Radius Arm Bushing Removal

[sideoilerfe]

Does the whole frond end have to be dropped to replace the radius arm bushings on an F250? Or can you just remove the shocks and jack it up from the frame to gain enough room to get that arm out of the bracket?

Thanks?

[FORDification]

No, not necessarily. You can just grind off the rivet heads on the rear bracket for the radius arm and pound out the rivets, replace the bushings, and then bolt the bracket back onto the frame with Grade 8 hardware.

[sideoilerfe]

I thought of that too but as a last resort.

So you're saying that without grinding off the rivet heads, the whole thing has to come down/off to replace those bushings? I've never done one of these before.

[FORDification]

Yes. If you don't want to remove those brackets, then you'll have to drop the front end.

There have been a few folks who have hooked a come-along to the front end after it was loosened up a little and pulled the whole assembly forward enough for the radius arm to clear the rear bracket, but I advise against that route.

[sideoilerfe]

Using a come-a-long sounds dangerous. Removing the bracket is the route I'll go since the king pins are not loose or anything. It's pretty solid. The PO put disc brakes on it but used the old rubber bushings. I'll use grade 8 bolts and some locktite.

Thanks again.

[Wes]

Relay the only things you have to undo are the radius arm nut, the I beam pivot bolt, 1 end of the shock and the upper spring clamp. The tie rod ends and brake hoses should let you move it all enough to do the bushings , can do pivot bushings too if ya like.

[sideoilerfe]

Looks like removing the radius arm bracket is impossible without removing the radius arm first. There is one rivet that is behind the nut/radius arm. You cannot get a grinder in there with the radius arm in place.

[ok68crewcab]

There have been a few folks who have hooked a come-along to the front end after it was loosened up a little and pulled the whole assembly forward enough for the radius arm to clear the rear bracket, but I advise against that route.

I did it this way on a dentside. It didn't take much of a pull to get it forward enough for the radius arm to come out of the bracket. I am pretty sure I didn't bend or put anything in too much of a bind doing this.

[old_mare]

I just did this not too long ago.

Look for a thread called "springs" I posted back in April-ish. There are pics too.

We just dropped the spring, took the nut off the end of the radius arm and pushed it forward.

hth,

-JT-

[SecondCamperSpecial]

Leave on the floor. Remove nut from radius arm. Hook come a long to radius arm and front of frame. support radius arm with floor jack. Jack the come a long forward and remove bushings. Make sure you have a buddy and 2 pry bars to align back up. I have done many this way many times. I have done this in as little as 45 minutes. If you use bolts and drill out rivets ( I dont recommend) they should have shoulders for the thickness of the bracket and frame and not all threads. All threads will eat through the two parts over time.