I was checking a couple things under my bronco this weekend and I noticed that the radius arms are cracking. They are the stock arms. They are cracked along the bottom of the narrow end near the bushings. Cracks are about inch to 2 inches long. What sort of problems will this give me? Is this particularly difficult to replace? Can I find replacements easily without picking up a lift kit? Thanks for any info gentlemen.

 

Wow, I've never incountered that kind of problem, If one breaks while your driving that would definetly be a big problem, since those hold the ttb in place. You should have no problem getting them from a bone yard, I think they stayed the same through 80- 96 . Good luck bro.

 

www.broncograveyard.com as them for 45.00 used and www.fordpartsonline has them new for 75.00. What do you do with your Bronco? My Bronco is an 81 model with well over 150,000 miles on it and I beat the hell out of it before I parked to put the 1ton suspension on it. I don't have any cracks whatsoever and its on its 3rd engine and Tcase and itsecond tranny . hmmm...

DG808

 

Yeah, I have to wonder what you (or a previous owner) did to it to crack a radius arm. As BRK said, it would be EXTREMELY hazardous to your health if it broke while you were driving. I'd park it until you get it fixed. It's not worth the risk.

 

As was stated, wow, hard to believe but, obviously, possible. Replacement is fairly simple IN THEORY.
1) When jacking the front of the truck up for this project, DO NOT use the front axle as a lift point. There are a lot of things to pull apart to get to the radius arms. The arm-to-frame brackets don't necessarily need to be removed from the frame nor does the axle half that each arm holds in place.
2) However, you WILL need to remove the front springs, spring cups, shocks, and sway bar if so equipped.
3) Obviously, the front wheel(s) as well. Once all of this is out of the way, there is a nut holding the arm to the frame bracket, a bolt run into the bottom of the axle housing, and a stud run into the top of the axle housing (this stud also holds the lower spring cup to the axle housing). The latter two hold the upper and lower tabs of the radius arm to the axle housing.
4) You will need to loosen the bolt and stud but DO NOT remove them.
5) You will need to remove the large nut that holds the radius arm to the bracket on the frame FIRST.
6) Once removed, the radius arm and axle half should move forward enough for the end of the arm to clear the hole in the bracket.
7) Once the radius arm is clear of the frame bracket, you can remove the stud and bolt holding the arm to the axle housing.
8) Some tugging (towards the rear of the truck) and cursing should help free the arm from around the axle housing.
9) To install new radius arms requires reversing the above process.

Hope this is relatively clear. If not email me and I can give greater details.

 

I will also add to greystreak's excellent directions that the lower bolt holding the radius arm requires an ENORMOUS amount of torque to remove and install.

I don't have a torque wrench, but I'm guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 lb-ft. I used a 1/2" breaker bar and a 6' cheater bar. I still couldn't move it by hand. I had to use both legs. Penetrating oil did not help at all.

Good luck!

 

andym,

Yeah wow, how did i forget that part....I even used mild heat to help those bolts out. VERY MILD heat though. Don't want to end up messing with the temper of the bolt.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I don't know how they got like this. I don't really beat up my truck to much. Just a daily driver so far, and not much off road yet. I'll try and get some pics of it this week and post them for you guys. I don't have a digital camera so this may take me a few days. Thanks for the advice and I'll let you know what happens.

 

Is there a posibilaty that what you are seing is the point at wich the radious arm is bent back and welded to its self and the steel rod that goes thrue the radious arm bracket. Ford somtimes has bad production tolerances, and I have seen the welds not compleatly cover the area and the part not coverd could look like a crack.

I only suggest this becouse I'v never seen a factory arm crack, and mine have 480,000 miles on them.

If it really is a crack then you deserve a cookie.