the bracket when you back off the ratcheting strap. If it doesn't, no big deal. Just move the other end of the ratcheting strap to the back of vehicle and reverse the pull.

 

lol yea thats how u do it but u know ur prolly moving it foward about oh idk 6" maybe give or take an inch....

that cant be good..... somethings getting bent

 

It was just * easier * for me to grind the rivets of and replace the bracket along with the bushing. ( * easier, not easy. what a pain. ).

 

Nah....it's only about three inches and that only equates to about a 15-20 degree roll in the axle pivot bushings.....well within their tolerance. Same is true for the spring and shock mounts, at least on the F150. Thinking about it, I've never done it a leaf spring front end, so that may require a couple of other things being disconnected. But on the coil spring front ends its pretty darn easy and doesn't hurt anything.

 

ya i ended just having to use (man power) and get the thing out it was a pain if i ever have to do it again ill put new brackets on or pay someone.

 

I cut alot of the rivets off on my truck , the rivets on the radius arm brackets & all the rivets on the rear spring hangers when i lowered the truck , i tried everthing , air chissle , grinder ect & found the easest & quckest way was to cut a notch in the rivet with the air chissle then cut it off with a sawzall with a long good quality blade...Lew