Worn Radius Arm Bushings

Justshootme84 · Mar 5, 2004

I see this problem a lot on 4WD F-150's and Broncos with the twin i-beam or TTB front end ,and my 84 Bronco was no exception. Part of the bushings will be gone or sagging from their original spot on the brackets. My way of doing it was to remove the bolts from the frame-mounted brackets and the end of the arms, then simply install new bushings. If this has never been done before on your rig, one or both of the brackets may be riveted to the frame instead of bolted. You can use a grinder to remove the rivet heads, then drill a small hole thru the rivets. Watch out for fuel lines inside the frame rail. This will allow them to pop out with the aid of a hammer and punch. Use 7/16" Grade 8 hardware to re-mount the brackets, and next time you replace them, it will be much easier. Use a floor jack under the axle half that you're working on, so you can get the new bracket bolts lined up on the frame. A come-along may even be necessary, it was in my case, to align the bolts. I used poly urethane bushings instead of the OEM rubber ones, too. It will take you 3-4 hours to do the first side, then about 1-2 hours to do the other since you know what to do. Go and get a front alignment afterwards-it will change!

In the photo below, the blue arrow points to the radius arm, the yellow is the bushing on the front of the mounting bracket (there's also one behind it), and the red arrow is one of the four rivets in the bracket:

(I added the lift kit with extended arms about two years after doing this)

Justshootme84 · Mar 7, 2004

I just found this great tech page on the same subject:

Radius arm bushings

SMitty · Mar 18, 2004

All that work for bushings that will eventually wear out again ?? Has anyone just tried slitting the forward bushing and inserting it over the male spike ? Don't have to remove anything except the radius arm compression washer, etc. Insert the front bushing with the cut down to minimise the damage when brake torque forces the radius arm spike end up. OK ??? or BAD IDEA ?? You won't hurt my feelins either way you respond. :-B

bad ass bronco · Apr 30, 2004

you guys r nuts!!! all you have to do is unbolt the nut off the back of the radius arm, use a comealong and attach one end to the front framerail and the other to the hole in the radius arm and pull the whole arm out of the bracket. after the arm is out of the mount, put on the new bushings. use plenty of lube on the bushings. always use poly bushings. they may squeek a little but they don't wear out. then push on the end of the arm with your feet while a friend slowly releases the comealong. put the rear bushing on the back of the arm and tighten the nut down with a big breaker bar.

BLADE262US · Jun 1, 2004

Thats how ive always done it too . Takes way too long to disassemble everything

Raven · Jun 5, 2004

Same here always used the comealong method unless I was replacing the bracket. I still prefer the rubber bushings over the poly ones little bit more give if ya hit something with the front tire.

maverick777 · Sep 5, 2008

bad ass bronco said:
you guys r nuts!!! all you have to do is unbolt the nut off the back of the radius arm, use a comealong and attach one end to the front framerail and the other to the hole in the radius arm and pull the whole arm out of the bracket. after the arm is out of the mount, put on the new bushings. use plenty of lube on the bushings. always use poly bushings. they may squeek a little but they don't wear out. then push on the end of the arm with your feet while a friend slowly releases the comealong. put the rear bushing on the back of the arm and tighten the nut down with a big breaker bar.

I need to do this on my 94 F150, doing it your way, did you loosen any bolts other than the radius arm bolts? I didn't know it would have enough slack to slip the end out.