This may seem like a stupid question but, what size are the bolts on the radius arms up front on our trucks? I am pulling apart a 77 for the front suspension and my wrench collection only goes to 1 1/16th and that is too small. It might be 1 1/8th but at 25 dollars a wrench it is expensive guesswork.

 

1 1/8 th. Buy a deep well 1 1/8th inch 1/2 inch drive socket. This will get the nut and bolt on the other end of the radius arm as well. Use plenty of CR Blaster and when it gets started put penetrating oil on it. Get a 12 inch cresent wrench for the bolt head. Heat may help. You won't use this very often so it may be a better idea to just borrow one.

 

My '76 is 1-1/8". You'll prolly want to spray all that stuff with a penetrating lube for a few days before you take it apart!

 

Thanks, my dad had a 1 1/8th socket and it should work nicely. The bolt has alredy been sprayed with PB blaster multiple times.

 

What I have done on the front ends i have pulled it wirebrush dirt,chip off undercoating, flush junk away with wd40....getting the nuts off of the rad. arm to I beam is a pain....undo shock and lower spring out of upper perch....extensions down thru spring....use a 6 point socket!!!! breaker bar with a cheater bar over end is recommended to break it loose....undo a bit, crank back down, flush crud the nut churns out of threads w/wd40....repaet till off....pull spring lower retainer and spring off....repeat for 2nd nut....need a deep well socket....bolt most likely wont spin, but if it does, wrench should handle it....2nd nut is tighter then 1st....leave bolt in after 2nd nut removed and undo the radius arm nut....same procedure....wirebrush,flush crud away and so on....bolt thru I beam is a tight fit usually....put nut on till flush upside down(flat surface up, put 2X4 over nut/bolt end and rap a bit to get it moving....pretty easy ...wd40 again....to remove rad. arm from truck, what I have found easiest is to pull axle pivot bolt/nut, pull out of hole, and pull Ibeam/rad. arm fwd just enouhgh to pop end of arm out of frame. Use a jack under the outer arm to keep weight off of brake hose....this puppy weighs about 50-65 lbs i would say....w/o brake drum on.....

Hope this helps....cs65

 

Almost forgot...I got tired of scraping tools together for pulling front end/steering...i got a wrench set from sears and co for round 65 clams....5/16 thru 1 1/4" combo wrenches...best money I ever spent...took about 1/2 hour to have both sides out from under truck...Id wire brush/lube one side , go to other side, do same, then go to 1st side and attack.

 

Thanks to all. I will have to go get that 1 1/8th anyway to make taking the spring perch off the bottom easier. I did get the whole suspension off the left side but still need to take the i-beam and radius arms apart for painting and cleaning. The other side should go easier now that I have done one side.