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Need Stock '77 Track Bar Bushings

jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
My OE track bar bushings lasted about 25 yrs. The poly replacements went about 1/3 as long. I'd like some of the OE rubber type, but have had no luck finding any. Even Moog, is now selling the same poly bushings as speed shops or Pep Boys. The only good thing about them is the low price. If I can't find the OE type I'll have to get a couple poly sets, knowing I won't get many years out of them. I've had some good results with poly sway bar bushings, but that's the only place. Oddly the larger oval bushing, not the round one, failed in both sets.
 

DirtDonk

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Nov 3, 2003
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Interesting. Aren't you usually having questionable luck with poly anyway? Just one more instance then I guess.

So they're no longer available at the dealer level either I take it? I would expect not, since they usually discontinue stuff pretty quick these days, and 40 years ain't exactly recent, but figured it might be worth a quick check anyway.

Don't know where to get them otherwise. Good luck though.

Paul
 

Crush

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Bronco Guru
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May 30, 2007
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Greenbottom, WV
Jckkys - i have a poly one you can have. Its brand new. Leftover from a build. Just pm me ur address and ill get it off to ya. I know it seems it wont last for ya. But its free. Lol
 
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jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
The O'Reilly part referenced isn't an EB part. It's an F150 2wd part. It is oval shaped but there's no reason to think it would work on a '77 Bronco. Moog has a separate part they sell to fit '77 Broncos. Unfortunately the current Moog part is poly. It seems unlikely they would offer a '77 Bronco part if the F150 part was the same. There is a group think opinion that poly is a better material in every case. Oddly the automotive manufacturers across the industry never use poly. Why? I'm sure those engineers know about poly and know it's less expensive. Corporate bean counters don't usually allow this kind of decision, without some real reason for the company to choose a more expensive part. I'll trust personal experience over group think. My experience with poly is less than stellar. I may be stuck with poly in this case. At least they're cheap.
 

tirewater

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Jan 28, 2011
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San Francisco Bay Area
If you enter you vehicle data into the O'Reilly's selector you'll get that part listed as the bushing.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...-pivot-bushing/k8095/4474906/1977/ford/bronco

I bought and installed it earlier this year.

Edit:
I did check Moogs website and I did not see Bronco on the list of applications. I'm not entirely sure why OReilly's would list it and not Moog.


The O'Reilly part referenced isn't an EB part. It's an F150 2wd part. It is oval shaped but there's no reason to think it would work on a '77 Bronco. Moog has a separate part they sell to fit '77 Broncos. Unfortunately the current Moog part is poly. It seems unlikely they would offer a '77 Bronco part if the F150 part was the same. There is a group think opinion that poly is a better material in every case. Oddly the automotive manufacturers across the industry never use poly. Why? I'm sure those engineers know about poly and know it's less expensive. Corporate bean counters don't usually allow this kind of decision, without some real reason for the company to choose a more expensive part. I'll trust personal experience over group think. My experience with poly is less than stellar. I may be stuck with poly in this case. At least they're cheap.
 

DirtDonk

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I doubt it. But you never know!
I'm only guessing, but not sure a '76 or '77 part would have a '65 part number on it. Unless, as it looks like, they are using an existing bushing in that application.
The upper trackbar bushing was unique to the '76 and '77 Broncos and Pickups only (at least I think the fulls-size trucks used them) so would "normally" have had a '75 or '76 engineering number.

Again though, if that does double duty and it was originally used in some other capacity on older trucks, then that could explain a sixties part number sequence.
Any manufacturer would have loved to use existing parts rather than designing new ones.

Paul
 

DirtDonk

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Sorry, meant to ask where you got that part number?

Paul
 

DirtDonk

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Just googled it and yes, it looks at least similar and does call it an axle pivot bushing just like how it's listed in the other links. Searching further it appears to fit '65 through '79 2wd trucks, so even with the old part it was still in service right up to '79.

I wish the info on the parts houses sites was more detailed (just like I wish ours was sometimes!) to let you know what other applications something fits in the title. When you look up trackbar bushing this comes up but lists it as something else.
Sounds like a case of them using an older existing part to fix some issue they had with trucks and their trackbars.

Looks like Energy Suspension makes the axle pivot bushing kit #4-3124 and the oval bushings look an awful lot like the upper half of the #4-7116 trackbar set.
If someone had both sets in hand they could see the individual bushing part number molded into each oval one and verify that they were indeed the same.
But judging by how many other listings show them as the same thing, it looks like a better and better bet that they're the same.

Paul
 

THEBONE

Full Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
234
I think I first encountered this part number on ebay for a 76-77 bronco upper track bar bushing. However, if you google it, it mostly comes up as a 65-72 pickup axle pivot bushing. macsautoparts has it listed for both applications. Just like jckkys, I'm trying to figure out if it has dual application and will work on a 76-77 or not.
 

tirewater

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San Francisco Bay Area
Heh, without knowing any better, I installed that part and it's worked fine. Now is it the right part? That I don't know. I didn't ask many questions beyond what I searched for on the OReilly's website.
 
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jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
Fortunately we have a real parts store here in Tucson (Merle's). I hesitated to pull the track bar off with no replacement. After reading tirewater's post, I think I'll get Moog's F150 part and measure the bolt and hole. If it looks like it will fit I'll install it. If not I know they'll take it back.
 

DirtDonk

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That's what I was going to suggest. If you find it at a local store and it's just not going to work, it's easy (usually) to take it back.

Let us know what you think about it.

Paul
 

76 bronco J

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
1,480
>>> not long ago someone asked about the upper bushing sleeve left behind after they removed the rubber section.... at that time I put up some pics of the whole '76-'77 upper bushing & those pics were tagged with that C5TZ-3B177-A part#.... those pics were linked from Northeast Classic Ford Parts, though I've seen that part# referenced as a '76-'77 bronco part & twin I-beam bushing other places including e-bay >> https://northeastclassicfordparts.c...6-77-upper-trac-bar-bushing-c5tz-3b177-a.html ..... following page linked talks about a few of the oval bushings used with the twin I-beam & #- C5TZ-3B177-A does measure up size wise with the upper '76-'77 bronco track bar bushing having a 5/8" bolt hole & 2 1/4" overall width(lip to lip)....>> http://fordification.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46791 ...
SIZE

APPLICATION

PART NUMBER

5/8" I.D. - 2-1/4" O.D. All F100
F250 with low GVW C5TZ-3B177-A
5/8" I.D. - 2-7/16" O.D. F250 with high GVW
All F350 C7TZ-3B177-A
3/4" I.D. - 2-7/16" O.D. All '69-'72 E300 C8TZ-3B177-A ........
ibeam-pivot-bush_partnos.gif
 
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jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
That's good news. The more common a part is, the easier it will be to find. Ford understandably uses the same part in many applications, over many years. I'd bet that practice is common. The numbers of many parts of 9" rear ends begin with B8 or 1958. That's OK. If it's not broke don't replace it with an 8.8". Happy to know, some of you have better resource material than me, tho I pride myself in accumulating a large EB library. Thanks everyone!
..
 

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
My OE track bar bushings lasted about 25 yrs. The poly replacements went about 1/3 as long. I'd like some of the OE rubber type, but have had no luck finding any. Even Moog, is now selling the same poly bushings as speed shops or Pep Boys. The only good thing about them is the low price. If I can't find the OE type I'll have to get a couple poly sets, knowing I won't get many years out of them. I've had some good results with poly sway bar bushings, but that's the only place. Oddly the larger oval bushing, not the round one, failed in both sets.

You're right there.
My original rubber track arm bushings were good when I removed them.
We keep getting told of the advantages of poly. But by who? Vendors!
And why is that?
Just use your own head out there. There's a lot of BS.
 

DirtDonk

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Bronco Guru
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47,346
My OE rubber bushings lasted less than six years and fell out when I removed the trackbar. Same for many early owners, which is what got the whole polyurethane thing started in the first place.
My poly bushings lasted 30 years and were as good as new the last time they got checked.

The first two sets of poly uppers got a little loosey goosey after only a couple of years each, but lubing the next set better, then changing to an adjustable trackbar to correct the angle of the eye after a lift made all the difference. No bushing, rubber or poly takes kindly to being put into a bind in it's neutral position.
Apparently installation procedures can make a difference.

I've been hearing you take all people to task, very unreasonably I feel, who try to sell things to Bronco owners. Not sure how many times you've felt you've been screwed over by going with the recommendation of a sales person, but I sell poly because I believe in them. Not because I make more money on them, or can't get rubber ones to sell you in their place.
In the case of trackbar bushings, the recommendation for poly has nothing to do with price, profit, or even firmness. Rubber can do a passable job of most of those too.
But most of us experience long and happy lives with our poly bushings, find them easy to work with and like the product. Even though rubber should have the advantage in NVH reduction, there's no apparent difference when in use for most users.

The fact that some of us have good luck with a product and like it better than another one that you happen to prefer does not always need to send up red flags for you to think they're recommending something based just on the profit they can make from selling the to you.
If someone wanted rubber I'd say fine to that too. Does not matter to me what I am able to supply a customer that fits their needs. Just as long as they're happy with the results.
And in most cases rubber would not fit that bill at all. After all, most of us that do most of our own work don't have the equipment needed to install stock style vulcanized rubber cartridges into a trackbar eye. But poly can be done quickly and easily by hand in most cases.

We'd have to take rubber trackbar bushings to a specialty machine shop with a heavy duty press and an experienced operator. The '77 looks to be a different beast that should press in much easier than the '75 and prior ones do. Those earlier ones are a bear. I've heard members here say they've done them without too much trouble, but more often than not they don't give in easily. I could not get the set I bought from Ford in to save my life. Poly on the other hand saved my bacon.
Even two different machine shops and the dealer could not install a set for me once. Their presses and/or procedures were just not good enough. Or they were the wrong part. So going poly was a no-brainer rescue for me.

A poly set will install in 30 seconds without tools other than strong hands or a heavy foot. A hammer or vise are not necessary, but make shorter work of it if you feel the need. And in most cases, last as long as the person owns the vehicle.

For many of us then, poly still rules.
Your results may vary of course.

Paul
 

bronconut73

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,916
My Duff poly donut radius arm bushings were still perfect when I took them out a year ago.
A mere 30 years old though.....

Blu,

You will love this.....their shape after approx. 30 years were exactly the same as the degreed rubber bushings WH sells.

By the way it wasn't an easy 30 years....I am 47 so I drove those bushings through my teens and 20's....
Don't know about you but I was harder on vehicles back then, lol...
 
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