Ok --- you might want to revisit those bracket bolts coming down through the crossmember (and the horizontal retainer/bolts)........get the bracket "loose" basically, link up with the axle then hit everything with the ft lbs...........

 

You don't have a large enough pry bar, or to much weight on the front wheel to move it with the bar you do have.

 

Not a bad idea no problem is the end of the I beam is in the way of the bolts, what I mean is kinda a pain in the rear tighten them back up with it in place in the bracket.

We do do what we gotta do though!

 

I have prybars ranging in size from small to too long to fit underneath, I just can't budge it.

Loosening the bracket was one of my first ideas, however as danr1 said with the I-beam in place I cant tighten the bolts. I think I could possibly get to the top two but the two on the side I definitely couldn't, and leaving them tight wouldn't give me any play in the bracket.

 

I'd shim it (bracket to crossmember connection) to pick up the degrees needed..........(of course I'm so use to welding everything to get everything right on the money)..........

 

Depends on what's preventing you from moving it, say for example heavy bind right there at the bracket. If so, to much bind due to pinch use your bar to spread the bracket open some. Put end of bar between end of I beam and bracket flange where presents enough gap to work, pry against beam opening bracket as much as you can more so as you gain little more room to work the bar front or back side or both. metal digging in tad so doubt need much.

Doing so won't hurt it, once you put the bolt through and tighten it down you'll pinch it back closed again tight to the steal bushing inside the rubber bushing. You want it pivoting at the rubber not on the bolt in the end and bolt tight you'll get it back easy.

Weight on the tire is an issue but only a little its sidewall will allow enough give to move the beam that little distance.

 

Such remedies have occurred to me, I just feel like there's a way to get it on "right" even though I haven't figured out what that is yet.

 

With the pry bar (current out of alignment) aren't we asking a lot
of that bushing later?

 

I would tend to agree. One of the reasons I didn't fully commit to using force to get it where I wanted it. That said, getting it secured by any means would suffice enough to get it to the shop 2 miles away where they can fix it properly. With the aid of a pry bar I was at least able to get a screwdriver all the way through the hole so I could back it out of the garage and close the garage door. That way all my tools won't get stolen and my garage won't flood with the storm rolling into the Texas Panhandle. As I rolled it out the wheels went all sorts of funny directions so I immediately put it up on jack stands to avoid breaking or bending something, other than maybe the screwdriver.

I will reassess again tomorrow, in the mean time please contribute any ideas that come to mind for me try in the morning.

 

Wouldn't think it need shimmed to get it right unless something is bent or was originally shimmed. I changed a TB in my 94 few years back, don't recall any shims in the bracket but its been a while.

What does it look like looking straight up at it? A "view" you didn't post. How it look besides toe once had screw driver shaft through bolt hole? Front to back near dead on one side bolt hole lines up but half hole or better off other side?

Again we can't see what you're seeing, is it "off" by that much to point you'd be concern with the life of the new bushing?

Bushing will make up for a little yea but shouldn't be off by enough to cause it to fail prematurely no.

 

I just did this on my TTB D44 (same basic design). I took the radius arm nuts off, had the top of the springs unbolted, and it took a lot of leveraging/force. It isn't an "easy" job but when is front end work not bull work? You've nearly got it in, maybe you need to loosen up the radius arm nuts more or pull the springs. Sometimes trying to take "shortcuts" is counterproductive...

 

If your radius arm bracket has been removed to change those bushings in the past, unbolt it again. that will get a lot more play. If it hasn't, cot the rivets so you can get the play to get the pivot bushing, then work your way out. Get everything put together loose, then tighten everything. What could be causing the problem is the 1 1/8" bolts top and bottom at the front of the radius arm where it meets the axle. Loosen them ( they are gonna be a bear). If they are way out of wack, and not allowing any side to side movement becuz being out of wack for so long, that's probably where your binding is coming from. The big bolt that comes up through the coil spring. What's under there is what I'm talking about.

 

Took everything apart, cleaned it up real nice just for good measure, and put it back together, good enough to take it to the shop.

 

jdq, Sorry we couldn't get you in the winner's circle...............

 

No worries. Look, I took on a job that I hadn't done before and encountered an obstacle that I couldn't have known was present, one that only an actual alignment shop can fix correctly. At least I was able to get it back close enough to get it to the shop. I still saved money by installing my own bracket and one of the pivot bushings. That would have been two hours labor plus markup on parts. That's at least $200. Plus I learned something.

I'm gunna have a beer anyway.