another dumb question? Extended radius arms?

[bchapma1]

I bought a duff 3&1/2 inch "ultimate" suspension lift from a guy said they had told him you didn't need extended radius arms for it because the shackle bushing were 7 degree? does this sound right or do i need to buy some! Thansk guys!

 

[stlo]

you dont have to have them...ran mine for years with the same lift and stock arms..driveshaft angle was fine...i ran the 7 degree myself....but hell i have the the duff longs arms and still run the 7degree to keep a good angle.....oh but i used new rubber arm bushing at the frame not the poly ones with the stock arms

 

[DonsBolt]

Think you mean 7 degree radius arm bushings, not shackle bushing
The 7 degree radius arm bushings will bring the castor close enogh to factory specs to be driveable. I ran my 3.5 inch lift like that for years, tell I finally turned the inner knuckles, but thats a lot of work

A set of extended radius arms have some advantages, but many if not most of us with 3.5 inch lift runs stock radius arms

 

[stlo]

yeah 7 degree at the c-bushings but i meant rubber not poly bushings at the frame mount

 

[bchapma1]

what does rubber give me over the oe ones? im sure that's obvious or something but im new at all this! thanks for everyone's input! right now everything is apart so I don't want to blow money but if one way is a lot better ill spend the money because this will be my daily driver?

 

[Monca68]

I thik it depends on the bronco itself .I only have a 3 1/2 susp lift and only had 2* with 7* bushings .I put extended arms on and what a difference.Hopefully you,ll get lucky and save youself a load of money and time. Looking back I should of had the outer C's turned it would have been cheaper and less work.

 

[bchapma1]

im sorry but i dont know what outer C's are or what turning them does? I will do what i need to do to make it work the best but I dont want to waste money either! thanks guys

 

[DirtDonk]

Rubber at the frame end allows for more easy flex and is slightly smoother riding. Though on that last point, it's hard to fault most polyurethanes either.

"Outer C's" is a relatively new term (at least in my experience, for the steering yokes on the end of the axles. It's where the ball-joints mount, and the steering knuckle pivots. By rotating them (cutting through the welds, and then re-welding when done) you can gain more positive caster in your wheel alignment and still maintain a proper differential pinion angle. Lots of funny terms in that paragraph!
Using corrective C-bushings only, and/or longer radius arms with built-in caster correction, rotates the upper ball-joint rearward, for more positive caster, but at the same time tilts the pinion down. Sometimes far enough to cause a vibration from a misaligned u-joint.

That help?

Paul

 

[bchapma1]

paul that does help tons! Is this something a run of the mill machine shop or auto shop can do and be familiar with? I would not do that myself but If its the best option I want to get It done now if i should!

 

[scbronco]

i htink a machine shop could do it, but you might want to call around and ask first. a good 4x4 shop will know what your talking about, and probably have the equipment to do it. for that matter, someone on the board might be close enough to you for you to take the axle to them and let them show ya how its done over a saturday...

 

[DirtDonk]

Yeah, what he said. That's why most of us think it's a good idea to specify your location in your signature too. That way we can sometime say, "hey, you're right around the corner, lets fix that thing!" and it gets done.
BBQ and carb's (cool and refreshing beverages) gets it done quicker. Or, in the case of alcohol, much slower sometimes.

By the way, whereabouts are you?

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

And what year is your Bronco?
I hear what you're saying about do-it-right-do-it-once, but I almost hate to even recommend you go through all that hassle and expense (not that much, but more than bushings for sure!) only to find out you weren't that far off to begin with.
While most early-Earlies had insufficient caster from the factory (which only gets worse after a lift), later models didn't seem to be so bad off.
I usually recommend taking the truck to an alignment shop to get a readout of what your current alignment specs are. That way you know which direction to go with the rest of the build.
Are you already torn apart? Or can you still drive it? If so, give it a shot. If not though, might as well check out your options then.

Paul

 

[broncnaz]

X2 on dirtdonks statement.
You need to install the lift first and see how it drives and if it drives poorly get the alginment checked so you have the current numbers. all this other stuff about outer C's and extended arms ect are just fixes for when you find you dont have enough caster or want more flex. Most broncos with 3.5in lifts are driveable without other mods you might have boarder line caster but you wont know until the lift is installed and you actually see how it drives. People have been running 3.5in lifts and taller for years without needing to do anything extra

 

[bchapma1]

guys you are great! I am completely torn down with nothing together other than the front and rear end with new disc setup all the way around! Chevy conversion in the front and ford kit in the back ;D I just had the tub and body soda blasted and the frame sand blasted so im in the parts coming out of my ears stage and my already confused head get more and more that way every day! I am located right outside of Knoxville TN btw and I know there is a pretty big following around here with EBs! Im actually in Oliver Springs which is where the famous Windrock Mountain is which is a huge four-wheeling spot! I dont plan to take mine there cause my family has atvs and dune buggies but im here none the less! Thanks again fellas oh and its a 67 Bronco

 

[shamu]

Yeah, what he said. That's why most of us think it's a good idea to specify your location in your signature too. That way we can sometime say, "hey, you're right around the corner, lets fix that thing!" and it gets done.
BBQ and carb's (cool and refreshing beverages) gets it done quicker. Or, in the case of alcohol, much slower sometimes.

By the way, whereabouts are you?

Paul

Okay Paul I think it takes a 12 pack to install a set of long arms. And Pizza can be delivered and you can still keep working. And this is why you want long arms 86" on Tweety with 32's and 69" on New Port with 35's . I need to put shock hoops on New Port to match Tweety. LOL

 

[bchapma1]

haha i think a keg and more hands may be the way to go! Mine will be built for road use but thats pretty bad a**

 

[DirtDonk]

For road use there are a lot of things you DON'T need to put on your Bronco. And as cool and functional as long arms are, they're one of those things!
Not that you'd be hassled for having them of course, but you certainly don't need to do it for road-manners. In fact, some say that they don't like the mushy feel after installing long arms. Most though seem to think that they're fine for on-road use.

But don't get caught up in the whole long-travel thing if you're just playing around town and camping and towing a boat to the lake and such. Plenty of us running stock arms and having a good time.

Anyway, just sayin'
You can certainly still invite a few over for a long-arm party (sounds like a new Texas micro brew!). "No more sissy-city-beer for us. Pour another round of them Long-Arms for all my friends barkeep!" Gotta cut the range dust with something after all. Might as well be Long-Arm!
Hmmm, long arm beer? Goes with Bronco beer it sounds like.

Now, where was I?

Paul

 

[shamu]

Well we have Shiner beer(made in Texas for over 50 years) that we send to Nor Cal. And then again you Nor Cal guys ship long arms to Texas. We both have good products. I like them both!
Next

 

[bchapma1]

shiner beer really is delicious!