radius arms

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:10 pm

I kinda think when you get the kinda flex that matt is you just don't need much more. y'all have to admit, that is about all you could hope for with a factory ford 3 link. I mean you are only altering one suspension part and running a nice set of coils. yeah there are other things that have to be done like tracbar mount, and steering..... but its pretty simple. at the point that you are making the front get that much flex I think you need to consentrate more on the rear to keep up with the front.

Post by **Nobody** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 8:20 pm

Yep, I can't think of any situations where I wanted more flex. The rear isn't extreme, but I'm happy with the FS bronco springs. At this point my biggest problem is hanging up on the radius arm mounts. I'll resolve that with some homemade mounts at some point. Beyond that, I'd like to eliminate the wedges on the axle tubes, as they take up ground clearance. That would mean a custom 4 link, which probably won't happen for a long long long time.

My list of wants is actually getting pretty short. New body, cage, winch, and fuel injection...and maybe a doubler once I have all that.

fullsizebronc · Post by **fullsizebronc** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:20 am

i put my shock mount in the front of the spring just like the stock 78 79 fulsize. don't se it creating any problems. remember how i said i turned both of my arms into wristed arms before i knew i only needed one. well i traded my buddy for his stock one. he loves it and he also just has the shock in front . says it works great. i also was worried about the arm hitting the shock seat with the mount on the arm so i didn't even put it on. no problems found yet. i was also pondering the idea of running the shock straight up the middle of the coil. mount in center of the lower bucket and cut a hole in the upper bucket and make a shock mount where it is necessary for the shock your running. i think it would work great. wouldn't be hard either. as for me it's just an idea. im personally sold on the amount of travil though. i think if a guy had any more he would be spittn drive lines left and right. on another note , i was woundering, due to fiinacial reasons, if i can run the stock stearing for now? and later do the high steer. i have the flat top nuckles so it wont be hard. let me know what you think.

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:49 am

how much did you lift?
if you are around 4" you can get away with the drop pitman arm and a drop trackbar bracket. if you are more then that you might want to think about flipping the TRE's to the top of the knuckle where they mount now, but you will need a reamer and convert over to the chevy TRE's so your cost will be up there.

FatMan · Post by **FatMan** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 2:22 pm

what size coil's did you use? most run 6" coils and shave the cross member to make room for steering, track bar and axle. definitely need at least a pitman arm for 4" of lift. D has a good suggestion with the TRE's. that would work.

fullsizebronc · Post by **fullsizebronc** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 11:26 pm

right now the full size bronc 80' is sitting on a 4" lift. running 4" trailmaster coils, trail master shocks, with a drop pitman arm already. im doing the straight aqxle conversion. i have the 78' dana 44. new ball joints, bearings seals , u-joints .4.88 gears , locker, and new nuts bolts and washers grade 8 for everything, its ready to go. got the wristed arm and moded stock arm with new mounts done and painted ready to install. track bar mount going in tomarrow for the adj. track bar.4" superflex coils still in the mail on their way. the steering i want to leave stock for now, financial reasons. iwas also looking at the stock steering and noticed it could possibly be bolted above the knuckles as highsteer, if you took just the tie rod and flipped it over. i did it just to see and everything bolted fine. it turned the knuckles even. look at your steering after you read this and you'll see what i'm talking about tell me what you think, only after you look at the stock steering.

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 6:32 am

you need to ream the knuckles to run your steering like that. that way you will have more contact area to make it stronger.

fullsizebronc · Post by **fullsizebronc** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:34 pm

ream them from the top so it has full contact all the way around the tie rod end stud? is that pretty much all? other than that which i noticed also, is there any other in put or thoughts that might help. or is it pretty much cut and dry, GET'R DONE.

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 8:07 pm

well, like I was explaining before if you just ream the holes to fit the factory junk you end up with a hole that looks like this:

\ /
/ \

if you ream the hole to fit the chevy TRE's you get a hole that looks like this:

\ /

see what I am saying? if you are going to drive the truck on the road or want the steering to last I would want to have as much contact as possible. now I'm not saying it isn't ok because quite frankly I have never done the flip.....but if I had the choice I would go with the chevy junk.and FYI if you flip and use the shock mount that goes in front of the coil, you might have the steering hitting the mount.....last time I looked at my front end and thought about it, it just looks to close.

fullsizebronc · Post by **fullsizebronc** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 11:20 pm

TRE's ?

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 6:29 am

tie rod ends

fullsizebronc · Post by **fullsizebronc** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 11:37 am

oh yeh dah. i knew that. sorry.on the stock stearing i have there is only a tie rod end on one side and the other side is solid to the tie rod. should i just get all chevy steering. if so off what year? is the stud on the chev TRE bigger? another thought of mine is what if i just cut off the and of the end of the knuckle where the steering goes and put a fresh peice of steel in there thet i can ream how ever i need to, to have full contact.

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 12:24 pm

I would not alter the knuckle in any other way other then to just ream it. the chevy stuff is larger that is why you can ream the TRE hole to fit right from the top. you will need the TRE's from an 85 K5 blazer I think, then you need to have a piece of DOM cut to fit it together. it starts to get expencive when you start totaling everything.

if you are just doing the 4" I would run the drop pitman arm for now and upgrade when you get the cash.

fullsizebronc · Post by **fullsizebronc** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 7:10 pm

YEH I THINK THAT WILL BE BEST FOR NOW. THANX FOR ALL YOUR HELP. I THINK IF I'M IM GOING TO WAIT TO UPGRADE THE STEERING WHEN I HAVE THE CASH, THEN IM NOT GOIN TO F%#K AROUND IM JUST GOING TO GET A HIGH STEER KIT. DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHICH WOULD BE THE BEST TO GO WITH.

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 11:22 am

I've never set one up but if you look around on the tech info and in the forum on pirate I think you might find what your looking for.....alote of those guys know exactly what you are trying to do and can probably give you some more insite on what products are better quality. when you end up putting it together post some pics I would like to see what you come up with.