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MAJOR SUSPENSION FAIL !! Now what? (old aftermarket)


eightynine4x4

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So it’s in lightly and just not yet thread locked and torqued.
I’m concerned about the “reinforcement bracket that is part of the set. It is a small L shaped thing that creates an extra bridge between bracket and crossmember, above the axle connection. It doesn’t line up perfectly, there is like 1/4” gap unless I start to torque it down and create some kind of bending somewhere.
Anybody have any thoughts about this? Pic below.
On a side note, I finally understand how the cam bolts create camber of wheels. Makes sense. But it also took me until now to realize that the old Rancho drop brackets simply have no cam bolts. That makes me wonder … is starting off setting the cam bolts mid way making them the same position as the old version which had no cams? Dead center height? So for now, my passenger side wheel has a cam bolt, driver side does not. Not sure I want to spend money on an alignment until I’ve got both brackets in, and would like to be able to drive the truck between now and then.

I am considering adding a couple heavy duty washers in the reinforcement bracket instead of forcing something weird during torque down.

74674
 


alwaysFlOoReD

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I would be inclined to leave the bolt that points downwards until last and if necesary put in a hardened washer or two.
 

eightynine4x4

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Installation complete. Brought the truck down onto its wheels again.
I have one concern...
Before i had spotted the old cracking drop bracket I had had a cheap alignment done by a generic shop around the corner. Probably last summer. I have a good relationship with those folks and they tell me what they can and can't do. The steering and the wheels seemed fine after the alignment, although I can't recall how it felt before it. Maybe it was just a minor adjustment.
But the old drop bracket was slowly cracking further apart over time, which i of course didn't know and which they hadn't spotted i suppose. In any case, the alignment was done when the drop bracket was in who knows what position.
So would the drop bracket impact the turn of the wheel? I understand that it sets the camber of the wheel by way of raising or lowering the cam bolt. So i was expecting to see the wheel a bit off in camber, maybe leaning out or leaning in. But instead, the passenger wheel now is turned a little bit to the right vs the driver wheel. Should this be expected? The camber looks straight up and down.
I'm planning to get the truck aligned soon, but with the passenger wheel turned a few degrees to the right vs the drivers wheel, i'm concerned. It I had to put this measurement in inches i'd say the front inner edge of the tire is 1-2 inches further to the right than in relation to the drivers wheel. However, the truck is currently turned just slightly to the right overall, but barely. If i drove the truck "straight", it may be that the wheels are actually both pointed outward just a tad.
I haven't tried firing it up and rolling it around the corner to see how it feels. Wanted to see if i could get some feedback here first...
Thoughts?
Thank you!
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Sounds like your "toe" adjustment is out. Yes, the new bracket caused this. It's fairly easy to adjust this yourself with a measuring tape. Check in the Tech Library for instructions.
 

eightynine4x4

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So i was just about to undo the toe adjustment sleeve bolts and immediately noticed some play here...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yo5u45p0hariwil/IMG_8242.mov?dl=0

Is this normal? I don't know how that particular joint works and haven't looked closely yet. Just wanted to make sure i'm not sitting on a potential steering disaster here. Is it supposed to be a little flexible? Maybe not THIS flexible? Should be tightened?
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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So i was just about to undo the toe adjustment sleeve bolts and immediately noticed some play here...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yo5u45p0hariwil/IMG_8242.mov?dl=0

Is this normal? I don't know how that particular joint works and haven't looked closely yet. Just wanted to make sure i'm not sitting on a potential steering disaster here. Is it supposed to be a little flexible? Maybe not THIS flexible? Should be tightened?
Twisting like you're doing is fine. There should be no movement from side to side or front to back in that joint. Get Someone to turn the steering wheel while you're under there and see if both sides move at exactly the same time. If so then it's good.
 
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Is that lower bolt a grade 5?!
 

eightynine4x4

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Got a decent enough toe setting to drive the truck and took it for a slow spin around town. Everything seems ok, but i can tell things are slightly weird with alignment so I'll drop it off for the trusty cheap alignment tomorrow. Will take it to a nice alignment place after I've done the brakes and also installed the other drop bracket.


Is that lower bolt a grade 5?!
Here's the bolt you're probably referring to. It's the cam bolt that comes with the Tuff Country drop brackets. This is of course from the drop bracket that's not installed yet. I'm not sure what grade this is but i sure hope it's not 5.
74754
 

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eightynine4x4

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It is.
No lines = grade 2.
3 lines = grade 5.
6 lines = grade 8.
Great. Thanks Tuff Country / Suspension Connection!
Guess I’ll start combing though McMaster to see if they have good cam bolts.
 

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It will be fine. If it was grade two I would be worried. Grade 8 is stronger but also more brittle.
 

eightynine4x4

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Got the computer alignment done today.
The truck feels pretty squared up! I’m glad because I gotta haul various items around town this weekend.
So I guess my only question is, once I put in the other drop bracket, will it then need to go through another alignment. I guess if the new one’s axle mount hole is even a smidge different than the old one, the difference could magnify itself in the feel of the vehicle especially due to the lift. Maybe I’ll just have to feel it out and see if i even notice anything.
Anyways thanks everyone for all the help on this particular project!
 

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I'm sure it was suggested somewhere one here, but maybe its time for a solid axle swap? Seems like you are halfway there.....
 

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That center bar to the bracket makes no sense to me.
But I’m still left figuring out what the center bar offers. Just structural reinforcement?

I had a Rancho lift once myself. Nothing on it really made much sense. My guess is that bar was a(nother) poor engineering attempt to compensate for the poor engineering of their bracket.
I found cracks in that same bracket of mine after a mere two years of using it. Fortunately I caught it before it broke and I welded the whole structure of it closed using 1/8" steel plate (leaving just the bottom area where the beam mounts open).


We...many year ago noted it actually causes the failure.
The bar isn't the problem (though you're correct its completely unneeded, especially with a well-designed bracket). The problem is the unreinforced open plate-steel framework of the bracket. Without any boxing or other reinforcement, the entirety of the bracket flexes, and eventually it fatigues and breaks. That bar does little to stop it from flexing.

I definitely would suggest planning on completely replacing that kit as soon as you can possibly afford to. It's a death trap in more ways than what you found. When I pulled the Rancho kit off mine after two years use, I found cracks in every single bracket of that kit (the one in question here, the opposite bracket for the driverside beam, both radius arm brackets, and one of the radius arms even. A replacement radius arm bent in the same area the first one cracked). This was all with running not-so-real-big 32x11.50 tires.

The Skyjacker Class 1 kits are relatively affordable among good quality kits. Only thing is this kit is designed to use the stock Ford radius arms, which you would need to procure a pair of those (along with a stock crossmember) from a junkyard in order to install it.

Or if you have a welder (or access to someone who has one), I'd suggest weld a 1/4" thick gusset along the top of the driver side radius arm, and gusset both of your radius arm frame brackets.


Here's a drawing I made numerous years ago (before the internet and digital cameras became real popular) showing where the failures occurred on mine, to give you some idea where the weak areas of it are.



also a pic of another Rancho bracket in the process of failure (not mine):


Also just FYI: The Rancho kit is 2.5" lift (they never made a 4" kit for a Ranger).
 

eightynine4x4

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New York
Vehicle Year
1989
Make / Model
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2.9 V6
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Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2.5" Suspension
Tire Size
31 x 10.5 x 15
I had a Rancho lift once myself. Nothing on it really made much sense. My guess is that bar was a(nother) poor engineering attempt to compensate for the poor engineering of their bracket.
I found cracks in that same bracket of mine after a mere two years of using it. Fortunately I caught it before it broke and I welded the whole structure of it closed using 1/8" steel plate (leaving just the bottom area where the beam mounts open).




The bar isn't the problem (though you're correct its completely unneeded, especially with a well-designed bracket). The problem is the unreinforced open plate-steel framework of the bracket. Without any boxing or other reinforcement, the entirety of the bracket flexes, and eventually it fatigues and breaks. That bar does little to stop it from flexing.

I definitely would suggest planning on completely replacing that kit as soon as you can possibly afford to. It's a death trap in more ways than what you found. When I pulled the Rancho kit off mine after two years use, I found cracks in every single bracket of that kit (the one in question here, the opposite bracket for the driverside beam, both radius arm brackets, and one of the radius arms even. A replacement radius arm bent in the same area the first one cracked). This was all with running not-so-real-big 32x11.50 tires.

The Skyjacker Class 1 kits are relatively affordable among good quality kits. Only thing is this kit is designed to use the stock Ford radius arms, which you would need to procure a pair of those (along with a stock crossmember) from a junkyard in order to install it.

Or if you have a welder (or access to someone who has one), I'd suggest weld a 1/4" thick gusset along the top of the driver side radius arm, and gusset both of your radius arm frame brackets.


Here's a drawing I made numerous years ago (before the internet and digital cameras became real popular) showing where the failures occurred on mine, to give you some idea where the weak areas of it are.



also a pic of another Rancho bracket in the process of failure (not mine):


Also just FYI: The Rancho kit is 2.5" lift (they never made a 4" kit for a Ranger).
Thank you for all of this info!
Ill be referring to your drawings as I continue to inspect the parts now and in the future. Maybe eventually the whole kit could be replaced or upgraded but for now I’m at a wall with budget.
Interesting that it’s a 2.5”! I had not seen that spec/kit info anywhere, but nor had I ever confirmed it was 4” in any way.
 

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