radius arm bushings

[TLynch]

i have a 96 2wd ranger in need of new radius arm bushings. is it me or wouldn't it be easier to remove the crossmember other than the front springs,shock,axle,etc ?
Tim

 

[shane96ranger]

i have a 96 2wd ranger in need of new radius arm bushings. is it me or wouldn't it be easier to remove the crossmember other than the front springs,shock,axle,etc ?
Tim

Some people prefer it that way. The hard part is grinding out the rivets that hold the cross member to the frame. After those are out, any future replacement would be a cinch though.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

That's the way I do them at work, but then again I have a lift, torches, one mean air hammer, and a 4' pry bar. Takes only 30min start to finish, but I have done a many of them.

If you do, do it that way, be very very careful. It does get dangerous. The axle hangs on the shocks, and the springs push the front down. That pushes the whole axle rearward, and the radius arms up. TTB/ TIB springs aren't no joke either.

If you don't have much experience wrenchin the fast/ hard way, I'd do it the long way, in fact if I do them outside of work with a floor jack, I take the suspension apart.

 

[cvar]

I found it was no biggie to remove the cross-member rivets, although perhaps a minor nuisance to use a 4.5" grinding wheel so close to the cabin mounts. It wasn't hard. Personally, I'd rather remove these few rivets than the whole steering knuckle. Mine didn't lurch when the rivets were removed. See photos at http://imgur.com/a/BkzJc