Disco II Radius Arm bushings

[lwg]

I am in the middle of pressing in new Radius Arm bushing (frame and axle ends) and while the frame ends went in fine, it seems as though the axle ends are slightly too large. These are the plastic/nylon wrapped bushings, not the typical steel wrapped bushings that were on the frame end.

They are measuring about 80 thousandths too big, can't quite figure out how to get them in without mucking them up. Wondering if all 8 are faulty (doubt it) or if there's just a "special" way that these are to be pressed in?

Any advice from folks who have done this?

 

[robertf]

those sound like the wrong parts

 

[lwg]

It's certainly not impossible. They are Genuine parts that I got from Rovers North. Although there's not much else on this truck that has bushings like this and I've heard that some of the Radius Arm bushings are in fact plastic.

 

[ptschram]

I thought I'd told you about this job.

Turn a chamfer on the end you're going to press into the arm. Get a "little Playmate' cooler or similar, fill with gasoline, anti-freeze and dry ice. Make bushing soup.

When they've cooled sufficiently, QUICKLY press them in place.

BTW-you should have bought 10 or 20 of them as you will collapse several before you get it right.

 

[lwg]

Oh boy, this sounds fun.

So they are actually larger than the holes from the factory? Wonder how the dealerships do this, or if they ever do this...

I only have the 8 so I hope not too many are destroyed, wish me luck.

 

[ptschram]

Dealerships don't fawk around with this, they install radius arms with the bushings in them.

 

[KyleT]

Dealerships don't fawk around with this, they install radius arms with the bushings in them.

this.

heck the quote scares them away and they end up buying junk yard arms if they are bent. no bushing replacement.

 

[lwg]

Chamfered, froze and they pushed right in. No casualties at all.

 

[robertf]

are you sure about that 80 thousandths measurement? Thats a lot of expansion

 

[ptschram]

are you sure about that 80 thousandths measurement? Thats a lot of expansion

Yeah, he's sure.

Glad you got them Larry. It took me a while to perfect that process.

 

[lwg]

are you sure about that 80 thousandths measurement? Thats a lot of expansion

Yep, I'm sure. Remember these are not steel shells, they are plastic or some type of polymer. They are much more compressible than steel.

Also, just as a note to people who are considering this. My truck has 140K on it. I thought I needed all new bushings but it turns out that wasn't the case. The axle end of the drivers rear radius arm had managed to weld itself, meaning the bushing had pretty much no flex in it. I believe this caused the opposit side (passenger rear) to have a failure. The front axle mount bushing on the other side was absolutely trashed and was definitely causing some issues for me.

 

[cts]

I've got a pull to the left when I'm on the gas.... and think it's a bushing but I can't tell which one... think i will just install a spring on the steering wheel...

 

[markdisco]

I've got a pull to the left when I'm on the gas.... and think it's a bushing but I can't tell which one... think i will just install a spring on the steering wheel...

I had the same pull when accelerating, and when I got off the gas it would shift back to the right. Turns out it was the middle busing on the Watts linkage. You might want to check it out because basically that's what locates the rear axle.

 

[lwg]

Dang, just looked up the bushings for the Watts linkage and they are about $350 for the set for genuine ones. That's the last piece of my suspension I have yet to replace. It might have to wait a while.

 

[ptschram]

Dang, just looked up the bushings for the Watts linkage and they are about $350 for the set for genuine ones. That's the last piece of my suspension I have yet to replace. It might have to wait a while.

Got part number???

 

[Blue]

At what kind of mileage should one consider renewing suspension bushings? I'm at about 87K on my '04 D2.

 

[lwg]

I have 140K on mine and they aren't that worn out. The panhard and ACE Sway bar bushings were the worst offenders that were causing clunks. The radius arms are pretty easy to inspect really.

 

[Dexlen]

Just buy an entire Watts linkage. Mine went to shit and I ended up buying 2, first one sucked worse than mine but the 2nd one was perfect. Just get one from a trashed parts truck with lower mileage. Cost about 50$

 

[lwg]

Just buy an entire Watts linkage. Mine went to shit and I ended up buying 2, first one sucked worse than mine but the 2nd one was perfect. Just get one from a trashed parts truck with lower mileage. Cost about 50$

But then you're just putting it off temporarily. If I can replace them with new ones I'm probably good for another 140K.

 

[Mongo]

I found ripping the axles off and replacing them with toy axles eliminates bushing problems...