I started tearing down the front end to change the radius arm insulators and found out I don't have the right size socket. I suspect it's a 1 1\8 in. because 1 1\16 is too small and 1 1\4 is too big. Then again it might be metric.
Does anybody know what size it is ?
Also to loosen the bottem coil spring retaining nut to remove the spring, do you loosen the nut on the bottem of the axle, does that bolt go all the way through from the spring retainer to the axle ?
That nut and the one on the back of the radius arm at the insulators seem to be the same size.

 

I seem to recall that they are 1 1/8" but it's been a while since I've done any.
Is the radius arm bracket, where the bushings go, bolted to the frame or riveted?
If it's bolted it is easy to remove the bracket and change the bushings then bolt up the bracket again.
To remove the spring you just remove the nut inside the spring.
I wouldn't remove the spring though. If you cant remove the bracket that I mentioned then I would just remove the shock and sway bar end link and pull the I-beam/radius arm ahead with a come-along and change the bushings that way.

 

I never thought to look if that bracket is bolted or not, that would be too easy if it is.
down in the spring retainer it looks like the head of a bolt, not a nut. I have two diagrams of these front ends and one shows a nut at the retainer, and the other shows a bolt going all the way through.
I'll look when it gets light out and see if I can implement your ideas. A friend is bringing me a 1 1\8 socket tomorrow after work just in case I have to do it the hard way. I'm wondering if I just remove the top spring clip if I would be able to lower the axle down enough to unseat the spring then bring it foward. I'll check all this out and repost my findings tomorrow. Thanks

 

Yes usually just lowering the top of the spring will let you pull it all forward enough.

 

I used a pipe wrench, not pretty but worked. I thought it was 1 3/16. wasn't going to pay for it.

 

the nut on the bottom of the spring is a 1 1/8 if you remove the uper retaining bolt and then remove the shock and the sway bar you will be able to move the whole thing forward after you remove the radius arm nuts and bolts that is. If you have to take the sping off you have to remove the uper retaining clip, shock, and sway bar to lower it enough to get a socket inside to lossen that nut.

 

Well, I got the bushings in.
That radius arm bracket is bolted, but I guess Ford thought they'd be funny and put the bolts in from the inside of the frame to the outside into nuts that are welded to the bracket, meaning that you can't take the bolts out anyway because the cats in the way. Had they just done it the opposite way you could replace the bushings in less then an hour. It makes no sense.
The biggest problem was trying to loosen the bolt that goes through the spring retainer,the top part of the radius arm,the axle,and then out the bottem of the radius arm. I could not find any socket that fit it, american standerd or metric. I even tried to crack it with a big pipe wrench and couldn't.
I needed to loosen it to line up bushings into the hole in the bracket, so I just beat it with a sledge hammer a little to the left and then a little to the right untill it centered. Crude, but effective.
The nut by the bushing is 1 1\8 but the one at the bottem of the axle is a hair bigger for sure, cause I was using a Snap-on 1 1\8 deep wall and it didn't fit.
The left side looks easy, there doesn't appear to be anything in the way of removing the bolts.
I'm going to do that one this week end. I read something on the net about the bushings on the right side going out more offten because their so close to the cat and the heat deteriorates them faster, might be true.
P.S On mine a bolt goes all the way through, no nut at the spring retainer which isn't really a spring retainer at all, just a plastic formed seat. after removing the top retainer clip and lowering the axle, the spring just fell out.

 

I just did this job. Right side was the same for me. Had to do the spring. but I could access the left bracket bolts and that made the job go so much easier.

My tool of choice was a oversized adjustable open end wrench. Big bolts take a big tool....

 

I'm determined to find out what the hell size that nut is on the bottom of the axle. Fordcr said he thinks it's
1 3\16. That sounds about right, but I don't think I've ever seen a socket that size. I need to check into that for the next time I do this job.
Thanks for the come back guys.

 

Ford does use 30mm nuts quite often. That is very close to 1 3/16".
Could it be that there is just a bunch of rusty buildup on it making it seem bigger than 1 1/8"?

 

On the passenger side you can loosen the bolts, unscrew as much as you can, then cut the bolt in half. Put new bolt through the opposite side and secure with nuts.

 

That sounds like a good idea providing those nuts welded on to the bracket can be chiseled off once you back out the bolts.

 

with a disk grinder, many things are possible

 

I saw a 3/4 inch drive socket that was 1 3/16 but wasn't going to pay that much for a tool that I would use once.

 

how else do we acquire tools?