Cross member Bushing

[GKM007]

My bushings in my cross member have seen better days. I have looked at Oreilly's, Autozone, and the Ford Dealer and none have replacements. Short of junk yarding, where can I find replacements for these?

 

[96firephoenix]

if your 88 is anything like my 96+97, you're SOL, even in the junkyards. Best bet is to measure the old one and find a suitable replacement at Grainger or MSC Direct.

Issue is the steel sleeve inside the bushing welds itself to the bolt with rust. Has to be cut off the frame.

 

[adsm08]

Your other option is to eliminate the bushings. There is a crossmember on the market, made for off-roading, that sits inside the frame and bolts to the lower rail. It's designed for ground clearance, but it's solid, no bushings on the ends. Only draw back is last time I saw one they were about $300.

 

[shortzt]

You can get that cross member for like $86 its meant for low riders, if I remember right?
http://grantkustoms.com/catalog/crossmembers-ford-ford-ranger-tranny-cross-member-p-869.html
Maybe these? http://grantkustoms.com/catalog/crossmembers-ford-ford-ranger-tranny-cross-member-p-869.html
Or maybe these? http://m.summitracing.com/parts/ens-4-1102r

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly the same one. And $60 beats the crap out of $300.

I think my mind goes to the Grant one right away because my bushings are ok, but the metal is almost completely rotted away around the ears.

 

[shortzt]

I got a newer style one from the junkyard for $20,

 

[GKM007]

Would a solid mount create more harsh vibrations? Being that there is a bushing there my thought would be its there to isolate vibrations or why else would they not have done a solid mount from the get go?

Newer style? What years are we talking? Is it plug and play?

 

[adsm08]

The idea was originally vibration dampening, but almost everything after 1992 has a solid mount. The rubber trans mount is enough to keep driveline vibrations from being felt. The bushing just add one more thing to go bad.

 

[shortzt]

You grind the 3 rivets in each bushing mount then drill one hole in the drivers side bottom frame rail (lip)

 

[96firephoenix]

I've got some polyurethane on order, waiting to fab a new solid bushing for each end of my crossmember... I may have enough leftover to do a second set, if anyone is interested, send me a PM.