As long as I have had my truck this radius bushing has always been as pictured. Heard many a story on replacing them from easy to somewhat difficult but after hearing an easy way I thought I would try. Turns out it wasn’t so easy and on top of that led to a phrase some are familiar with called, “while I am in there”, taking effect.
In theory the easy way was to remove the shock and then spring on the affected side. One could then unbolt the radius arm, roll the tire forward, and pop the radius arm out along with the old bushing. Well I can tell you, from first hand knowledge and four hours dealing with it, that it doesn’t work smoothly that way time wise. Pulling the arm out the last inch was a monumental chore both ways needing a ratchet strap. I did finally manage to get the rubber Ford bushing in place.
(PN: I tried this too on my ’66 F100 specifically because it was recommended by you as an easy way to do this. Not. The very obvious thing is that the big bolt holding the radius rod to the axle (see picture above) needs to be loosened! No wonder it wouldn’t swing out easily. It’s so obvious that I’m a bit shocked that the procedure recommended by you was ever conceived of! And it didn’t take me four hours to figure that out.)
However, I was thinking…
What does the I beam bushing look like and with the spring out maybe I should try replacing it. So I pulled it down so I could remove it. This bushing has a rubber center and a metal sleeve so one needs to get the whole thing out to install a new one. Out comes my electric impact wrench as this bolt is up around 125 ft. lbs.
With the bolt out I can pry the bar down so I can start peeling away the ends of the metal sleeve. This is where things get interesting as you are working under the truck rather than removing the whole assembly to a work bench so some ingenuity is required. The rubber has a firm grip on the metal sleeve so it takes some doing to get it out as I learned. Then the sleeve would be left and how to get that out as seen below.
So pondering the issue while under the truck, laying on my side, I decided the deft use of a fine hack saw blade would do the trick and it did. I got through the rubber and just enough of the sleeve to pry it out.
However, I was thinking…
Getting this I beam bushing out is a real PIA when under the truck. I don’t think I ever want to do this again if I replace it with a standard Ford part. Maybe I should use a polyurethane bushing so it will last far longer. So I order the bushings and while I am at it I decide to redo the radius arm in polyurethane also. Imagine my surprise when I got them and read the instructions telling you to re-use the original metal sleeve that I had just cut out. Damn, now what!?
Ok, so I will push out the rubber portion of the Ford bushing so I can use the sleeve. Since I am on the USS Hornet every Saturday I bring the Ford part with me. Tom, and I, use the press to knock out the rubber leaving me with the sleeve. Now I can press this new sleeve into the I beam. But, how when under the truck? I ask Tom didn’t we take a couple of C-clamps off the ships in the mothball fleet back in 2012? So off to the uptake space across from the Machine Shop on 3rd deck. Lots of goodies in here if you are working on a ship. Sort of like a hardware store for a ship. Digging around we spot exactly what I was talking about. A big beautiful piece of US made iron. All 35 lbs. of it. We are not joking around with this baby. No, we mean business!
Lug the clamp home and get under the truck with it. At 35 lbs. it isn’t that easy to position and will need to balance and brace it so it stays it the position I need but manage.
See how easy that was.
Now that the first side was done I can move to the other side. Being much wiser this side should go a lot faster. The thing to do was remove the tire and then rest the drum which enables me to work both the radius arm and I beam with ease. Fast is relative since you can see I clean everything well, prime and then paint which does take time for the coats to cure. However, if I didn’t then I could now knock this out whole process out in one Saturday on Paul’s F100. Remove both tires, remove shocks and springs, disconnect brake lines, remove drums, and drop the beams and arms.
While at it I decided it would be wise to replace the springs given the rebuilt suspension. With the springs already out all I had to do was order a new set. When they came in and I looked at them I saw two different heights compared to my old two of the same height. Turns out the driver’s side spring is supposed to be slightly taller. So go figure why mine were originally the same height? Possibly replaced in the past?
Now that I have the springs and the other side went very quickly I am ready to put it back into place, put the tires back on, and lower the truck so I can set the suspension and torque the nuts.
However, I was thinking…
I know does he ever stop thinking? Not once I get into a project. So while waiting for paints to cure I decided to check my king pins for movement and there was some. Well, now that I know that I can’t just ignore so time to strip them down. I’m sure it is obvious that if I had made a plan I would have worked from king pins to the arms instead of the other way around. Nonetheless, it was a good learning experience and am ready for the next if ever.
As can be seen there was a fair amount of rust on the pins. On top of that the bushings were nylon.
With them out it was time to go down to my Napa store where I go when it is important to get it right. All the guys at this store are in their 60s and up. Tell them I need king pins with bronze bushings for a 1965 F100. The year is critical. When I picked them up and headed home, went to my bench, and opened the box. Oops, they aren’t correct so back down to correct the problem. Correct ones in 24 hours later and you can see how they compared below. Ford placed the groove for the locking pin off center in 1966.
While getting that straightened out I called the four machine shops that they recommended to ream the king pins. Well apparently this is now so infrequent that the first three no longer do. The last shop owner said he could as he has been doing them since a teenager. As luck would have it the small shop was a 10 minute walk from my house. Maybe late 60s and naturally he went into a long talk about stuff as I noticed all the bare engine blocks standing around. I leave the pins and come back two days later to pick up. He told me he took them to 0.001″ clearance and could ream both at the same time since he had to tool to do it. So perfect alignment and when slightly greased they dropped right in with no play. Nice!
Now the spindle is all back together.
Wait, there is still some essential parts to re-install. Know what they are? They are the drag link and new tie rod.
Now everything is installed the truck is ready for the tires, lower, and do the final torque with the weight now on the suspension. After that set the toe in. It only took a couple of months since I spend all Saturday on the Hornet no exceptions, deal with nine other vehicles on Sunday or Wednesday.
However, I was thinking…
Your story about having the kingpin bushings reamed is, I’m afraid, going to become altogether too common in the coming years – once the older machinists retire, who will take their place? It’s unusual to find someone under 50 working in a machine shop these days (in my area at least).
For future reference, a ball joint press (rented or bought) can work well for pressing bushings in and out (your tool is very similar, but perhaps harder to find for those who don’t have access to an aircraft carrier’s tool room). 🙂 Of course, I’ve had to resort to air chisels, big hammers, and welded washers when things got serious.
The machinist who did the work was probably between 60-65. The employee in the back was probably mid 50s. While there a fellow drove up and the machinist tells me this is the guy who trained him back in JC making this guy between 80-85. He came by to talk about some work and shoot the breeze as they retired to the small office and both broke out cigarettes. At that point I left.
This is something I’ll never do–and don’t have the skills or tools—but fascinating Sunday reading to look over your shoulder–thanks!
I’ve been reading the SAE journal report from Ford—if you don’t have it, I’d happily send a copy:
The ’94 F-150 4X4 “Twin-Traction-Beam” front end was somewhat sloppy. Since it was not tie rods or ball joints, I looked at this bushing work and decided to sell it instead. Now that I saw what you went through, glad I did. There were other things about the truck I did not like, so it was not going to be a lifetime keeper anyway.
It’s more than half a century since I spannered a vehicle with kingpins ! Not sure about polyurethane bushes if you’re not using it for track or competition – you’re taking out some of the compliance….
It’s a nice feeling though, knowing some of what you’re driving is brand new – and freshly painted too !
I pondered that about the poly but went with them in the end. Rubber really isn’t going to functionally last 20 years and I am not looking to go under the truck when I am 87. As both Paul and I know questionable radius arm bushings lead to a loose steering feel.
Nice work. On my ’83 Ranger 4×4, I just pulled the entire front drive axle out of it. Its pretty easy to do, but it’s a commitment. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can change these bushings on a Sunday afternoon. I am a professional tech, with a fully equipped shop, and the factory service manual, and it still took 2 days (I did replace the steering knuckle ball joints too)
Better you than me, brother.
I’ve done enough for a lifetime.
Even with a pneumatic impact, zip gun and a heat wrench they are still a PITA.
I almost forgot to say…ATTABOY.
My Dad owned an ex-Air Force 1965 F100 shortbed stepside that he bought through Govt surplus sealed bid.
Eventually, the steering became very difficult as the kingpins had gotten very tight, and would not accept fresh grease and they would groan and creak when turning the wheels.
My Dad got out his acetelyne torch and heated up the kingpins while forcing grease into them and after repeated heating and adding grease,the steering gradually became easier again and returned to normal.
Thanks for the guided tour!
Sure is a clean truck to permit that kind of kingpin removal.
The typical rust belt M.O. would be to cut and gut the bearing, creating access to the kingpin. Cut off the kingpin below the axle. Raise the knuckle and cut off the kingpin above the axle. Get the knuckle out of the way and hope that a brutal direct hit to the kingpin would get it moving in the axle.
A minor issue, but the primary brake return spring sure looks strained. Possibly the wrong kit?
Springs are correct for the F100 as per a Ford parts guy on my Ford Truck forum and have been in there for years with no issues.
…
Not trying to ruffle feathers, but I don’t believe the assembly is correct.
The reason it’s important is because the theory of self energizing brake operation is that the primary shoe should contact the drum first. When the primary shoe touches the drum friction transfers a rotational force of the shoe set to apply pressure to the secondary shoe to contact the drum, thus the self-energizing effect.
Jim’s got it right, also might be an anti-rattle spring missing below the wheel cylinder. This is for the left side, right is a mirror image.
Hell of a job. The terminology is a little off here though. You don’t ream pins, you ream the holes they go in don’t you?
Polyurethane bushings are the best for D-I-Y projects. Done properly, they’re far less work for the average guy to install than the bonded-rubber “OEM” style bushings, and they don’t require special tools beyond a hand-held propane torch, some emery cloth or sandpaper, and perhaps a Scotchbrite pad.
Rubber bushings are typically bonded to an outer shell and inner sleeve. Poly inserts are not bonded, but often greased to promote rotation when not used in a purely thrust application like your radius arms.
Once the various parts are removed from the vehicle, ideally, you use the propane torch to melt the rubber out of the outer shell. Warming the shell evenly all around melts a thin layer of rubber, essentially destroying the bond. The huge majority of the rubber slides out of the shell as soon as the layer of rubber melts. You clean up any remaining rubber with emery and Scotchbrite, grease the shell, slide the Poly insert in place. You don’t remove the pressed-in outer shell. No press, no special tooling.
Another benefit to Poly inserts is that you do not have to put the vehicle at normal ride-height before torquing the various through-bolts. This is essential with bonded rubber bushings–the rubber twists between the outer shell and inner sleeve. With the bushing torqued at normal ride height, the rubber is not overly-stressed when the suspension goes through it’s range of motion. But Poly isn’t bonded, so it’s not twisting with suspension movement, and therefore it’s of no consequence how the suspension is positioned when you tighten the fasteners.
If I had been under that chassis, all the fasteners would have had some anti-seize applied so they’re easier to remove the next time. I typically reduce torque on fasteners by ~20% when anti-seize is used, since it’s a thread lubricant. Lubricated threads generate the same clamping force with less torque, compared to “dry” threads.
***Just a guess***: The reason they used nylon bushings against the King pins is that there’s no need to go to four machine shops to have the bronze bushings reamed. The nylon bushings likely don’t require reaming. They just cold-flow to fit.
I agree with JimDandy–there’s one very unhappy primary brake shoe return spring in your photo.
I can look into the springs but since one has to buy them from a parts store I am at the mercy based on what is listed in their catalog for the application. Wouldn’t know for sure until home, opened, and placed in position. If one catalog is wrong how many others would be wrong? As far as anti-seize that goes without saying which is why my container has been with me for 40 years now. A little goes a long way.
My speculation is that the spring should be placed in the shoe’s next higher hole.
I caught the “while I’m here I might as well” disease and what started as a brake job turned into a full frame off.
As far as Paul’s comment above I was relaying what I had heard from others but had yet to try myself. It goes back many, many years on the FTE Ford Truck Forum. In fact I still see that way mentioned to do the bushings. I don’t know why since I found it wouldn’t work as did Paul yet it still is along with grinding off the rivets as another option.
Without loosening those nuts, this “recommended procedure” is nuts.
it’s so easy to loosen them, and the result is that the whole axle and control arm are then super easy to move. Zero need for a come-along. I’m sorry, but i strongly suspect you (or someone else) just left that critical part out.
Sweet! You work just like I do. Right now I have the headlight housing out of a Prius (yeah yeah I know, it’s a Prius) and it got me thinking… that belt and water pump are RIGHT THERE….