86 B2 radius arm bushing gone bad

[alwaysFlOoReD]

A bolt supply warehouse, some hardware stores, industrial supply warehouse maybe. On the top of the bolt, look for 5 lines radiating away from center. For whatever reason, the amount of lines plus three equals the bolt grade.

Richard

 

[jkufen]

any idea what size I will need? I know grade 8 but the actual dimensions of the bolt?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You can try to use a 2' ratchet strap around the axle and bumper. Remove whatever is in the way of pulling the bumper and axle together...like the sway bar linkage. You may be able to do it without removing the wheel but I have not tried that myself. If this works, you can then use a small jack to put the arm in the right spot to allow the arm to fit back in the hole while SLOWLY releasing the strap tension. You might want to practice that first before removing the arm all the way.
If that won't work for you, search for " rivet removal" and do what works best for you. Once I have the rivets out, I use a step drill with the biggest diameter of 1/2". It makes quick work of drilling the holes and leaves a really clean and ROUND hole exactly 1/2" in size. then use 1/2" grade 8 bolts that have a non-threaded shank sightly less than the thickness of the metal that you are bolting together. If you have to, use washers to make the bolt work. IMO, you don't want to use bolts that are threaded all the way to the head as the shear strength is not as strong.

Good luck,

Richard

 

[jkufen]

ahh didnt even notice that before thanks!

 

[jkufen]

How about this one? I found it on fastenal.com here are the specs:

System of Measurement: Imperial (Inch)
Diameter: 1/2"
Finish: Yellow Zinc
Grade: 8
Length: 1-1/2"
Material: Steel
Specification: SAE J429
Thread: Coarse
Thread Size: 13
Type: Hex Cap Screw
Wrench Size: 3/4"
Thread Type: Full Thread
Product Weight: 0.1052 lbs.
Notes: Hex Head Cap Screws are designed for easy assembly into a tapped hole. Hex Cap Screws meet SAE specifications with a specially designed washer face under the head and a chamfered point. Grade 8 has a greater tensile strength than Grade 5. Designed for use in high-strength and high-stress applications. Yellow Zinc fasteners have been plated with a clear zinc coating and are then coated again with a yellow dichromate. Yellow Zinc offers a modest amount of corrosion resistance, slightly higher than clear Zinc. Minimum Tensile Strength: 150,000 psi for 1/4 - 1-1/2".

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

That's what a grade 8 bolt looks like.
Its been a while since I did mine so I don't have an exact length for you, tho that sounds about right. Like I pointed out before, you want the shank to touch the metal of the frame and brackets, not the threaded portion. Ideally the shank will just stick past/out and a flat washer plus a lock washer will take up any slack allowing the nut to fully torque down. I ended up using up to 3-4 flat washers on some bolts as I used the bolt lengths I had handy.

 

[jkufen]

excellent. I also have another question about the arms themselves. I posted two pictures is that the way they are suppose to look? One i believe is the passenger side is touching the frame.

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[alwaysFlOoReD]

It looks as if the passenger side is tweeked but hard to say from this side of the monitor. I'm not an expert on these systems, I've only worked on two so far. However, I ran across another thread that has some pics posted by cvar;
http://imgur.com/a/BkzJc#fewSf
Maybe those will help.

Richard

 

[jkufen]

yeah after looking at this picture for a while it looks like the end of the radius arm towards the wheel is being pushed down and the end in the picture is being pushed up. Maybe when I take it off and readjust it it will sit right again.

 

[PetesPonies]

It's how many lines on the bolt +2, not 3.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Nothin is tweaked. That's a bad bushing.

Although be weary of the arm rubbing through the bracket. The bracket is reproduced by Dorman, and is available through most parts stores.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

It's how many lines on the bolt +2, not 3.

Going from memory;
3+2=5 .... your right
5+2=7 .... your wrong
then I looked at the pic of the grade 8 bolt and see 6? lines.... so I guess your right! I hate it when everything I've believed for 35 years gets chucked out the window
but....WOW....I can still learn
Thanks for pointing that out
+ rep to you.

Richard

 

[jkufen]

I ordered a new bushing set so hopefully next week i will get it put on. It is doing a number on my mud tires in it's current condition and extremely dangerous to drive.

 

[Shran]

Do yourself a favor and just replace the bushings on both sides. If one is bad, the other is probably in similar condition.

Doubt that arm is tweaked. That bushing looks terrible though.

 

[jkufen]

Yeah I was planning on it. The driver side was changed a few years back by the previous owner but I figured I bought them I may as well change them.