Help, I hit a snowbank really hard with my Bronco. I got a new front axle and parts, but realized my Rancho extended radius arm is bent slightly.

Due to alignment issues, I imagine that I can't really straighten it without a jig. I may hammer on it and see what happens.

Does anyone have a pair of extended radius arms to fit a '90 F150/Bronco?

It's an older Rancho lift with the straight arms, rather than the newer bent ones. They don't make them anymore, and I'd rather not buy a whole new lift kit.

I'd take any brand, as long as they are in good condition and have brackets for the I-beams.

Thanks,
Josh

PS, I'm local to Minneapolis

 

Depending on how bad it is bent you may be able to heat it up and bend it back. Have you tried the classifieds? Someone is bound to have some of those. Now assuming that they are rancho arms I assume that you have a rancho lift. Therefore your lift must be 4 inches because rancho does not make suspension lifts in excess of 4 inches. So you need to make sure that the arms you are getting will work with your lift or you'll have some camber issues. You could also call some 4 wheel drive places as well such as hooze, or 4 wheel parts and so on and so forth. You should be able to buy just the radius arms and not the whole lift. Have you tried calling rancho adn/or talking to a tech? The new style arms may still work. If they are curved then they are probably to eliminate the drop radius arm bracket. This would actually be a better arm to have as long as you still have the original brackets. I believe some lifts have new brackets completely as opposed to the lift that I have only relocates the bracket down to accomodate the lift. Its not as good as a replacement radius arm but for what I use the truck for it is just fine.

 

I will begin tearing it down tonight. I disassembled the axle I bought the other day. The Radius arm is bent on the bottom tube of my Rancho arm, but the top tube is still true. Therefore, my arm is the correct length at the top, but will be short at the bottom. I'm considering drilling a new bottom hole to move it ahead to work for now. As far as I can tell, if I left it alone, I would only be affecting my castor angle of the spindle. With correct toe-in and camber adjustments, I should be fine. At this point, I'm not sure if I should have bought the new front axle. I'm out $200 on that, and am reconsidering a straight axle swap. Since I have the parts, I think I'll cobble it together to get it back on the road. Before I spend $500 to have the balljoints replaced on both sides (I'd do it myself, already have the old ones out of the new axle, but I have to have the alignment shop do the work in order to replace the camber washer between the upper ball joint and ibeam since the driver side axle housing is bent, but not enough to justify replacing it, only 4mm at the ball joint) I may go buy a straight axle first.

The new style rancho arms are bent to clear wider tires....which would be nice, as my tires rub on mine.

I may still get a pair of the new ones, and new springs as they are looking pretty crusty with age.

 

I meant to say caster issues. I had a brain fart.

 

Good news...I was able to get everything back together by Saturday afternoon, and I was able to use the existing Rancho radius arm. Apparently, the Rancho arm is pretty darn strong. I suspect the tube was 'stretched' a bit, rather than bent, as the bracket was still true. I was able to bend it back a bit and it bolted right up to the new axle housing without any issues. I decided to take my chances on the camber and installed the new ball joints on both sides. I suspect the ball joints were whacked on the driver side as well, because I left the 0 degree bushing in there and it now appears fine that it's all back together. I need to have the steering box replaced now, and an alignment to correct the toe. Otherwise, she is fit for the road again.

As long as I had it apart, I did the brakes as well. Total cost was $410 including a complete used front axle assemble from hub to hub.

If anyone needs parts from an TTB front end, driver's side, I have everything including the spring, a pair of stock radius arms, both axles, and rotors, etc. I only used the parts on the passenger side.

Josh

 

Hey

I am changing a drivers side radius arm on a stock 1993 Bronco, Jeffs Bronco Graveyard sent me a passenger side arm. It looks like I could just turn it over to use on the drivers side and drill holes for thr shock absorber mount.

Do you know if left and right stock arms can interchange?