14 Piece Bushing Install Guide - Tech Article

Complete beginners guide to replacing your front end bushings.

So, you purchased a 14pc bushing kit like the one on this page: (http://www.jamesduff.com/eb/bushing.html) but you don’t know where to start. Well my friends, get ready to invent a few new swear words because this will test your patience. Its not “difficult” just time consuming and more involved than it appears, especially if you’ve never worked on suspension parts before.
I started this thread to combine all of the information I gathered from articles posted here and on the web. Special thanks goes out to broncobowsher, 70 Steve, tasker, DirtDonk, Fugly, Viperwolf1, thegreatjustino and everyone else that helped out. ;D All of the info is available but I wanted to try and explain things as thoroughly as possible.

Alright, lets get started. If you’ve done this before it should take about 4-6 hours. If this is your first time doing this and the rubber bushings in there are in rough shape, you’re in for a week long project.

Here we go!

Recommended Tools:

• 2 sets of jack stands
• Impact wrench
• Breaker Bar
• Penetrating Oil/WD40
• Grease
• Large Socket and wrench Set
• Pliers
• Screw Driver/Pry Bar

1. The best first step would be to clean off most of the oil/grease that has been caked on over the years (all the bolts, diff, axle tube, etc), trust me, working in a clean area will make your life much much easier.
2. Secondly stay organized! Keep track of what bolts go where and don’t lose anything!
3. Work on a level surface – this is VERY important.
4. Spray all the bolts with some penetrating oil the night before and throughout the process, gotta loosen up that grime.
5. Jack the truck up using a floor jack under the pumpkin. Place two jack stands and support the axle tube, close to the knuckles
6. Build yourself a wooden platform (use wood screws to secure the planks together) for your jack stands to gain the height you need to support the truck at the frame rails just behind the bumper mounts. Do not use cinder blocks!!! Don’t go any closer to the axle or you’ll run out of working room. The truck should be resting on these two jack stands at all times. The other two jack stands are used to support the axle. [photo 1]
7. Remove the wheels
8. Remove the drag link at the pitman arm (you’ll need to remove the cotter pins first, go to your local hardware store and get some replacements).
9. Remove the steering stabilizer.
10. Remove the tie rods, then the entire drag link/tie rod steering linkage should drop out. Good time to inspect your tie rods for slop.
11. Remove the Track Bar. You might need a breaker bar for this one.
12. Disconnect the brake line brackets (one at either side) and the vent tube (on the top of the pumpkin). This will give you some room to move the axle around without worrying about damaging your brake lines.
13. Remove Shocks
14. Remove Springs. To do this you’ll need to loosen the two bolts that hold in the spring retainer (only loosen them, don’t remove yet). Then loosen the two bolts that hold in the spring cups. Now lower the axle down so the weight of the truck is off of the springs. Keep on loosening the bolts, you should be able to wiggle the spring now. Go ahead and remove the spring retainer clip at the top and then twist or unscrew the spring out of the bottom cup.
15. Remove the spring cups.
16. Remove the front drive shaft and tape up the caps so they don’t fall off and needle bearings go everywhere (don’t ask me how I know this). Use some rope or a cable and tie up the drive shaft so its out of the way.
17. At this point the axle should only be attached to vehicle via the radius arms. Remove the nut from the radius arm (near the frame rails). Breaker bar comes in handy here too.
18. Put the floor jack back under the pumpkin and raise it until its level with the radius arms, now pull, push or use a come along to pull the axle forward and the radius arms out of their frame mounts. [photo 2]
19. Remove the four bolts on the radius arm caps (Breaker bar again, these were the toughest ones in my experience).
20. Remove the radius arms and caps. Remove the old bushings, mine just popped out.
21. Remove the Track Bar bushings – I drilled a ton of tiny holes in the rubber and sprayed liberally with WD40. Then I put one end in the vise and pressed them out using a socket on one end. [photos 3 and 4]
22. So, now everything has been removed and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself aren’t you? Time to reinstall right? Wrong. Take some time here, you’ve come this far, why not spend an hour sprucing things up a bit?
a. Refinish the track bar
b. Refinish the steering linkage with new polyurethane tie rod boots (pack with wheel bearing grease). [photo 5]
c. Use a chisel and a hammer to remove the scale that has built up on the inside of the caps, then use a wire wheel to finish it off. [photo 6 and 7]
d. Refinish the radius arms
e. Remove the scale on the axle where the new bushings will go – use a chisel here too, then a wire wheel and repaint.
f. Address the radius arm mounts on the frame as well, make sure these are clean and scale free, hit em with a wire brush and repaint.
g. Lastly inspect all of the bolts and nuts, knock any surface rust off and clean up the threads. If they need replacing, replace!

***Continued in next post****

Instructions continued...

23. Replace the Track Arm bushings. For me, the round side on my 76 went in by hand with a little grease, the oval side was a PITA. I used the following method for the oval side. Lube up the bushings, you can use WD40, wheel bearing grease or even Windex. I liked using the Windex since it was the cleanest (you may also want to put the bushings in the freezer first to help shrink them). Bevel the outside edges with a dremel to help them slide in easier (trust me, this will save you a lot of time and frustration). Also bevel the inside of one the bushings with a dremel so when the metal sleeve slides in it won’t get hung up on the inside lip. [photo 8]
a. Install one bushing using a vise or press
b. Install the other bushing using a vise – if the bushings want to pop out use a c-clamp to hold them together.
c. Install the metal sleeve last using a vise and lube of your choice (make sure you beveled out the inside lip of the bushing to make it easier for it to slide all the way through).
i. Once you get it installed, I left it on the vise for awhile to allow it to settle in (reduces the chance of it popping out when you take it out of the vise). [photo 9]
24. Install the Radius Arm bushings. Follow the instructions and dremel out the little bump on the outside of each cap (if required).
25. Next apply some grease on the new bushings (both sides) and on the axle wedges, make sure you follow the instructions on placement (FRONT BOTTOM/REAR BOTTOM). Place the bushings inside the caps and inside the arms.
26. Get the arm on first and in place, then put the cap on. I placed two bolts through the top of the caps first and placed the threaded end of the radius arm on a bucket which made it easier to line things up and get a few threads started.
27. Some say to tighten the four bolts in an "X" pattern, some say tighten the tops first. This is supposed to help the bushings seat properly and allow the radius arms to be level thereby preventing the Bronco Lean. Here are a few articles about it: http://www.azbronco.org/tech12.htm http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/bronco_lean/tech_faq So now that you’ve read these here’s what I did:
a. Support the axle by the two jack stands near the knuckle
b. Keep the floor jack under the u-joint (same as it was in step 18)
c. Lower the floor jack slowly. This will allow the diff to pivot down and the radius arms will drop towards the floor.
d. Make sure that the ends of the radius arms touch the floor at the same time. This will prevent the Bronco Lean. If they do not touch at the same time, jack the diff back up, pick a side and back out the four bolts on the radius arm cap, wiggle the arm around a bit and retighten using the same or a different tightening method and check again. Keep trying (switch sides if necessary) until you get them as close as possible. An impact wrench will save you time here.
28. Alright, now you’re on the home stretch! Stand back and tell yourself its all gonna be worth it…
29. Replace the radius arm bushings on the threaded end. You’ll have to push, pry, yank the axle backwards to get it to line up with the mounting holes. Keep the jack under the u-joint and jack it up to get the radius arms at the right angle, then work it side to side until you get them through the mounting holes. This is where it pays to make sure all the scale and rust was removed since this will be a tight fit and you don’t have a lot of room to work with. It also may help if you bevel the edges of the bushings to help them fit together. It also helps to jack up each side to get the angle just right. [photo 10]
30. Re-install the brake line brackets and axle vent tube
31. Install the springs
a. Install the spring cups and tighten the bolts down half way.
b. Droop the axle down to allow for enough room to slide in the spring.
c. Screw the spring onto the spring cup until it is in the correct orientation.
d. Put the spring retainer clip on, tighten down the top bolt first.
e. Place a load on the springs to help align the other bolt hole for the spring retainer clip.
f. Use a screwdriver to align the two holes together, then a vise grips to hold it in place while you install the bolt. See this article by broncobowsher for more details: http://classicbroncos.com/tech/coil-spring-retainers
g. Tighten down the top bolt and the bottom two bolts.
32. Install the shocks [photo 11]
33. Install the tie rod and drag link
34. Install the steering stabilizer
35. Put the wheels back on.
36. Remove the jack stands and lower the truck down on the ground (it doesn’t lean, right?)
37. Install the track bar. If the track bar does not line up, have someone turn the steering wheel from side to side to move the mounts closer or further away. I had to clean the inside of the bracket and bevel the bushings (a lot ) to get them to fit. I used a lot of WD40 and got it lined up most of the way. A BFH will help move it the rest of the way, or try prying with a screwdriver to get it to line up. I had to use a floor jack to push it up the last bit and get it aligned.
38. Don’t forget the cotter pins!
39. Last step, reinstall the front drive shaft, remember, don’t overtighten these bolts, just snug them down to about 12ft/lbs.

You’re finally finished! Now take a ride and enjoy!!


If anyone has any corrections or additions please let me know.

>>>>> here's a tip...... if using polyurethane bushings , don't use the factory specs when installing the rear pivot bushings..... this is the main reason poly bushings get a bad rap ..... I've personally found the poly bushings last longer(some disagree) provided they are installed correctly & it's just not some bad poly mix from some manufacture...... the specs I use are a 25-30FT.LB preload on the rear pivot poly-urethane bushing versus the factory spec of 80-120FT.lb for rubber .... this allows full range of motion while still keeps the front end from doing the walking motion & is very stable at 100 plus mph...............

I pulled the pitman arm off the steering shaft and tied it to the tie rod without removing the tie rod. (steps 8 and 10)

Great write-up.

Aligning the Trac-Bar

Great article!

I had to put the bottom of the trac-bar on to the axle first then put a racheting tie strap from the frame on one side to the knuckle on the other side and racheted it until the track bar top aligned to the frame mount..

I dunno if the original mis-alignment made anything bad, but overall it's had good street manners and not out of alignment, nor was there any bronco lean encountered.

We want to intall new longer radius arm mounts so this is a great list of what's gotta go on to get it done..

Thanks!!

I've been Waiting

For an article like this. I have most of my 14 pc bushing kit in a box... Now I have a place to start!

Perfect timing Heus33 & Thank You! I'm preparing to do a 3 1/2" lift & replace all bushings this week;D. I'll read (several times)& memorize this so as not to chase my tail so much!

Do you have to disconnect the drive shaft in order to roll the axle forward? If so, how do you disconnect it?

FYI, I'm on the install part of putting in a 3 1/2" lift and need to align the radius arms. They are attached to the axle, but I already put the threaded end into the frame mount so the axle will need pulled forward about 3-5 inches.

nevermimd...I figured it out.

Thank-you all so much. I really feel connected. I took wood shop in school not mechanics. Will this be too much for a novice such as me? Should I get a quote from a knowledgable mechanic?

I was thinking the same thing. This was a project I wanted to do, but after reading the instructions, I'm having huge second thoughts. As a newbie and wood shop guy myself, the hardest part is overcoming the fear that I will get it apart and not be able to put it back together. Then what do you do? It sounds like it would be expensive as far as labor from a competitent shop.

If you can work wood on a lath, you can wrench metal my friend.

I do add that while not required, for us older folk, an electric (my choice) or air impact wrench really makes this go fast, I had the complete front end dropped (including breaking down the knuckles to bare axles) in under two hours.

Thanks for bringing this to top as my new stuff goes back in in a few days, nice review.

Great info Heus 33! i am actually doing this project. I am very new to all this and would like to know #1 should the grease be applied all around the bushings ( inside and out) and does it make any difference what kind of grease? #2 When you put this all back together do you put any anti seize on the bolts or lock tight on the ends? last question, why do you put the floor jack under the u-joint instead of under the pumpkin? Thanks for saving me time and headache by writing this up for all

Heus why didn't you turn this in as a tech article yet

dloskam said:

Great info Heus 33! i am actually doing this project. I am very new to all this and would like to know #1 should the grease be applied all around the bushings ( inside and out) and does it make any difference what kind of grease? #2 When you put this all back together do you put any anti seize on the bolts or lock tight on the ends? last question, why do you put the floor jack under the u-joint instead of under the pumpkin? Thanks for saving me time and headache by writing this up for all

Click to expand...

1) Grease inside and out
2) Anti seize, yes. Lock tight prob not necessary where there are cotter pins.
3) Floor jack could go under the pumpkin at this point too.

Skiddy said:

Heus why didn't you turn this in as a tech article yet

Click to expand...

Not sure, I emailed all the pics to Jon back when I did this. Its pretty easy to find with a search.

Doing this right now and have a question. Trying to get the radius arms to touch the ground at the same time... I've done it about six times now and the closest i can get is a 1/4" difference. Is this close enough?

alien secretion said:

Doing this right now and have a question. Trying to get the radius arms to touch the ground at the same time... I've done it about six times now and the closest i can get is a 1/4" difference. Is this close enough?

Click to expand...

I just finished mine and had the same problem. It didn't matter what I tried the result was always the same 1/4". I even tried using the persuasion of a 50lb bag of sand with the same result.
I finally said to hell with it and called it good.
I'm happy with the way it turned out, there may be maybe 3/8" difference between the drivers side and passenger side but it's not even noticeable and it rides great.
Good luck.

Glad I'm not the only one! Just did it twice more with the same result. Think I'm also gonna say hell with it!

subscribing to this thread

Did you have any issues getting the old bushings out of the track bar? I ask, as someone recommended using a propane torch to melt them out and it worked like a charm. I saw where you drilled and pressed them out, but you could have saved yourself a lot of effort. Thanks for doing this. Great writeup brother!

Heus33,

Great writeup!

I am in the middle of installing a new James Duff radius arm bushing set.

There is nothing that makes me want to lose my mind than poorly written instructions. The Duff instructions must have been written by someone who had never done this install.

I chuckle now when I go back and read the cautions about doing one side at a time. That's hilarious... and (I think) impossible. I should have known better to get started without searching ClassicBronco.com.

Thanks for taking the time to put together such a great write-up.

Jeff