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Drag link slop

.94 OR

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Trac-Bar has poly bushings and the bushings in the ends are tight. The sleeves in the bushings are starting to get loose, and the bushing to the bolt(s) are getting sloppy. My main problem is the axle end on the large "bolt". I imagine this was supposed to be welded from the factory when it was new (D44). Mine is broken loose and it feels like there are weld beads up in the cavity where the head of the bolt would seat.

If this is supposed to be welded, I'll do that, if it isn't, how tight am I supposed to get this to eliminated the play?

Thanks
 
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Broncoman

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Nov 29, 2001
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A drag link connects the pitman arm of the steering box to the tie rods.
I think you you mean the trac bar which attaches to the frame on one end and the axle on the other.

The bolt on the axle should be welded.
 

DirtDonk

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Yep, I had to weld the one on my '71 a few years ago. They're put under a lot of strain over a long period of time. Good thing you found it. Fixing it should tighten things up nicely.
It's awkward, but can be welded. And the official torque is pretty high (something like 110 lbs or somesuch) but I end up cranking it down as hard as I can just to line up that last slot with the cotter pin hole. Probably not exact torque, but it's worked so far.

Are you lifted? Do you have an adjustable trackbar? When you lift the Bronco it puts an automatic stress on the mounts since it's actually trying to twist at more of an angle even at it's neutral ride height.
Adjustable helps not only to fine-tune your axle's side-to-side location, but also relieves the angle issue by twisting the uppper mount to align things. BC sells one with a bushing lower and spherical rod end ("Heim") upper that works slick.
I realize you may not be lifted, but thought I'd throw all that out there anyway, in case it helps in the future.

Paul
 
OP
OP
.94 OR

.94 OR

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Trac-bar, sorry for the confusion.

I do have a lift, but it was installed almost 20 years ago so my memory is starting to fade on exactly how much. I believe it was a Skyjacker 3.5", but I'm not sure it was ever really that much lift since my stock springs were sacked out pretty good to begin with.

When I lifted it, I scribed a line down the bar, then unhooked the upper bolt and centered the axle under the body. Then I was able to measure the distance from eye-to-eye on the top trac bar hole and the bar. With this measurement I took the bar to the local welding shop to have them lengthen and reinforce. Adjustable would have been nice, but I was on a college budget and this has worked fine. Now I am finding slop in the mounting points that the adjustable bar wouldn't fix anyway. I was suspicious of the steering box having play in it, but by turning the wheel with the engine off, it forces the body in one direction or the other before the wheels start to turn, plus there was shiny metal behind the lower trac-bar bushing so I knew there was movement in that joint.
 

DirtDonk

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That's just what mine was doing when I found the loose bolt. New bushings, tight sleeves, and still it wandered down the road and the body moved.
Actually that might even have been the first time I used "the test", where someone turns the wheel while I watched.

You can use the same method you used on the trackbar itself. Just have someone stick a MIG up inside there and weld it back in place.

Paul
 
OP
OP
.94 OR

.94 OR

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I am noticing some shiny metal in the rear leaf spring perchs as well. I think I need to drop my springs and install poly bushings to keep the rear axle centered. I think under power the rear is torquing as well.
 

DirtDonk

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Very very possible. It was very common for the perches to be almost rounded over at the ends, allowing things to rock during accel/decel times.
Mine weren't bad in that respect, but when I replaced the springs once and added 1" blocks, I did notice that, even though they weren't real bad, they weren't flat either. In my case some judicious grinding and filing made things nice and flat. Pulled things nice and tight with larger-than-stock u-bolts, and things were good.

Paul
 
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.94 OR

.94 OR

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I got my trac bar mounts welded up, installed new bushings, plus went with a 7° C-bushing kit. Huge difference now. It was scary at 55 mph but now it floats along at 75 pretty well. Still need to do the rear spring bushings I think, but those will wait a while longer.
 
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