Radius arm bracket location - FW SAS

[alwaysFlOoReD]

crossmember question ?

I'm not familiar with this full size stuff and was wondering about the rad arm crossmember-or lack of. Of the two full size f-150 2wd I've crawled under, one ['77 f-150 reg. cab w/460/auto] has a rad arm crossmember and one['88 f-150 ext. cab w/351/auto] does not.
Any insight?
Thanks,
Richard

 

[gwaii]

they used the crossmember between the rad arm mounts till 79 as the trans mount.80 up,when thy went to ttb,a seperate crossmember was used to mount the trans as shorter radius arms were used,putting the mounts further forward on the frame.the crossmember on the ranger rad arm mounts originated as a place to mount the sway bar.when the bar was moved to the front the crossmember stayed.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

So if the crossmember on a ranger was originally for sway bar mounting, is it really necessary? Or was it dual purpose? I'm trying to imagine the load path at the rear rad arm mount and it seems to be straight forward/backward. That would simplify making/adapting mounts for longer rad arms without having to worry about [design] a crossmember.
Richard
Edit; The two trucks I looked at were TIB, not TTB

 

[gwaii]

i have removed the crossmember from the ranger mounts before for custom builds,but i dont recommend it.it seems to stress the frame pretty bad where they mount.

 

[krazykracker]

i have removed the crossmember from the ranger mounts before for custom builds,but i dont recommend it.it seems to stress the frame pretty bad where they mount.

i agree i had a 94 f-150 w/ a drop bracket lift & its rad. arm mounts were not connected & you could see the mount twist the frame as the truck bounced through its travel

 

[Tony Raine]

i will run a separate trans mount, and tie it into the radius arm mounts somehow. just depends on where everything ends up.

while i would really like to extend the radius arms and run hiems, that's $$$ that will be better spent on other things. I'm not out for extreme flex, what i've got now will already outperform the old TTB on rough country springs.

 

[gwaii]

even if you don't tie into the trans mount,just a bar between the rad arm mouints will be good...and remember-the longer the radius arms the less the bushings need to deflect for a given amount of suspension travel.....and the less caster change you will experience.

 

[Tony Raine]

even if you don't tie into the trans mount,just a bar between the rad arm mouints will be good...and remember-the longer the radius arms the less the bushings need to deflect for a given amount of suspension travel.....and the less caster change you will experience.

yeah, i keep looking at the radius arm extensions from "stone crusher steering". they extend about 10.5" and re-use the radius arm bushings (i already have urethane ones with very low miles)

$135 plus shipping isn't too bad. they thread on and then you weld them.

it would keep me from having to cut up my body mount to fit the current radius arm length.

decisions, decisions.....

 

[sweetsride]

heres the diff before installing,note the radius arm brackets.

those are some nice radius arms, how long are they and what are they made out off???


thanks
Kris

 

[gwaii]

42" long,1 3/4 .120wall crerw,boxed both sides with 3/16 h.r.