Notices
1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

Radius Arm Nightmare

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 30, 2011 | 07:32 PM
  #1  
cstapleton's Avatar
cstapleton
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Radius Arm Nightmare

Please Help!! I have been without my truck for a month now, due to me breaking the thread off the driver's side radius arm, when trying to install new bushings. I have ordered and returned now two sets of radius arms. The first set I got... I accidentally ordered a 4 wheel drive set, so I returned them and found a set on Ebay that stated they were off an 85 Ford F-150 2WD truck. I ordered them last Tuesday and just got them this evening. I open the box and noticed that they were also wrong. I called the seller and explained and they informed me that I was an idiot...in not so many words, and that they are the correct ones for my truck. My truck is an 83 Ford F-150 2WD pickup. Now when I say they are wrong, they are much larger than the ones that were on the truck. Here are picture I took of my issue...

Pictures by chrisandtiffany - Photobucket
 
Reply
Old Aug 30, 2011 | 08:29 PM
  #2  
ctubutis's Avatar
ctubutis
Moderator
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
Club FTE Gold Member
Looking at the parts book, it looks like you could have either a stamped axle or a forged axle.

Radius arms for the two are different.

I can only find pictures of stuff with a stamped axle; does the below look like what you have?











 
Reply
Old Aug 30, 2011 | 08:52 PM
  #3  
displacement4me's Avatar
displacement4me
More Turbo
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Liked
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 701
Likes: 17
From: Alberta, Canada
Club FTE Silver Member

This is my old 85 F150 2wd configuration - does this look like what you got in the mail? Comparing to your picture my radius arm and ibeams are larger, and completely different.

King pin design?

 
Reply
Old Aug 30, 2011 | 08:52 PM
  #4  
cstapleton's Avatar
cstapleton
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
The ones they sent in the mail do look like yours, and are to large to fit onto my front axle. It appears I have the forged axle. I heard these are hard to find... I hope I heard wrong...Anyone have any of these, or have a part number for these?
 
Reply
Old Aug 30, 2011 | 09:26 PM
  #5  
ctubutis's Avatar
ctubutis
Moderator
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
Club FTE Gold Member
I think I'm misleading you....

After looking more closely, it looks like the forged axle was 1980/81 with build dates before 8/81.

For your 1983, it looks like:

E2TZ-3A360-B ARM ASSY. (FRONT AXLE RADIUS) Fits 1981/86 (built from 8/81) F150 with 2WD as well as scattered other 2WD F150-350s 1981 - 1991.
Our sponsor Ed Olson at Horizon Ford (www.partsguyed.com) can sell these to you; MSRP $89.05 His discount price for FTE members: $71.24




Sorry for the confusion; I was also looking at part numbers for related parts (nuts & bolts & washers & whatnot) and all that confused me.

BTW the pictures are of a stamped axle setup.
 
Reply
Old Aug 30, 2011 | 09:57 PM
  #6  
ctubutis's Avatar
ctubutis
Moderator
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
Club FTE Gold Member
BTW the 3A360 listed below is ALL of the radius arms 1980-1989 on all vehicles:





Given your problems, I'm wondering if you really don't have an F250, or if maybe you had 4WD at one time that somebody removed....
 
Reply
Old Aug 31, 2011 | 10:05 AM
  #7  
Rogue_Wulff's Avatar
Rogue_Wulff
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,521
Likes: 16
From: Lost
Those pics look like the 80/81 king pin I-beams. The bad news, they're the rarest of the bunch. The good news, 80-86 F250 2wd used the same I-beams and radius arms.
 
Reply
Old Aug 31, 2011 | 10:21 AM
  #8  
Stangrcr1's Avatar
Stangrcr1
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 2
From: Marysville, WA
^^^What he said. Your pics look just like my 82s I beams and radius rods.
 
Reply
Old Aug 31, 2011 | 10:25 AM
  #9  
ctubutis's Avatar
ctubutis
Moderator
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
Club FTE Gold Member
OP - post your VIN, would ya?
 
Reply
Old Aug 31, 2011 | 12:23 PM
  #10  
NumberDummy's Avatar
NumberDummy
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 778
From: Simi Valley, CA
Club FTE Gold Member
Originally Posted by ctubutis
I can only find pictures of stuff with a stamped axle.
Forged: Illustration Section 30, Pages 4 & 5
Originally Posted by ctubutis
After looking more closely, it looks like the forged axle was used 80/81 with build dates before 8/81.
Chris, before 8/81 only pertains to 1981, not to 1982 or later.

Take a gander at this: Text, Section 30, Page 9 = Look at the application charts.
 
Reply
Old Aug 31, 2011 | 12:33 PM
  #11  
ctubutis's Avatar
ctubutis
Moderator
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
Club FTE Gold Member
Originally Posted by NumberDummy
Forged: Illustration Section 30, Pages 4 & 5
Ah ha!!!!!!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!



Forged axle (two pages):


















Ya know, another mistake I made yesterday was reading his post too fast; I thought he had a 1985 (the number I saw first) but it turns outhe has a 1983!




So, those part numbers I gave above are wrong for him!

Bill - I'm in a hurry and need to go, could you..................
 
Reply
Old Aug 31, 2011 | 12:49 PM
  #12  
NumberDummy's Avatar
NumberDummy
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 778
From: Simi Valley, CA
Club FTE Gold Member
Originally Posted by ctubutis
So, those part numbers I gave above are wrong for him!
Did I say that? No, because....
Look at the application chart you posted for the radius rods.

The way I interpret it is:

1981 F150 2WD (from 8/81); 1982/86 F150 2WD: E2TZ-3A360-B

1981 F150 2WD (from 8/81); 1982/83 F150 2WD (all-with stamped axle): E2TZ-3A360-B (replaced E2TZ-3A360-A).

Ergo: Since there is no other listing for 1983 F150 2WD's, both the stamped and forged axles use the same radius rods.

Originally Posted by ctubutis
Biil, I'm in a hurry and I need to go, could you....
Join the club! I've been putting off buying new florescent tubes for the kitchen for months, now all are out.

So I gotta go get some, so I can find my way around this tomb w/o tripping over one or all four of my Basset Hounds and to get "She, who must be obeyed" to stop nagging me about it.
 
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2011 | 07:34 PM
  #13  
cstapleton's Avatar
cstapleton
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Thanks to All. Without you guys...I would have been lost. I took the information you all provided and called the seller. He went out in his junkyard and found a pair of radius arms off of an 80 Ford F-250 2 wheel drive truck. We compared measurements, and pictures and verified he had the right ones. The seller told me to keep the pair I had and make a wind chime out of them, or resell, and agreed to send me the correct ones if I paid shipping charges. I agreed and I should have the correct radius arms on Wednesday.
 
Reply
Old Sep 3, 2011 | 09:05 AM
  #14  
NumberDummy's Avatar
NumberDummy
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 778
From: Simi Valley, CA
Club FTE Gold Member
Originally Posted by cstapleton
I took the information you all provided and called the seller. He went out in his junkyard and found a pair of radius arms off of an 80 Ford F-250 2 wheel drive truck.

We compared measurements, and pictures and verified he had the right ones.
These F250 rods are not correct for F150's assembled from 8/81.
EOTZ-3A360-D .. Radius Rod

Applications: 1980 F100/150, 1981 F100/150 before 8/81 // 1980/86 F250 2WD / 1980/89 F350 2WD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You have a 1983 F150 2WD, so...you need E2TZ-3A360-B =

1981 F100 from 8/81, 1982/83 F100 / 1981 F150 2WD from 8/81, 1982/86 F150 2WD. Stamped/forged axles use the same radius rods.
 
Reply
Old Nov 11, 2013 | 04:35 PM
  #15  
RLWEST's Avatar
RLWEST
New User
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
I was google'ing "radius arms, 1983 F150 2wd" and this thread came up.
Does anyone know of a source for radius arms? I need both sides for my truck.
Thanks!!

BTW - I'm not a "New Member" - I had some login issues a couple months ago, and had to set up a new account..
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:09 AM.