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C bushings

bronkenn

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Apr 27, 2017
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Just installed new c bushings and was wondering how much difference in control arm height is acceptable. Mine are about 3/8ths of an inch different and no matter how many times I loosen them and retighten them they are the same. I have tried every combination tightening them and they always end up the same. Thanks, Ken
 

Bronco Junkie

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So do you mean when you are looking at the front end straight on, one C-bushing cap is 3/8" higher than the other one?
 
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bronkenn

bronkenn

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I am referring to the threaded end of the control arms being a different height off the floor. I am trying to avoid the dreaded Bronco lean and installed the bushings using the WH instructions. Thanks, Ken
 

DirtDonk

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I'm going to say you "might" see a lean of some kind with only 3/8" but I have never actually measured how one equates to the other, so am just talking out the side of my mouth at this point.
I've always considered 1/4" to be the maximum (just as a general rule) but that's pretty close to 3/8 obviously. Just don't know where the limit is and where one becomes "no problem" vs "Bronco lean" yet.

Did you lube the bushings up with some liquid soap or other slippery stuff? This lets them slip over the rough castings to give you some wiggle room sometimes.
It's always possible too that you're right on the money and the bushing bosses were welded to the tubes out of phase.
Or that a tube has slipped/spun within the center diff housing. How do your plug welds look?
There are round openings in the casting where the tubes are inserted that (sometimes) get welded and other times do not. If yours are not welded then perhaps you can actually spin the tubes. Not that this is a happy circumstance, but it can be done.
Dana 30's are notoriously easy to break the tube free of the pumpkin's grip. You can sometimes lift the low arm off the ground slightly with some wood and stand on the high arm until the tube rotates down.

Of course, this is a very inexact "science" and you could do more harm than good. Or find it just as hard to match the ends as you are with the bushings.
But make sure they're well lubed first of all and go from there.

Good luck.

Paul
 
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bronkenn

bronkenn

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Thanks all. The D44 is in really good shape. I went through it and everything is new or rebuilt. I did lube up the c bushings with soap before installing. I just can't seem to get the control arms to move by loosening and retightening them. They always end up in the same place.
 

bronconut73

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Aug 7, 2012
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I gave up on trying to push one of the arms further down with the tightening sequence and resorted to trying to get the other one to come up instead. Got them level.
But it still leans....sigh...
 

Apache Bronco

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Jun 14, 2012
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70
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Roosevelt, AZ
OMG, I am just starting the resto on my 68, will be doing C, radius arm, and track bar bushings this weekend.
I have never heard of the "dreaded Bronco lean", or axle tubes slipping in the housing on a D30. The AMC model 20 leaks on my heep there though.
 

Tiko433

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I think the "Bronco Lean" a good indicator on how my truck feels. When it's sitting proud and level it's running great. When the lean shows up I need to give it a good looking over.
 

DirtDonk

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...They always end up in the same place.

Then they may very well be welded on slightly crooked. It only takes a tiny amount at the axle for the tip of the radius arm that far out to be 3/8" off.
You can mess about with it, or give it a shot and see how it sits. At least you know where you were starting from with the arms if you notice a lean.

Paul
 

DirtDonk

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I have never heard of the "dreaded Bronco lean", or axle tubes slipping in the housing on a D30. The AMC model 20 leaks on my heep there though.

Yeah, a common issue on the AMC 20 as well. And that was all stamped steel housing, correct? Been awhile since I was dealing with those.
Never had to deal with a leaky one, but heard of them many times. Porous metal or something? I think both Dana and Ford had that issue with rear end housings as well sometimes.

If a 30 leaks at the interface between the cast center housing and the tube, it's a good chance the tube could spin too, given the right amount of "inspiration" to do so.
The good news is that in most minor cases a simple application of some silicone will stop the leaking. Won't cure the loose tube, but at least the driveway stays clean for awhile.

If you're not going to be off-roading, this loose fit will probably never cause any dire issues. But it will twist back and forth even under normal cornering and bumping about, so if it is seen to be much of an issue it's easy enough right on the vehicle to have someone put a few welds where they count.

It doesn't come up here that often anymore. Maybe you won't run into it either.

Paul
 

BigDogBronco

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Sep 6, 2007
Messages
18
Does anyone know if there is correlation between being able to have the bushings find home easier with a different degree bushing?

Currently trying to use 7 degree bushings. Have tried above suggestions several times. Was thinking of possibly using long travel radius arms with less degree bushings.

Would this make it easier to level out the radius arms?
 

DirtDonk

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If the trackbar and shocks (and maybe even the steering) are disconnected and the axle can spin freely (relatively speaking) then one size bushing should not be any easier or harder to seat than another. The axle pads should just slip into place.
You should not need to go with longer radius arms just to make it easier to install bushings.

But that all depends on how they're prepared. The biggest detriment to bushing seating sometimes comes from excess scale and rust, and whether the surface/bushings have been lubed well enough or not.
I'm sure there can be some casting defects in the bushings themselves sometimes, but they've proven fairly consistent in shape and finish for the most part from what I've seen. Any faults in that regard should be easy to see I would hope.

So if you've smoothed out the pad surfaces on the axle tubes, and lubed things up, and disconnected the trackbar (is the axle in the vehicle still, or loose?) they should just slide on.

Some are very tight remember though. So if you're just having trouble with the gap between the caps and arms at this point, that's normal. Gotta pull them up a bit at a time with the bolts.

Is that what you meant?

Paul
 

BigDogBronco

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Sep 6, 2007
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18
Yes, you got it. I was thinking maybe the degree of the bushing may put the cap and arms into a different bind when trying to put everything back together. My major issue is trying to get the threaded ends to be equal distance from level. I have tried both in and out of vehicle. Maybe time to try more soap and keep trying.
 
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bronkenn

bronkenn

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I tried every different tightening sequence and mine always went back to same place. They weren't way off so I just left it like it is. Hopefully wont be to much lean. Ken
 

mpboxer

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Yes, you got it. I was thinking maybe the degree of the bushing may put the cap and arms into a different bind when trying to put everything back together.

Last June I purchased the WH stock height suspension kit with 4* bushings. I took apart the front three times tightening different ways, more dish soap, measured everything, swapped coils side to side, swapped rear leafs side to side, etc. to try and eliminate the little lean I had. The threaded part of my radius arms were approx. 1/4" from each other. Couldn't get them exactly the same.

Last week I switched to their new prototype 1.5" coils and increased to 7* bushings. Radius arms still 1/4" apart. What do you know, NO MORE LEAN. I can't explain it.
 

DirtDonk

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Don't jinx it though!
If you say it doesn't lean, the next time you come home from a drive it will!%)

Paul
 
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