Radius Arm Bracket

[JamesC]

Hi everybody
Does anyone know what size tubing you would use to fab up your own Radius arm brackets for the use of the stock bushing? I'm trying to repair my radius arm bracket on my 86 ranger as its rusty and bent at the tube part, where the bushing goes.

 

[kunar]

just replace it. not worth the time trying to fix something rusted that bad.

link

 

[JohnPi]

I replaced the radius arm bracket on my '93 this past weekend. Not a huge deal. If you're handy enough to attempt to fix your own, then replacing it should be a snap. I went to a local autoparts store and got the part for $45, and I think RockAuto.com had it for even cheaper. I got the Moog part, it came with grade 10 hardware (said 10.9 on the bolt heads), and where the Ford part numbers were stamped on the originals, there was evidence of a stamped number being milled off. Ford wanted $85 for the part.

From what I found, the 2WD and the 4WD parts were the same. I'd double check to make sure it's the same on your year, though.

 

[MAKG]

Any 1986-87 RBV radius arm bracket will work. Probably quite a large number of other years as well (I'd guess ALL TTB/TIB trucks).

Take a cordless drill to the junkyard. You're going to drill out four rivets. Don't forget pilot holes! And drill ALL the way through.

You can get these from the dealer, but I'll bet you can find a good one in the junkyard substantially cheaper.

 

[kunar]

i looked at rock auto, iirc they were $40-45 from moog. thats probably the route i would take.

 

[JamesC]

So no one knows the diameter tubing to use?
I would rather fix it then go hunting for one around here because I don't see many 86-87 rangers in the scrap yards. I guess I'll have to measure my good side.

 

[JohnPi]

Well, it's availible new if you don't want to hunt for one at a yard, like some people said; but if you're downright determined to fix the old one, I can see if I can measure the one I just took out (ID and OD). The only problem is that I'm away from home for a few days, and I won't be able to measure it until I get home (Wednesday at the EARLIEST). The biggest problem I see with this method you want to do, is that if you don't get it in the right spot (position and angle), you're going to mess up your allignment in what is supposed to be (at least according to Ford and my knoledge) a non-adjustable portion of the allignment setup.