radius arm bushings....help!!!

[funkingonutz]

alright, i started removing my old, cracked rad. arm bushings today and I am confused on how to actually take the rad.arms out, to replace the bushings on the other side. I have the Haynes manual, but it confuses me a little, it says to push the arms out of the bracket...how??
And another thing, the manual says that i need to remove the coilsprings and take those HUGE 1 1/8in bolts out from underneath each I-beam (near the tyers)and push the rad. arms out.
Anyone ever delt with these pain in the arse bushings??
can i get some pointers PLEASE!!
Its much apprecated.
its 4x4 by the way...and its a 95

 

[mjonesjr]

you need to remove the coil springs and then push the beam forward...the lower retaining bolts for the coil springs is 1-1/8"...

 

[tanbuddy]

I tired getting them out once before, i removed the spring from the bucket, the shock and the center pivot bushings and tehy were still getting hung up on something, so i just did the back of the bushing. I plan on doing the fronts soon when i rip the front end apart.

 

[metalmacguyver]

Bottle jacks make it easy.

 

[Jspafford]

The axle beams themselves pivot up and down from a bracket on the frame. When you try and press the axle beam outward it binds up in that bracket.

I rebuilt my whole front end and put in new bushings, then realised I forgot to put the heat shield on the passenger side. I tried to just pry it forward, but ended up dropping the whole beam back out again. What a PITA.

You could always drop the crossmember.

 

[funkingonutz]

i was thinking about dropping the crossmember, as a matter of fact thats what i was going to do but i thought that method was going to be "unsafe", so i confronted my Haynes manual...

would dropping the crossmember be easier?

is any of this going to screw up my front end alignment??

 

[mjonesjr]

it would be easier to take the beams down unless your radius arm crossmember is 100% bolted in.....some are a mix of rivets and bolts...

 

[funkingonutz]

my crossmember is 100% bolted in, so it would be easier to drop the crossmember then right??

 

[mjonesjr]

Yes it would be easier to drop the crossmember.

 

[funkingonutz]

ok then cool thats what ill do

 

[projectnitemare]

That's how I do all radius arm bushings anymore even it the bracket is rivited. Far less hassle and easier for someone to install a suspension lift in the future.

Matt