85 F-250 6.9L Diesel

Took it to a Firestone shop to have the front end suspension worked after I bought the truck from a guy that had the truck sitting on his farm with very limited use for a little over a year. When I bought it steering was really loose and made a lot of screeching whenever the the truck was turned. They replaced the tie rod ends, the king pins, sway bar and stabilizer bar.

After I got the truck back I noticed the front wheels were sagging /--\ and it looked like it was getting worse the more I drove it, but hard to tell. I took it back to the shop and they came back with a long list of additional items that need to be replaced to correct it. He didn't give a whole lot of details over the phone but said the cost to repair was over $1000. He said something about if the truck had been sitting around for a while and was now being driven more that the origninal parts were working their way loose now that the truck was being driven more.

I'm taking it in to a small time mechanic (recommended by a friend as an honest man) for a second opinion but wanted to know if what the Firestone shop said made any sense. Its a great running truck and I'd hate to have to sell it off so shortly after I bought it and already put the money in to get the king pins and the other front end work (which cost nearly $1000, I'm thinking I might have gotten a raw deal on that).

Bought the truck for $1000 knowing it would need some work but things are adding up quickly. Anybody out there have anything to say about initial cost of their vehicle and time / money spent on it so far?

 

Other than the fact that you are getting screwed by Firestone, no.

I would NEVER take a truck to a chain. Their mechanics are paid a commission. In other words, the more they find wrong - the more $$ they make.

If you can't fix it yourself, take it to a reputable mechanic.

 

These trucks had the twin-I-beam suspension, and that diesel engine is heavy. If yours is a 4x4, most all of them have trouble with the leaf spring bushings in the front and also the shackle bushings on the front springs which are up inside the frame and hard to see. I just put a set of plastic bushings in my 89, and the original rubber ones were definitely shot.

The bushing replacement is not easy work, so expect it to be expensive. If yours is a 4x4, and they replaced the balljoints, then that was a lot of work also.

 

My new to me '80 F250 4x4 does this too but only when I back up. Going forward the wheels sit straight up. I noticed the axle pivot bushing bracket attachment bolts were all loose and tightening them up cut the sag in about half. I think the bushings are shot in my truck. You might look there in your truck.

 

I'm guessing you mean the leaf spring bushings on the rear suspension.

I got the invoice for the work they had wanted to do and the I beam bushings were on the list. The invoice said $92.90 for a set (K8672) but I've seen online prices at O'Reilly for no more than $15. If they are really overcharging that much for parts there's no way I'll be going back to Firestone.

Went out to the truck and saw that the sagging was completely gone when I had pulled into the driveway but its starting to dawn on me that everytime i've noticed the sagging it had been when I backed into a spot at the parking lot at work. After a little forum searching it looks like the bushings are the likely culprit.

So are there any other suspension bushings that are likely to be worn out and should be checked while I look around? How do you differentiate between OK bushings and worn out ones?

 

You must have 2wd? The 4wd models have leaf springs up front. The sure way to tell if a bushing is bad is look at the bolt that goes through the center. It should be in the center of the bushing. In other words, there should be an equal amount of bushing material all the way around the bolt. If the bolt is off-center, with more bushing material on one side than the other, then it's shot.

 

Yes, it is 2wd.

 

Ive also heard that having the wheels tilt in a bit is normal after backing up because of the toe in that allows you to steer while going forward.

 

^^^ Yup. Backing up you will always see a little camber

 

It was pretty obvious when I crawled under the front of the truck to take a peek that the axle pivot bushings have worn away substantially. I went out and picked up a new set of bushings and am contemplating replacing them myself or finding a mechanic that will remove the old ones and install the ones I bought and just charge for labor. It looks like a pretty involved process, I'm guessing the entire front axle assembly needs to be dismantled.

Since the wheels straighten out whenever the truck is driven forward, I might wait on putting the bushings in. I was thinking about putting a small lift on the truck, 2-4 inches (and replacing the bushings while I have the whole front suspension out). Having a hard time finding a kit for an 85 F250 2 wheel drive thats more than just a body lift. I'm sure somebody has done this before on a similar model truck. Kinda curious what it would look like. Suggestions on where to find a kit or if the lift is even a good idea?

 

i also have worn bushings, i loosened the bolts, took nuts off and applied never seize and re-tightened.
i have the new bushings and want to attempt to do it myself but not sure of the procedure, dont know if the pivot arm is under pressure.
any ideas?
jadplaza@aol.com