I need to be talked off the ledge. Inspection for front end clunk led me to the track bar bushing. They were worn visually and had movement. Within the year I have replaced the entire front end with a Moog kit. Got the top bolt out no real issues other than finding the right way to get the needed force. When I went to get the passenger side bolt out... this is what came out of the truck...

On the ground

In the truck (1)

In the Truck (2)


Need a new bracket and figure out how to do this safely as I feel it is sketchy work in a driveway. Any help from the Brain Trust would be appreciated.

 

I think the old piece will fit better than anything you can buy new. Cleaned up with a grinder, it’ll fit right back where it came from I think. If you don’t have the stuff to weld with, call a mobile welding company. You might be surprised and find someone local, there are people all over the place who repair farm equipment and stuff. Tell them to bring a little scrap 1/4 plate incase it needs a little reenforcement. Just make sure it’s in exactly the right spot so the front tires are centered in the fenders and it tracks right going down the road.

while you’re waiting, I’d get some Gunk or oven cleaner or something and clean up that area so you don’t have a fire. Hope that helps man, it ain’t so bad. Completely fixable and stronger than new. The mobile welder guys may prove to be less expensive than you might think also.

 

Ditto what Rusty said, in addition, disconnect all electrical before they weld on it. To clean up that sort of mess I usually use a power washer and Extreme Simple Green. Good Luck, Russ

 

Gentlemen.

Thank you for confirming where I landed after researching. While I am not a skilled welder, I think I can muster the skill to accomplish this. Very thankful for the disconnect power statement. I would have fubared that for sure and I just installed a new PCM. OUCH

 

OP - careful doing welds on the frame and the bell below the engine .

 

F350 1990,

Thanks for the reply. After looking closer to the damage, it is evident there was an impact before my time. Bought the truck used about 10 years ago. In the red circle you can see the steering stabilizer bracket (which is incorporated in this part) has been bent all the way back to touching the other leaf spring bracket.

#20 is the top traction bar bracket. I need the lower... it is not numbered but the bolt (#21) goes into it. Hence the issue finding it/sourcing it. lol


Steering Stabilizer mount damage

So even if taken off there is little chance it will go back in its home.

It must have given way about 4 years ago. I had some weird vibrations (occurs at 50mph - 65mph, not severe but not what I would consider normal) and took to 4wheel drive specialist shops(2), transmission shops(3), and Firestone(2) to find the weird vibration. No one could ever find it.

I will probably end up installing the autofab bracket versus finding one in a junkyard (https://autofab.com/i-10039304-2000-...r-bracket.html). Cannot buy the part I need.

Thanks for rushing in for the save.

 

Oops -- just deleted the picture............but I'm pretty sure your bracket bolts and welds to the frame

is welded to the bell under the engine................

 

Yup, for sure it’s been kerwalloped. Those things don’t often fall off. That joint is critical I’d be very carefully on that weld and inspect it closely. It’s hard to describe the geometry and leverage of those pieces but if you want to feel it, crank the truck and rock the steering wheel a little bit with the track bar disconnected. The tires don’t turn, the whole front of the truck rocks side to side over the tires like a hula dancer. Loosing that connection out on the road would be a serious problem.

 

You hit that one on the head.
The thoughts of driving at any speed over a fast
trot on a house makes my insides quiver.

I think it ranks up there with loosing the sector shaft at speed.

 

Not so... this damage occurred over 10 years ago and was just now found. 5 years ago I felt so "wonky" vibrations but tracking etc. has not been an issue. Heck I moved towing from Memphis to Dallas with it. This is not nearly the fatalistic issue that seems to be established above. But I also do not mud or drive it hard so maybe that is it.

Not saying this is ideal or that I want to drive it this way and not fix. But in no way does this disable the vehicle.

That being said, I will fix it and I will not be going back OEM. The bracket is a known failure on 1999 to 2004. The aforementioned autofab part is the best solution I have seen so far. Much beefier and can be welded in place.

F350 1990, The bracket welds to the leaf spring bracket that has the four bolts that run through it. It does not weld to the axle. There are three pieces: The Track Bar and Steering stabilizer mount, the leaf spring perch (welded to the axle housing) and a sway bar bracket . The track bar/stabilizer bracket and the sway bar bracket weld to the leaf spring perch that is then welded to the axle housing. Goofy but whatever, it is was Ford gave me to work with LOL.

Here is an example of the autofab bracket being installed. Bad welds but... the parts seem legit.


It is not welded to the frame nor the bell under the engine. It is however welded to the leaf spring perch that is welded to the axle housing.

 

It's usually high torque situations where these types of parts fail, including tie rod ends and sector shafts. With the high scrub radius of these trucks, high torque usually but not always occurs in slow-speed maneuvers, like the parking lot or parallel parking, where you are fighting the brake/tire relationship or twisting the tire on the pavement.

 

That makes sense.

 

Yup. I was thinking of the later model trucks with coil springs up front. I didn’t look at the pics good enough to catch the leaf springs.

 

In case anyone was wondering, I took some additional pics of where the traction bar bracket is welded to the leaf spring perch. Looks like only two 1" - 1 1/2" tacks. I am almost positive this was not a factory weld and was made by a repair shop (shade tree?). SMH. But I could be wrong on that. But considering some of the responses as to the criticality and the major forces at play on this part, I was quite surprised to see only two tack welds and that it did not break at the tacks but ripped the part in two. I am cutting the old bracket off tonight and will attempt at repairing off the vehicle as a temp fix til I get either a new part or the Autofab part. I think I have a solution for the geometry on the reinstall as I am not sure the geometry is correct even now. Will post pics and report back.

 

Boy oh boy was I wrong. That sucker is welded in there tighter than a hamburger in a husky pre-teens hand.

True two short welds on the bottom. But welded across the entire top. could not feel or see it due to the layers of 17 years of farm land sediment. I think I will be able to get it off but its a labor of poverty. The welds are rather wide 3/8" or so so I am able to cut right down the middle of it. Would rather smoke wrench it, grind it flat, and put the Autofab part in place... but you deal with what is at your disposal.