-This is the arm that holds the end of the I-Beams from moving forward and backward, which can have a nasty effect on the steering and braking.

Specifically - the three tools that saved the day for me were a come-along (cable and ratchet type puller), a thrity six inch wrecking bar, and a chain wrench made by Vice Grip.

In practice - I found that the suspension half that I was working on was very stiff to move around and line things up even at full droop. On the right side of the truck the pivot end of the I-Beam had to be taken loose. And yes, lining it back up was interesting. The bolt head on it was 18 milimeter, and the nut was (I think) 3/4 inch. I'm serious about that metric bolt head - it seems to be one of the ones FORD felt compelled to throw in despite most everything else being standard SAE sizes elsewhere. It must have been some kind of mid-seventies metric conversion compliance madness...

There are a pair of oval shaped cut-outs in the frame near the bumper bolts that you can hook one end of the puller onto. The other end should be hooked to the shock mounting bracket on the radius arm. Running the cables on the inner side of the spring helps draw it inward - the end of the radius arm tends to swing outboard of the hole when it is pulled free.

About three inches forward of the radius arm mounting bracket, and up on the frame is another oval cutout - a chain wrench can be threaded through there and looped around the radius arm to assist in lining it back up when re-installing everything. It might be far easier to take loose the upper spring retainer when doing all of this, because the coil spring causes most of the problems with lining up things. I didn't bother, I just fought my way through, disconnecting as little as possible. I may have made it a lot harder on my self by doing it that way.

The I-Beam pivot may need not only a large breaker bar, but the use of a pry bar on the end of the breaker bar to bust loose the nut holding the I-Beam pivot. One thing is for sure - you're not likely to get an impact gun in there. It just won't fit, not in front, and not behind. It can be done anyway, and it looked like an angle grinder could fit in there if the bolts were totally rusted into "one piece status".

The bushings I used are urethane, of course. I never go to that much trouble without putting something better in there.

On the rear side of the radius arm mounting flange on the frame there should be a white plastic ring about two or three inches in diameter that centers the bushings in place. You can only get that piece from FORD MOTOR COMPANY. I still need one....

The passenger side is the toughest side, attack it first and the rest is cake. Try very hard not to mis-align the bushings as you tighten things up. A pry bar on the pass side helped a lot. Good as they are, if you mash them you can ruin them on the install.

This entire operation was done without a lift, just jack stands - on the ground.

I hope I didn't forget anything important about it, if anything else occurs to me I'll add it later.

~Wolf out

 

Thankfully, somebody before me just ground the rivets holding the bracket on the frame off, and replaced them with bolts. Once you do this, all you have to do is support the arm and unbolt the bracket. I think this may be a worthwhile thing to do, since I have replaced them once since somebody else did. The ones I got from the parts store where TRW, and they did have a white plastic piece in the box, if this is the same plastic piece you are talking about. These where the stock rubber type bushings.

 

Greywolf,

I have read that the urethane radius arm bushings are so stiff that they will cause the rear bracket to break off the frame. I have read this in a couple of post - most say to get the TRW OEM rubber bushings.

I am concerned because I purchased a set of the urethane bushings from Whitney and have hesitated to install them due to the other post.

I could see no problem using the urethane with the I-beam pivot bushing; but, not sure on the radius arm.

Your post was very good on the rigors of installation - I can say I am not looking forward to that project, but my '86 will need the bushings fairly soon.

Does anyone have any experence with a long term urethane installation or any problems with urethane bushings?

 

Ive had urethane on mine 82 for about 18 years ,back when roughcountry and rancho were about the only ones makeing them .i got 2 sets for a steal.however i run a skyjacker lift that has the heavy duty radius arm brackets ,but with the size tires i have run over the years rubber wouldnt have a chance.if your truck is stock with small tires and mostly on the street rubber might ride a tad better and is cheaper.

 

Interesting, so many ways to skin this particular cat. Here's how I did mine on my 82 2wd.
Removed the caliper and tied it up out of the way. Took the shock loose . Took the coil spring out completely. This was eased by the fact that I had replaced them before. Those 34mm (IIRC)nuts are a real bummer to break loose. (a BIG 1 1/8" wrench will also fit them and slides in between the spring coils nicely). I then loosened the OTHER 34mm nut revealed after the spring is removed. The radius arm was free to pivot then as I dropped the Ibeam. R+R'd the bushings and put it back together. Since I had it down that far I went ahead and added the front sway bar setup I robbed off a junkyard 85 Bronco 4wd. A decision I DO NOT regret. Liked it so much I went back and got the matching rear bar too.
It all went rather easily. The key point being that I had already broken those SOBing 34mm nuts loose earlier. Those things can give you a hernia the first time you have to break them loose.
I have since R+R'd the I-beams yet again to replace the ball joints (shop would do it very cheap if they didn't have to crawl under the truck). IIRC the I-beam pivot bolts have 18mm heads and 21mm nuts. Although some metric and SAE wrench sizes are interchangeable ( IE:3/4"=19mm, 15/16"=24mm, etc.) I have yet notice any actual SAE threaded nuts or bolts on any of my 82 and newer Fords other than some of the engine bolts.

 

Easiest way to get at the 34 mikes at the bottom coil mount is a long nosed impact, an extension, and a deepwell socket, after the top is taken off. Just run it down through the middle of the spring coil...

That's exactly what I did when I swapped the original springs on my 82 F100 out for 2 inch overstock ones that matched the new engines weight - worked like a charm!

I try not to do this kind of stuff without air tools, it usually works out like this time. The job got done, but I have an ace wrap on my right hand because of an old wrist injury. Too much torque on old body parts will do that.

 

Quite right, IF you have a GOOD impact and a good compressor. Preferably a 3/4" impact. The size of the nut plus the long extension needed tends to sap the torque out of all but the best 1/2" impacts. Ask how I know this. Add in that the factory puts ungodly torque on them and of course there's some rust in there and most impacts can't bust 'em loose. I don't own a really good impact that will do it. I do have a big old 1 1/8" wrench and an 1 1/4" wrench I hook into the end of it to break these nuts loose. Unfortunately it's easy to bust other things this way, like your teeth or a gut.
Sure would be nice if Santa dropped a 3/4" impact my way. Those suckers are pricy.